We scour the news around the NFL to bring you what matters most for you and your dynasty team: the most current news on players, both superstars and the relative unknowns, and analysis to decipher the respective situations.
Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone recently stated rookie quarterback EJ Manuel will miss another three to five weeks with the knee injury. If he stays on that schedule, the earliest Manuel will return is for the week eleven contest against the New York Jets. While Thaddeus Lewis is not playing poorly, the Bills - and their fans - are anxious to see the first round passer in action. Lewis led Buffalo to a big win against Miami. Manuel was just starting to make strides when injuring his knee. Dynasty owners are encouraged to offer a veteran backup (Eli Manning, Roethlisberger, Rivers, etc.) for Manuel once your fantasy starter is past his respective bye week. By the time the next offseason rolls around, Manuel will be worth much more than these fantasy reserves so make that move sooner rather than later.
In the Thursday night Arizona Cardinals game against the Seattle Seahawks, quarterback Carson Palmer became the first quarterback since Vinny Testaverde in 2000 to throw multiple interceptions in five consecutive games, according to Cecil Lammey. Those who only look at the box scores will fail to appreciate how poorly Palmer is playing. While he is accumulating garbage time numbers, there is no way the Cardinals will be a threat for the playoffs with the veteran under center.
Last Friday, New York Giants tailback David Wilson told reporters that he does not foresee updates on his neck injury "for a month," according to beat writer Art Stapleton. For the diagnosis, Stapleton tweeted last week that Wilson visit to "Dr. Robert Watkins confirmed #NYG initial diagnosis: he has herniated disc + stenosis. No surgery recommended 4 now" and he is likely to miss at least three or four more weeks.
Again last Friday, Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera told reporters running back Jonathan Stewart could return to practice this week after being on the PUP list with an ankle injury, per a Joe Person report. The PUP designation means that Stewart – and his balky ankles – cannot play before Week 9, and he might actually be able to play by then. We would advise giving him a week or two before inserting into fantasy lineups.
After tearing his left ACL in Week 6, the New York Jets placed running back Mike Goodson on injured reserve. This is a sad ending to the season for the talented Goodson. He missed the four games of the season with a suspension and was making plays. There is a solid chance that Goodson is not back with the Jets next season, especially if New York changes coaches.
Beat writer Jim Thomas tweeted last week that St. Louis Rams tailback Benny Cunningham is out indefinitely with an ankle injury. According to Thomas, Cunningham is wearing a hard cast on his ankle. After the emergence of rookie Zac Stacy, this news just means that dynasty owners are free to drop Cunningham. The injury also means that Isaiah Pead may see the field once again.
New England Patriots back Shane Vereen is no longer sporting a hard cast, according to beat writer Jeff Howe. Vereen is able to return from the injured reserve list in Week 11 so dynasty owners only have a few weeks to acquire the talented back. It appears that the Patriots – and quarterback Tom Brady - are getting Vereen and Gronkowski back in the lineup at the perfect time for a deep playoff run.
Beat writer Tyler Dunne was one of the first to report that Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb fractured his fibula in the Week 6 contest against the Baltimore Ravens. Dunne went on to state on Twitter, "Source also said that Cobb 'nearly broke the fibula all the way through.' Was adamant that this will take 6-8 weeks to recover from." Cobb was subsequently placed on the injured reserve/designated to return list. Dynasty owners with teams not in contention are encouraged to trade for Cobb. He is a superstar and is still very young.
Ian Rapoport reported last week there is a chance Seattle Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin can be healthy enough to play in this week's game against the Rams. While this may be the most optimal scenario, it is a great sign that Harvin – and his hip – are close to ready for game action.
According to USA Today, at least one NFL executive believes St. Louis Rams rookie receiver Tavon Austin is struggling at least in part due to the Rams' inefficient quarterback play. In the story, the executive states, "Little receivers don't work with inaccurate quarterbacks … You can get away with those guys if you have Brees or Brady. Of course, you can get away with a lot with those guys." In addition, Austin has been prone to dropping passes, which only makes the situation worse.
After the Cleveland Browns signed rookie wide receiver Charles Johnson off the Green Bay Packers practice squad, it was discovered that Johnson has a torn ACL, according to beat writer Scott Petrak. Johnson was a seventh round pick of the Packers in April's NFL Draft and now miss the rest of the season.
After he passed through waivers, the Detroit Lions signed wide receiver Patrick Edwards to their practice squad. Edwards was released just a few days before after failing to impress in his first six games as a professional. He is safe to drop unless in the deepest of leagues.
From Footballguys own Chase Stuart, "One reason the Jets are not very good: they have $35M of their 2013 cap on Revis, Sanchez, and Santonio Holmes." The reason this is news-worthy is that the New York offense will look much different next year without Sanchez and Holmes, with Revis already in Tampa Bay. There will be much turnover for the Jets this coming offseason. Sanchez will be a backup elsewhere in 2014 while Holmes has made it apparent he will not play for New York unless he is fully healthy, burning more bridges every week. The only issue with Holmes' sentiment is that football players are rarely completely healthy. Most are dealing with minor, nagging, injuries. A potential coaching change could only add to the change in the New York offense. The win against the Patriots on Sunday may help Rex Ryan stave off his critics a little longer.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith stated that tight end Levine Toilolo could see his role grow in the near future, especially given the injuries to Julio Jones and Roddy White. It makes sense for the Falcons to gravitate toward a two-tight end set with the void of talent at the wide receiver position. According to Smith regarding his young tight end, "I think he's coming along like we anticipated … I think he's going to be a very good threat, especially in the red zone." Given Gonzalez's impending retirement after the season, Toilolo could be a fantasy-viable player next season. He is definitely a player to roster in deep dynasty leagues.
Injuries to monitor this week:
EJ Manuel: Knee
Sam Bradford: Knee
Jay Cutler: Groin
DeMarco Murray: Knee
Steven Jackson: Quad/thigh
David Wilson: Neck
James Starks: Knee
Chris Ivory: Hamstring
Roddy White: Hamstring
Danny Amendola: Head
If you have questions of any variety, please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (Twitter.com/JeffTefertiller) or in the Wannabee thread in the Assistant Coach Forum.
