Big Week 4 NFL Injuries, Even Bigger Fantasy Football Impact (2017)
In recent years the NFL has tried to legislate the sport to be safer, but once again this past weekend, big-name NFL players went down with significant injuries. What’s the fantasy impact of these significant NFL injuries. The shortlist of talent who will play or are questionable includes key players on the Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, and Green Bay Packers. We’ll examine these injuries and prognosis for a return in Week 5 of the NFL.
Fantasy Football GMs, Adjust Your Rosters
Derek Carr, quarterback of the Oakland Raiders sustained a fractured transverse process of the low back. We had no idea we had a transverse process, but it sure doesn’t sound good. We reached out to our client, Dr. Ivan Hernandez, a respected Physical Therapist read SI.com’s Russell Manalastas’ report and it appears the diagnosis isn’t as severe as it looked. Two different starting quarterbacks, Tony Romo and Cam Newton have sustained the injury and came back within a week. The Raiders intend to be cautious with their franchise quarterback, but that patience could be short-lived if backup EJ Manuel struggles.
Running Back Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
Promising Minnesota Vikings running back, Dalvin Cook suffered a torn ACL in his knee. He’s done for the rest of the year. This is absolutely the worst injury a running back could suffer. The former FSU Seminole was the #2 rated RB going into Week 4. Everything was going well until a non-contact injury left Cook laying in a heap. It’s a shame, Cook was showing promise and was producing. Combining surgery and rehab, expect Cook to miss 9-12 months. Speedy recovery young man. Let’s hope being featured in our ‘Gettin’ It In’ post of Week 4 wasn’t a kiss of death.
Dalvin Cook injury does not look good. Hate to see anyone go down like that! #NFL https://t.co/rGe8vz1Jod
— Blitzburgh ✨ (@RenegadeBlitz) October 1, 2017
Quarterback Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans
Manalastas writes both the Titans and head coach Mike Mularkey are confident Mariota’s injury is not severe. This should be good news for fantasy owners. Marcus Mariota is a consistent dual threat on the field when he is healthy. A weird fact of the week–for the second year in a row, Derek Carr and Mariota were injured in the same week of play. If Mariota can’t play in Week 5, Matt Cassell will get the start. Oy very.
Running Back Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers
Ty Montgomery confirmed that he is dealing with multiple broken ribs, which he sustained in the Week 4 contest against the Chicago Bears. The good news is the Packers won’t play for another ten days. Whether and how much Montgomery plays will really be up to him. The only way to recover from broken ribs is rest, protection, and painkillers. Typically you would need a couple of weeks to recover from broken ribs, but with a flack jacket and the team’s medical staff, we wouldn’t be surprised if the former wide receiver is on the field against the Dallas Cowboys.
Make sure to check our site or our social media channels for any updates regarding the fantasy impact of these significant NFL injuries.