Inside the Tent - Week 9 NFL Injury Insight

November 3, 2018

Injury updates and analysis for Week 9 of the 2018 NFL season. Medical expert Aaron Burger, SPT, provides analysis on fantasy football's biggest injuries to help you make informed lineup start/sit decisions.

Week 8 really didn't have a great number of significant injuries which is always great news! The most noteworthy injury was obviously the crazy-talented Will Fuller who tore his ACL on Thursday Night Football. Make sure to read about Fuller's injury as well as updates on a bunch of fantasy relevant players below in this week's Inside the Tent!

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 guys, the readers! I'm Aaron Burger, a third-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student, graduating in May. About a year ago, I decided to combine my love, fantasy football, with what I've been learning for three 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 breaking NFL news and updates.

Inside the Tent Updates

Leonard Fournette, RB - Jacksonville Jaguars

It's expected that Fournette will return in Week 10 following the Jaguars' Week 9 bye according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. It has been a lost year to this point for the second-year man out of LSU but if he is fully healthy when he returns, he could provide some value down the stretch.

Dalvin Cook, RB - Minnesota Vikings

Cook was sidelined once again in Week 8 but according to reports, is slated to come back at least in some fashion in Week 9. According to ESPN Vikings reporter Courtney Cronin, Cook will be on the field for 8-12 plays which certainly does not give him fantasy relevance. If you have Dalvin Cook, wait and see what happens this week and hope you have a fully healthy Cook in Week 10.

Melvin Gordon, RB - Los Angeles Chargers

Gordon, dealing with a hamstring strain, was able to practice all three days this week and even turned in a full practice on Friday. It appears to be all systems go for Gordon who will see his first game action since Week 6.

Sony Michel, RB - New England Patriots

Michel was able to turn in limited practices on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday making him questionable for Sunday night's matchup with the Packers. He sprained his MCL in Week 7 in what looked to be a scary injury. Thankfully though, there were no ligament ruptures and he's only dealing with the sprain. Given that this could be a shootout and Michel is not likely 100%, I would proceed with caution as the Patriots could feature James White this weekend while easing Michel back into things.

Royce Freeman, RB - Denver Broncos

Freeman suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 7 and has already missed Week 8 as a result. High ankle sprains typically take a few weeks to return from and he was only able to practice on Friday this week, albeit in a limited fashion. With this news and considering the nature of the injury, it would be a shock to me if Freeman was able to suit up in Week 9. If he's not, consider Phillip Lindsay an RB1 candidate with Devontae Booker working in during passing situations.

Giovani Bernard, RB - Cincinnati Bengals

Bernard is still dealing with a sprained MCL and missed Week 8 as a result. The Bengals are on bye this week so his practice status early next week will be something to monitor. I'm suspecting he is able to give it a go in Week 10 after missing four games. Bernard’s value will obviously be capped given Joe Mixon’s role in the offense.

Cooper Kupp, WR - Los Angeles Rams

Kupp is good to go for Week 9 after suffering a sprained MCL in Week 6. The Rams will welcome their slot receiver and red zone threat back with open arms as they face a Saints defense which has been exploited through the air at points this year. This game could turn into a shootout so fire up your Rams and Saints players.

Robby Anderson, WR - New York Jets

Anderson is ailing with a mid-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 7. He was not able to practice on Wednesday or Thursday but was limited on Friday. It's likely he will miss the Jets' Week 9 game against the Dolphins as mid-ankle sprains can often lead to multi-week absences.

Keke Coutee, WR - Houston Texans

Coutee is questionable for Week 9 with a hamstring strain but it's likely he will be able to suit up. With Will Fuller's ACL tear, Coutee was looking like the next man up in the Texans passing attack but Demaryius Thomas was acquired from the Broncos. Coutee will move back to the slot where he has been effective this year when healthy.

Quincy Enunwa, WR - New York Jets

Enunwa sat out Week 8 with a high ankle sprain and it seems like he may sit out Week 9 as well. High ankle sprains can be tough to come back quickly from and are almost always a multi-week ordeal. He was not able to practice Wednesday or Thursday but practiced in a limited role on Friday. The Jets are surely missing their stout possession receiver. 

Geronimo Allison, WR - Green Bay Packers

Geronimo Allison is doubtful for Week 9 against the Patriots in what could be a shootout. He is dealing with both hamstring and groin injuries and this Packers receiving corps seems crowded as ever behind Davante Adams. With Allison out, Marquez Valdes-Scantling could become a household name on Sunday Night Football with Randall Cobb mixing in as well.

Week 9 Injury Updates

Chris Thompson, RB - Washington Redskins

• Injury: Thompson is dealing with bruised ribs. He actually was already dealing with this issue already but on Sunday he injured the other set of ribs. Ouch. Bones can bruise after blunt force trauma considering they have their own blood supply. At this point, Thompson's status is dependent upon his pain tolerance but one must consider how much the ribs move when breathing or getting tackled.
• News: As of Friday, Thompson has been ruled out for Week 9. He was not able to practice at all this week so this seemed like a foregone conclusion.
• Outlook: With Thompson out, look for the Redskins to continue pounding the rock with the seemingly ageless Adrian Peterson. Their defense has been a great compliment to Peterson so they've been able to control time of possession where they actually rank second in the league. If the Redskins fall behind to the Falcons, Kapri Bibbs could get more involved in the passing game. Thompson's bruised ribs could keep him out multiple weeks but there's a good chance he returns in Week 10.

A.J. Green, WR - Cincinnati Bengals

• Injury: Green left Week 8 during the Bengals' final drive while favoring his right foot. It was reported as a toe injury but the specifics are unclear at this time. Hopefully Green isn't dealing with turf toe which is essentially a sprain of the ligaments surrounding the big toe.
• News: He was spotted with a walking boot on Tuesday but it was reportedly only precautionary. The Bengals are on bye this week so he has two weeks to heal and recover.
• Outlook: The Bengals go on bye at a perfect time and Green is not expected to miss any time. He could be limited at practice next week as a precautionary measure but his Week 10 status is not something to worry about at this time.

Tyreek Hill, WR - Kansas City Chiefs

• Injury: Hill left Week 8's contest with a groin strain. The hip adductor muscles run along the inside of the thigh and function to bring the legs closer together. Muscle strains can happen when the muscle or tendon is stretched beyond its normal length unexpectedly.
• News: He was surprisingly able to practice in full on Wednesday but was downgraded to limited on Thursday. Fantasy owners released a collective sigh of relief when he returned to practice in full on Friday.
• Outlook: Hill will see some coverage from rookie Denzel Ward but with Hill's speed and elusiveness, it truly doesn't seem to matter who is lined up across from him. Fire him up as a WR1 this week against the Browns although strains are always prone to aggravation or re-injury.

Will Fuller, WR - Houston Texans

• Injury: Fuller tore his right ACL in the Texans' Thursday night game against the Dolphins. The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, helps to add stability to the knee and is one structure that attaches the tibia to the femur.
• News: The return to play for ACL reconstruction surgery is anywhere from 6-9 months if there are no setbacks. With that being said, we obviously won't be seeing Fuller out there anymore in 2018 but he should be back in some capacity during training camp.
• Outlook: With Fuller out for the rest of the year, Keke Coutee seemed poised to handle a larger role in the offense. That was until the Texans acquired Demaryius Thomas from the Broncos, moving Coutee back to the slot. Thomas is obviously not as nimble as he once was and certainly does not stretch the field as Fuller did but I expect him to have more success in Houston than he was having in Denver this year.

Give me a follow on Twitter at @FFAchesAilments - Check back next week and all season for insight regarding fantasy's biggest injuries!

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