Watching, over-analyzing and suffering over the NFL injuries and playing time woes is one of the things that drives fantasy players crazy.  For me, whenever the games are great or frustrating, I go to the movies.  This week, I found myself watching Friday Night Lights and thinking about Boobie Miles, the star of the Perriman High Panthers from Odessa, Texas.  I’m good at fantasy football, but sometimes injuries happen.  Boobie said it right when he quipped to reporters: “I get straight A’s.” The reporter replied “In what subject?” Here’s where the brilliance of superstars comes out: “Hey, there’s only one subject…It’s Football!”  Like all Boobie had is Football, all I have is Fantasy Sports. So like Miles who got hurt in his team’s second game, NFL players this weekend were being relegated to spectators.  For Boobie Miles, he never got a chance to see what it would be like to be “perfect”; to shine in a National Championship game; to play college football; to play pro football.  Boobie got none of that.  So now what do you do without your star player?  Below are some injuries and whether you have to make adjustments without your Boobie Miles.

Eddie Lacy – GB – RB

Eddie Lacy left the game yesterday after his first carry versus the Redskins and then watched from the sidelines as Green Bay’s version of Chris Comer ran circles around the Redskins’ defenders.  James Starks finished the day with 132 yards rushing on 20 attempts and is installed as the starting RB for Green Bay.  Fantasy Football pundits are stupefied that Jonathan Franklin will not be called on.  He is said to simply be not ready.  Watch closely as concussions are hard to figure.  He is a Boobie this week – on the sidelines.

Martellus Bennett – CHI – TE

Scoring the game-winning TD usually cures all ills.  That is why they have ice tubs in the NFL.  That is why they have pain medicine (legal stuff).  Not good enough for whiners like Bennett.  “I messed up my shoulder…” he told reporters.  Chicago needs their TE at Pittsburgh next week, but I have seen this story before.  Don’t trust him this week.  He is a Boobie this week – on the sidelines.

Brandon Myers – NYG – TE

The results are not in as of this writing, but clearly the NY media thinks broken ribs.  They are usually right.  He has been a nice pickup for fantasy owners who dumped at TE, but you can live without him. He has been great with 13-130-TD through 2 games, but shows over with an injury like this.  He’s a Boobie – put him on the sidelines.

Steven Jackson – ATL – RB

Looked like just a pulled groin muscle, but it is odd that Atlanta has not updated this situation.  He left the game very early on and was replaced by Jaquizz Rodgers who did nothing (11 carries for 17 yards).  The knock on S-Jax before the season was that at his age, durability would be an issue.  I didn’t buy it and I don’t think many did.  He played through everything over the last nine years with the Rams, and this seems to be no different.  Watch the news to decide what to do.

Larry Fitzgerald – ARZ – WR

Reports before the game were that Fitzgerald was 80%.  One pundit actually said that Larry Fitzgerald at 80% is still a top 15 WR.  Well, I know that I took him out of all my lineups yesterday and got very lucky doing that.  In some leagues, I had very few choices and played Kendall Wright or Andre Roberts.  Awful.  When guys play at 80%, it is not good.   Watch this closely as this could turn into a Boobie situation.

Reggie Bush – DET – RB

After watching the Redskins defense struggle for two weeks, Reggie Bush owners were eyeing the week 3 match-up think about how the scat back would eat up all those yards and get pay dirt.  When Reggie left the game on Sunday versus the Cardinals in the second half with a strained knee, his owners began to worry.  The injury is considered not serious, but owners must be worried after this, a groin injury and a finger injury all in the first two weeks.  With a capable backup and facing a bad defense like the Redskins, they could keep him out or limited and you would have no way to know.  Watch closely.

Vernon Davis – SFO – TE

Nagging injuries (along with being a head case) have always made it hard for Vernon Davis to stay on the field and perform.  This game was an anomaly since the crowd and defense was soooo dominating.  He will be fine.  Keep sending him up.  Watch the news, but he should be fine.  Tough game for all the 49ers and it hurts the ones who whine the most more.

Andre Johnson – HOU – WR

The situation in this game is why they have a concussion protocol.  Johnson had minor symptoms.  Heck Kurt Warner would have gone back in.  He was not allowed.  He will go through the protocol this week and should be cleared.  He will be on the field catching passes this Sunday.

Roddy White – ATL – WR

Noticed one of my opponents sat him for Denarius Moore.  Thought it crazy at the time, but White only played 53% of the snaps and is clearly more hurt than folks are letting on.  In Week 1, he told reporters after the game, he played only as a decoy. Ugh.  Watch closely, he could play every week and just be bad.  I would Boobie him – sit him if you can until he gets back to form.

Now comes the tough part, how do you replace the players who won’t make it back to the field?

Scour the waiver wire and take shots.  Investigate trades with players in your league.  Look for anything you possibly can to help your team win.  Many times in week 2, fantasy football players become soured on players who have had two mediocre weeks or can trade from strength where a player is way over performing so you can grab one of his/her stars.  That is what I do.  So for my teams that have players on them that may not come back, I think of the words of Coach Gaines, “I want you to close your eyes, and I want you to think about Boobie Miles, who is your brother…and would die to be out there on that field with you tonight…and I want you to put that in your hearts…boys…my heart is full…my heart is full.”    
Rick Wolf, Co-Host of Colton & The Wolfman - Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio The Fantasy 100Rick Wolf is a leader in the fantasy sports industry. Wolf is a founding Board Member and one of only fifteen FSTA Hall of Famers including Bill James and Matthew Berry. Wolf’s career accomplishments include starting the fantasy sports division at SportsLine USA that became CBS SportsLine, incubating Rotoworld to become the #1 fantasy sports news site, and spearheading the sale of Allstar Stats/Rotoworld to NBC Sports in 2006.  With college friend and fellow Hall of Famer, Glenn Colton, the team has won 7 expert titles in baseball and football.Twitter: RickWolf1