Is it just me, or does it seem there are more big-name players injured this NFL season than any other?
Statistics show that there have been basically a normal amount of injuries so far, but from a fantasy point of view, there are several key ones to keep an eye on this weekend:
Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams): Rookie Brian Leonard gets the start for sinking St. Louis at Dallas, with the Cowboys big favorites at WagerWeb.com. Jackson has a partially torn groin (which just can't feel good), so expect him to be out longer than the one week that Rams officials are saying. Leonard is worth picking up.
Hines Ward (Pittsburgh Steelers): Ward is doubtful against Arizona with knee problems. Nate Washington would start in his place and is worth a play against a bad Arizona secondary. Last year in a start for Ward, Washington had five catches for 145 yards and a touchdown.
Andre Johnson and Ahman Green (Houston Texans): The Texan's top offensive threat is Johnson, the wide receiver who will miss another week (and maybe more) this football season with knee issues. Andre' Davis is likely to get the start opposite Kevin Walter as the Texas get desperate at wideout. Green, meanwhile, is likely to sit with a knee injury, which makes Ron Dayne's value go way up. The Texans play the porous Falcons this week, so Dayne is worth starting.
Shaun Alexander (Seattle Seahawks): The 2005 NFL MVP has a crack in his wrist but is expected to play
through it. However, he had two dropped passes last week. Alexander owners need to pick up Maurice Morris pronto, as this injury will affect Alexander for the rest of the season.
Rudi Johnson (Cincinnati Bengals): Johnson says he will play in Monday night's game against the Patriots, and Johnson does have a history of playing through injuries. However, he was pretty bad against
Seattle last week, and backup Kenny Watson was very good. The tough part about this is that it is a Monday night game, and you may have to set your lineup on Sunday. I'd say go with Rudi here, but his owners should be grabbing Watson.
Deuce McAllister (New Orleans Saints): Deuce rolled snake-eyes in Monday's loss to the Titans. The 0-3
Saints are sinking fast. McAllister's injury means more work for Reggie Bush, which is good for his owners. Aaron Stecker should get some carries for the Saints in McAllister's place, but he's not worth picking up unless Bush gets hurt.
Brian Westbrook (Philadelphia Eagles): He was fabulous in the rout of the Lions last week but will be a game-time decision against the Giants this week due to an ab problem. Correll Buckhalter would get the bulk of the work in Westbrook's place against a bad Giants defense.
Jake Delhomme (Carolina Panthers): I'd stay away from the Carolina quarterbacks this week against the Bucs. Delhomme likely will miss a week or two with an elbow strain, meaning David Carr will start this week against surprising Tampa Bay. That's also bad news for receiver Steve Smith.
J.P. Losman (Bills): Buffalo's starting QB is out at least two weeks with a knee sprain. Rookie Trent
Edwards will get the call in Losman's place, but if you really need a Buffalo QB in your lineup, your team has problems. Unfortunately, this also hurts running back Marshawn Lynch's and receiver Lee Evans' value. Stay away from Buffalo offensive players, being my point.
The Bears defense: Wow, were the Bears battered in their Sunday night loss to the Cowboys. Defensive lineman Tommie Harris could miss up to a month with a knee sprain, cornerback Nathan Vasher at least a month with a torn groin, cornerback Charles Tillman is out two weeks with a sprained ankle, safety Adam Archuleta will try to play with a broken hand and linebacker Lance Briggs could be out Sunday with a groin issue.
What does this all mean? Well, the Bears are facing the pass happy Lions with half their starting defense likely missing and a very inexperienced secondary. Most times, you would always play the Bears defense if you had it, but pass this week. And play those Lions receivers, too!
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