It is now fantasy football season and pre-season games are just around the corner. As expected, injuries are already wreaking havoc on fantasy drafts and rankings. This makes it that much more difficult and anxiety-inducing to have your league’s draft so early. Irrespective of that, you need to draft depth and secure handcuffs where possible. So without further adieu, here is the next edition of the gridiron walking wounded.
Arian Foster (RB-HOU)
On this week’s Fantasy Alarm podcast, I called Arian Foster the “Troy Tulowitzki of fantasy football.” This is the perfect comparison because both have incredible talent and provide elite fantasy value when healthy. The problem is that they are rarely healthy. Foster suffered a significant groin injury where his muscle apparently was torn off the bone requiring surgery. The best case scenario is that he returns by Week 10. The likely scenario is that he misses the whole season. Alfred Blue now becomes a viable fantasy option even if the Texans bring in a veteran running back to fill the backfield.
Michael Floyd (WR-ARZ)
Floyd sustained several dislocated fingers which required surgery. The good news is that he is expected to miss up to five weeks which could put him on track to be ready for Week 1. You will need to check back in each week for a status update, but for now operate on the assumption he will be in the lineup for the regular season opener. He will benefit greatly from having a healthy Carson Palmer all season and should have little trouble improving on his pedestrian numbers from 2014.
Joique Bell (RB-DET)
Bell has been dealing with both an ankle and Achilles injury to go along with breathing issues. There is no timetable for his return to practice so his status for Week 1 is slightly uncertain right now. Bell is likely going to share carries with Ameer Abdullah, but injuries like this could tip the scale even more in Abdullah’s favor.
Darren McFadden (RB-DAL)
In news that surprises no one, Darren McFadden is already injured. He is sidelined with soreness in his hamstrings and has missed practice the past couple days. DMC is more like PUP because he has historically been unable to stay on the field besides 2014 when he played in all 16 games thanks to a significant reduction in carries. Even though it looks enticing to think about him running behind the Cowboys’ impressive offensive line, just remember how frequently McFadden has shown up on the injury report over the course of his career.
DeSean Jackson (WR-WAS)
Jackson suffered a sprained AC joint and will likely miss a couple weeks. The shoulder injury should not have any effect on when you draft Jackson as a WR3 because he is expected back in time to play at least one pre-season game. The Redskins offense is a big question mark because of Robert Griffin III’s inconsistency and injury history, but Jackson will certainly be a focal point of the offense.
Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service, and is also the co-host of the Fantasy Alarm podcast. You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment),