Inside the Tent - Week 10 NFL Injury Insight

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 two 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.

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Inside the Tent Updates

Patrick Mahomes, QB - Kansas City Chiefs

• Mahomes was not able to play in Week 9 as he continues to rehab from a dislocated patella. Just as I predicted in last week’s Inside the Tent article, Mahomes is ready to go for Week 10 and will be leading the Chiefs into Nashville to take on the Titans. Expect the Chiefs to ramp their offense up to match the talents of Mahomes.

Alvin Kamara, RB - New Orleans Saints

• Kamara is coming back from a knee sprain as well as a low-grade high ankle sprain. He was not able to play in Weeks 7-9 and Latavius Murray turned in great fantasy performances as a result. With the Saints coming off their bye, expect Kamara to be close to 100% as he was able to practice in full on Thursday. Going forward though, it’s expected that Murray will see an increased workload compared to the beginning of the season where Kamara dominated the touches.

David Johnson, RB - Arizona Cardinals

• Johnson did not play in Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers and as a result, Kenyon Drake dominated the Cardinals backfield. With another week of rest and rehab, Johnson is ready to go in Week 10 against the Buccaneers and their stout run defense. Johnson was not listed on the final Cardinals injury report.

Matt Ryan, QB - Atlanta Falcons

• Coming off an ankle sprain, Ryan is good to go this weekend against the Saints. The Falcons will likely be playing from behind so some garbage time Matt Ryan points are certainly in play. As with all soft tissue injuries, ankle sprains are susceptible to re-injury so there’s a certian level of concern but he has had adequate time to rest and rehabilitate his ankle to this point.

James Conner, RB - Pittsburgh Steelers

• Conner is dealing with an AC, or acromioclavicular, joint sprain. This is the joint where the clavicle, or collarbone, meets the shoulder blade via a bony protrusion known as the acromion. There are 3 types of sprains: Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III. Considering he did not have surgery, which would be required for Grade III, he is likely dealing with a Grade II sprain. Conner is not likely to play this Sunday as he missed practice this week. Once again, Jaylen Samuels is a great start as far as volume is concerned.

T.Y. Hilton, WR - Indianapolis Colts

• Hilton strained his calf in practice leading up the the Colts' Week 9 matchup against the Steelers. When calves are strained, they are simply stretched past their anatomical limits. Hilton's strain is likely a Grade II strain which is more severe than a Grade I but not a complete rupture (Grade III). Hilton has been ruled out for Week 10 which is a smart move considering the timeline for returning from calf strains (2-3 weeks).

Week 10 Injury Updates

Jacoby Brissett, QB - Indianapolis Colts

• Injury: Brissett was removed from the Colts’ Week 9 game when one of his offensive linemen was driven back into his plant leg which caused it to collapse inward. This is a classic mechanism of injury for an MCL sprain. The MCL is a ligament that runs along the inner part of the knee and provides stability to the joint. Imaging confirmed a mild MCL sprain which is known as a Grade I MCL sprain.
• News: Brissett is a game-time decision in Week 10 against the Dolphins. 
• Outlook: Ultimately, I believe Brissett will play this week agianst the Dolphins with a brace to prevent excess motion of his knee joint. The Colts have a great offensive line that usually keeps Brissett upright. Brian Hoyer did a serviceable job in Week 9 against the Steelers so even if Brissett isn’t able to play, Colts’ fantasy players are still a great start against the Dolphins.

Adam Thielen, WR - Minnesota Vikings

• Injury: Thielen unfortunately re-aggravated the hamstring strain that plagued him in Week 7. Hamstring strains, more so than other soft tissue injuries, are susceptible to reinjury given their action of helping athletes sprint as well as decelerate. They are responsible for explosive movements so they can easily be re-injured with explosive movements which is how Thielen re-injured his hamstring.
• News: Thielen has been ruled OUT for Week 10.
• Outlook: Stefon Diggs will continue to be the #1 passing option for Minnesota. They face a tough Cowboys Defense this weekend who ranks top-10 in passing yards per game so expectations should be tempered. Also, it’s well documented that Kirk Cousins often does not fair well against formidable opponents while on the road.

Preston Williams, WR - Miami Dolphins

• Injury: Williams, a great story as an undrafted rookie, unfortunately tore his ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, in Week 9 and is done for the 2019 season. The ACL controls forward movement of the tibia, or shin bone, and is often injured during “non-contact” injuries.
• News: With this ACL tear, or Grade III sprain, Williams will not play during the 2019 season and will undergo ACL reconstruction surgery. The typical return to play time for this surgery is 9-12 months so Williams may not be ready for Week 1 in 2020.
• Outlook: With Williams out, it’s tough to see how the targets shake out in Miami. It’s certainly positive that Ryan Fitzpatrick is willing to air it out though. Albert Wilson and Devante Parker should be in line for more targets in Week 10 against the Colts.

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