Inside the Tent - Week 10 NFL Injury Insight

November 14, 2020

Injury updates and analysis for Week 10 of the 2020 NFL season. Aaron Burger, PT, DPT provides analysis on fantasy football's biggest injuries during Week 9 to help you make informed lineup start/sit decisions.

At RotoBaller, we can't stress enough the importance of keeping up with injuries and playing your best lineup week after week. Players are going to get injured, that's an unavoidable fact. What's avoidable though is making the wrong roster decisions based on the injuries surrounding your fantasy squad. If you want to dominate your leagues and win some dough in daily contests, you have to be proactive with injury research.

That's where I come in to serve you, the readers! I'm Aaron Burger, a Doctor of Physical Therapy in Pittsburgh, PA. About three years ago, I decided to combine my love, fantasy football, with what I've been learning for years now: injuries and the human body. Each week, I'll be checking in on fantasy's biggest injuries to keep you informed.

Be sure you also have RotoBaller bookmarked and follow us on social media to catch all the latest NFL news and updates. Feel free to reach out on Twitter (@aaronburgerPT) for any injury questions!

Inside the Tent Updates

Miles Sanders, RB - Philadelphia Eagles

• Sanders is dealing with a MCL sprain which has kept him out since Week 6. Following the Eagles' bye week, Sanders is ready to get back on the field following a limited practice on Wednesday and full practice on Thursday. There is little to no risk for reinjury of his MCL sprain.

Raheem Mostert, RB - San Francisco 49ers

• Mostert is dealing with a high ankle sprain and was placed on injured reserve on October 23rd. He was eligible to come off of IR this week but according to Coach Kyle Shanahan, he will not be back for Week 10 against the Saints. Expect Mostert to return next week against the Rams after the 49ers' bye.

Kenyan Drake, RB - Arizona Cardinals

• Kenyan Drake has been ailed with an ankle injury and missed Week 9 as a result. X-rays were negative which indicates Drake is dealing with some type of soft tissue injury whether that's a ligament, muscle, or tendon. The Cardinals were initially treating this like a high ankle sprain but Coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters that it's not quite that serious. Drake is a game-time decision for Week 10 but it's likely he will play after getting in three limited practices this week.

Joe Mixon, RB - Cincinnati Bengals

• Mixon is dealing with a midfoot sprain that has now caused him to miss Weeks 7 and 8 before the Bengals' week 9 bye week. Leading into Week 10, Mixon was not able to practice on Wednesday or Thursday and therefore is doubtful. His status for Week 11 is certainly in doubt and this sprain may be worse than initially thought.

Noah Fant, TE - Denver Broncos

• Fant suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 4 and has not looked like his explosive self since. Leading into Week 10, he was unable to practice on Wednesday but was able to practice in full on Thursday. This puts him in line to play on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders although his effectiveness is yet to be determined.

Last Week's Injury Updates

Ben Roethlisberger, QB - Pittsburgh Steelers

• Injury: Roethlisberger was tackled awkwardly in Week 9 and went into the locker room early before halftime. Based on the angle in which his left knee was bent, Roethlisberger is likely dealing with a mild MCL, or medial collateral ligament, sprain.
• News: He was not able to practice this week due to being placed on the COVID-19 reserve list. As long as he is able to clear protocol before Sunday, he will play against the Bengals.
• Outlook: If Roethlisberger clears COVID-19 protocol, this is an obvious upgrade for the Steelers offense over Mason Rudolph. With Roethlisberger under center, expect JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, and Chase Claypool to have a good day against a Bengals Defense ranked 29th in defensive DVOA.

Kyle Allen, QB - Washington Football Team

• Injury: Allen unfortunately dislocated his left ankle in Week 9 and is out for the 2020 season as a result. His surgery and rehabilitation will depend on the ligaments involved
• News: With Allen sidelined for the 2020 season, the Football Team will now turn to Alex Smith who obviously also had a horrific ankle injury. In Week 9, Smith went 24/32 with one touchdown and three interceptions.
• Outlook: The Football Team has obviously struggled to this point but if Smith can find his 2017 form, they may be able to string some wins together. Terry McLaurin, Antonio Gibson, and J.D. McKissic continue to be the only fantasy-viable options on this team going forward.

Christian McCaffrey, RB - Carolina Panthers

• Injury: After coming back from a high ankle sprain that kept him out for six weeks, McCaffrey was tackled and landed directly on his right shoulder. This is the classic mechanism of injury for an AC, or acromioclavicular, joint sprain. The AC joint is at the tip of the shoulder and includes two parts: the acromion, which is a part of the scapula, and the clavicle. These two bones are connected by ligaments and the severity of the sprain is determined by which ligaments are involved.
• News: McCaffrey was not able to practice at all this week and will not suit up in Week 10.
• Outlook: With McCaffrey out, Mike Davis will resume lead-back duties for the Panthers. For the most part, Davis has been great when he's been out there so he can be confidently started in Week 10. Based on the severity of McCaffrey's sprain, he may be out two to four weeks.

David Montgomery, RB - Chicago Bears

• Injury: Montgomery sustained a concussion in Week 9 after a hit to the head. Concussions are a result of the chemical cascade within the brain resulting in symptoms such as dizziness, fogginess, headaches, and sensitivity to light.
• News: He was not able to clear protocol and didn't practice at all this week. He can still clear protocol before the game on Sunday but considering he hasn't been cleared yet; it's not looking promising.
• Outlook: If Montgomery doesn't play, Cordarrelle Patterson and Ryan Nall will take the majority of the carries for the Bears against the Vikings in Week 10. Either of them can be started although expectations should be tempered considering the Bears are ranked 28th in offensive DVOA.

David Johnson, RB - Houston Texans

• Injury: Johnson sustained a concussion in Week 9 after a hit to the head. Concussions are a result of the chemical cascade within the brain resulting in symptoms such as dizziness, fogginess, headaches, and sensitivity to light.
• News: Johnson was not able to practice this week and has not cleared concussion protocol. He has been ruled out for Week 10.
• Outlook: With Johnson out, the Texans will turn to their other Johnson: Duke Johnson. Johnson obviously holds PPR value and if the Texans can put up some points against the Browns, he can certainly return some value with lead-back duties.

Laviska Shenault Jr., WR - Jacksonville Jaguars

• Injury: Shenault, a promising rookie, sustained a hamstring strain in Week 9. Hamstring strains come in different severities: Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III. Shenault is likely dealing within a Grade I strain, which is the least severe of the three. The hamstring group helps athletes to accelerate and decelerate and are susceptible to re-injury.
• News: He was able to practice this week in a limited fashion but has been ruled OUT for Week 10 against the Packers.
• Outlook: With Shenault out, expect his targets to be distributed between Chris Conley, D.J. Chark, and Keelan Cole. Overall though, expect the Jaguars' offense to look bleak against the Packers. Although, this should give opportunities to the pass catchers for the Jaguars as they'll likely be playing from behind.

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