It has been a very busy week as fantasy football GMs shuffle their lineups and run to the waiver wire to accommodate all of the injuries.  This is a critical time in the season so GMs need to aggressively and intelligently manage their rosters to overcome the havoc that is constantly being wreaked.  So without further ado, here is the next edition of the fantasy football walking wounded.

Ben Roethlisberger (QB-PIT)

There are some conflicting reports on when we can expect Roethlisberger to return from his knee surgery.  The range is between 2-3 weeks to 4-6 weeks which makes a huge difference in terms of the fantasy impact for many GMs.  Landry Jones will play in Roethlisberger’s absence which significantly devalues Antonio Brown but could provide a boost for Le’veon Bell and the Steelers running game.  Plan on finding a solid replacement for Big Ben because your roster will surely be missing his typical fantasy production.

Brian Hoyer (QB-CHI)

After seemingly replacing Jay Cutler as the starting quarterback going forward, Brian Hoyer has gone down in flames once again.  Hoyer suffered a broken left arm on Thursday night against Green Bay and will be out for an extended amount of time.  He has played extremely well the past few weeks and became a real fantasy option for GMs frustrated with the quarterback play of their starters.  Matt Barkley will step in to replace Hoyer until Jay Cutler is ready to come back from his thumb injury.  This spells doom for Alshon Jeffery owners.

Carlos Hyde (RB-SF)

Hyde suffered a shoulder injury last week and had his arm in a sling until recently.  He will miss this week’s game against Tampa Bay which is unfortunate since it would have been a favorable matchup.  The 49ers are on a bye for Week 8 so Hyde is expected to return after that.  Hyde has been a very valuable fantasy running back with 429 yards rushing and six touchdowns so he will be missed in lineups this week.  Don’t even bother with any of San Francisco’s other backfield options.

Doug Martin (RB-TB)

Just when we thought Martin was coming back, it was revealed that he suffered a setback this week and will miss Sunday’s game against San Francisco.  Martin could have had a field day against the 49ers run defense but instead that honor could go to Jacquizz Rodgers who will get the start again for Tampa Bay.  Martin is considered week-to-week with this hamstring injury and we should not expect him back for at least a couple weeks because he will have to show significant improvement without any further setbacks.

LeSean McCoy (RB-BUF)

McCoy’s status for this Sunday’s game against Miami is very much in doubt as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury.  He has not been officially ruled out yet but it appears likely that Buffalo will keep him benched to prevent any further injury.  Mike Gillislee would likely see a majority of snaps in McCoy’s absence which makes him a viable fantasy option this week.

Eddie Lacy (RB-GB)

The news for Eddie Lacy just keeps getting worse as he underwent surgery on his ankle and has been placed on Injured Reserve.  This means that he wouldn’t be eligible to return until Week 15 at the earliest, even assuming he was physically able to do so.  Fantasy owners can easily drop 234 pounds of dead weight by setting Lacy free which is something Green Bay should consider doing as well.

Theo Riddick (RB-DET)

Riddick did not practice on Thursday and is very much in doubt for Sunday’s game against Washington.  Detroit’s backfield is a mess and Riddick was the best option before suffering an ankle injury.  Do not plan on seeing him play in Week 7.

Odell Beckham, Jr. (WR-NYG)

Beckham was limited in practice this week with a hip injury but is expected to be at full strength against the Rams in London this Sunday.  He is coming off his best game of the season by far where he exploded for over 200 receiving yards and two dynamic touchdowns.  Beckham has been held in check until last week so he could be on the verge of a huge run now that the Giants seem intent on getting him the ball more frequently.  Beckham is a must-start WR1 in all league formats.

DeAndre Hopkins (WR-HOU)

Hopkins is dealing with a hamstring injury and was limited in practice on Thursday.  This shouldn’t affect his ability to play on Monday night against Denver.  Hopkins has been a big disappointment for fantasy GMs after catching just 31 passes and only three touchdowns through six games.  His production isn’t expected to get much better this week against Denver’s stellar defense.

Jimmy Graham (TE-SEA)

Graham did not practice on Thursday as he is dealing with both hip and knee injuries.  There is cause for concern about his status for Week 7 because with his injury history there are big red flags when he does not practice this late in the week.  He could be a game-time decision but that is even more frustrating for fantasy GMs since Seattle plays on Sunday night and people may not have enough information to make a decision by the time lineups lock at 1:00 on Sunday.  Monitor this situation for further updates over the weekend.

Tyler Eifert (TE-CIN)

I am looking forward to not writing about Eifert anymore on the injury report.  He was a full participant in practice on Thursday and appears on track to make his season debut this week against Cleveland.  Eifert has likely been stashed on your bench all year so now will be the time to dust him off and finally get a return on your investment by putting him in your lineup with a favorable matchup against the Browns.

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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),