The injury bug continues to devastate the league, though in a different capacity than last week’s ankle sprain fiesta. It was the concussions that did the damage in Week 10 and for Week 11 owners sidelining at least 3 sure-fire fantasy starters. It is increasingly more important to keep a well-stocked bench in the name of depth, and to take chances on possible game-breakers that are given opportunity through injury. With that in mind, here’s a look back and a look ahead into the world of Fantasy Football.
Injury Report
QB Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: Roethlisberger went down hard last week, harder than any of the four starting quarterbacks listed on the injury report this week. He left the game early in second half Sunday, and has been diagnosed with a sprained right shoulder, his throwing shoulder, and a dislocated rib that appears to be the more sever of the two injuries. Expect Big Ben to miss multiple weeks with these injuries. Byron Leftwich will start for the Steelers this weekend, limiting the value on the whole of Pittsburgh’s air attack.
RB Fred Jackson, Bills: Jackson has already been ruled out of tonight’s game with a concussion that he suffered during a two touchdown, eighty yard performance against New England. With the short week of practice and recovery Jackson will not play tonight, but isn’t expected to miss any more game time because of his concussion.
QB Michael Vick, Eagles: In what has already been a roller coaster season for the gifted athlete, Vick will most likely sit against the Redskins this week. Suffering from a concussion and maybe a slight case of fumblitis, he has yet to practice this week. Head Coach Andy Reid has given all of the 1 st team reps to rookie Nick Foles, who faces an awful ‘skins pass defense that is giving up over 300 yards through the air a game.
QB Jay Cutler, Bears: This man is no stranger to concussions, having suffered into double digits during his professional tenure. But after throwing two interceptions in the first half of last week’s game, Cutler was removed because of a concussion and was replaced with Jason Campbell. Campbell will likely start this week with Cutler still under observation from the Bears’ team doctors, and will face an elite 49ers defense after managing to produce only 94 passing yards last week in the whole second half.
QB Alex Smith, 49ers: Smith is the least likely to miss any time due to his concussion. He has already passed the NFL’s protocol regarding concussion recovery, and has been practicing with a non-contact jersey. It doesn’t hurt that his game is on Monday either, giving him an extra day of rest. Expect smith to start against the Bears this week.
Free Agents
RB Chris Ivory, Saints: Ivory has made his presence known on the fantasy scene following Darren Sproles’ broken hand. Since the injury, Ivory has 17 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns, which have both come on impressive, explosive runs of 22 and 56 yards. The Saints’ other two legs of the running back tri-pod, Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram, have done little to separate themselves from the pack. Ivory retains value as long as Sproles is out, but it will be limited as well because of his involvement with the Saints’ three-back system.
WR Donald Jones, Bills: Jones has become Fitzpatrick’s favorite receiver after Stevie Johnson, scoring two touchdowns in the last three games and racking up six receptions in consecutive games. If the relationship with his quarterback continues to build, Jones could become a decent flex play or stop-gap in an emergency situation.
TE Greg Olsen, Panthers: Olsen has led the Panthers in targets for consecutive weeks, with nine and ten, respectively, and last week’s performance was off the fantasy charts, catching nine passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns. As Cam Newton and the Carolina offense continue to progress, Olsen should keep seeing a significant percentage of the targets.
Matchups
RB C.J. Spiller vs. Miami Defense: Fred Jackson is out, giving the backfield entirely to Spiller, which means a huge boost for his fantasy owners. In games that Spiller has over ten attempts rushing, he is averaging 144 total yards and has scored in three of four games. Two of those weeks he eclipsed the 200 total yard mark. Miami owns a top-5 run defense, but did allow Chris Johnson to amass 126 yards on the ground last week. Spiller is a must start in all leagues.
RB Doug Martin vs. Carolina Defense: The rookie phenom has set defenses ablaze recently, putting together two games with 25 or more carries, 200 yards from scrimmage, and a touchdown. Last week was no showcase, but he strung his fifth game of over one hundred total yards together. The Panthers defense has been pedestrian at best, and the Buccaneers are beginning to tap into their newest playmaker more and more effectively.
TE Heath Miller, WR Mike Wallace, WR Emmanuel Sanders vs. Baltimore Defense: Even though the Ravens defense hasn’t been the elite unit we are accustomed to over the past decade or so, missing the play of Ray Lewis and Ladarius Webb, nothing can offset the damage done to the Steelers’ passing attack by the loss of Roethlisberger. As a replacement last week Byron Leftwich completed seven passes for 73 yards and fumbled once, preventing the team or coaching staff from finding any confidence in the veteran quarterback who hasn’t started a game since 2009. Heath Miller didn’t see any targets in the second half, and Wallace finished the day with 3 receptions for 17 yards. Even against a defense giving up 390 passing yards per game, try to avoid starting any pieces of the grounded air attack while Leftwich is under center.
Tonight’s matchup featuring the Dolphins and the Bills will kick off at 8:20 Eastern time in an AFC East rivalry game. Look for the explosive C.J. Spiller to make a huge impact, as well as the always entertaining Reggie Bush, who often represents the heart and soul of Miami’s offense. Remember to check your lineups for any game-breaking injury reports, at this point in the season starters are dropping all over the league. Good luck in your Week 11 matchups, remember to check back for more advice after this weekend’s games!
