Does Ben Roethlisberger have a shot at suiting up on Sunday?
Are last-minute injury decisions ruining your fantasy lineup every week? The Jocs and Docs Show is here to help. Not only are we going to break down the biggest injury question marks every week, but we are also going to give you insight on who is likely to sit as well as who you can pick up to bolster your lineup.
Week 9 was another big injury Sunday with losses to many key players. This week we have the possible return of some key stars as well as some late-week injuries to key players. In honor of Veterans’ Day, we pay homage to some of our favorite American war movies heroes.
Get Start/Sit & Waiver Advice with My Playbook 
Alshon Jeffery: Chris Kyle from American Sniper
Docs: (Dr. Khalid)
Alshon Jeffery’s biggest enemy this season has been his left leg. Jeffery just cannot buy a break as these injuries (hamstring, calf) have been nagging him all year. The situation is analogous to that of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) in American Sniper.
Kyle couldn’t avoid having to go on multiple duties and was never at home, as a result. Likewise, Jeffery was sidelined this season with left calf and hamstring issues, and now he tweaked his groin in practice on Wednesday. Jeffery sat out Thursday to rest and will almost certainly receive the “questionable” tag for Sunday.
There is always a concern with mid-week soft tissue injuries because there just isn’t much time to rest and heal before Sunday. On top of that, we are dealing with John Fox and his less than detailed injury updates. Jeffery was limited in practice Friday and I give him a 75% chance to play Sunday, barring a setback in warmups.
Jocs: (Aman)
When Jeffery has been on the field, he’s been an absolute stud. Moving forward, I would consider him a bonafide WR1 simply because the targets are consistent. In the four games Jeffery has played, he’s received 53 targets, 31 of which came in the last two games.
As he progresses in health, the numbers steadily increase. He’s had over 100 yards receiving in the last three games and is averaging 123 yards per game. Even if the touchdowns aren’t there, he’s a solid play on the yards alone.
Allen Hurns: Captain John H. Miller from Saving Private Ryan
Docs: (Dr. Chen)
Allen Hurns said this week, “Once I’m out there on the field I’m not really thinking about me. I’m thinking about the people around people as far as just being out there for my teammates. I know they’re counting on me.” He also states, “I don’t want to let anyone down. I’ll fight through anything to make sure I’m out there.” These quotes almost sound like they could come from Captain John H. Miller, the hero of the film Saving Private Ryan, who was known for his devotion to his fellow soldiers, self-sacrificing attitude and toughness.
Hurns was held out of practice Wednesday and Thursday, but he was able to shed his walking boot. He claims that he is feeling better, and his status is still up in the air. If he practices Friday, he will likely be a go for Sunday.
If not, it may be wise for the Jaguars to hold him out this week. Will Hurns’ streak come to an end this week like how Miller’s run ended at the Battle of Ramelle? If I had to guess right now, I wouldn’t bet against a player with Hurns’ can-do attitude.
Jocs: (Adi)
Hurns is an absolute stud. I don’t see this injury hampering him long term, but I would be surprised if he caught a touchdown this week. Asking any player to catch a touchdown seven weeks in a row is a tough task, let alone a player who is dealing with a foot sprain. If you have better options this week, I would ride with someone else this week, but look for Hurns to improve in the long-term as the Jags attempt to make a ridiculous run at the AFC South.
Matt Forte: Captain Steven Hiller from Independence Day
Docs: (Dr. Khalid)
Forte suffered a mild MCL sprain on an unimpressive hit during Week 8 and sat out Week 9. We had discussed Forte in depth and compared him to the Bond villain Nick Nack last week. My prediction then was that Forte was going to be back around Week 10 or 11, and it looks like we were correct.
Forte is now officially limited in practice, but there are still doubts that he will play this Sunday. Cpt. Steven Hiller is a great example of a national hero who was not afraid to take bold leaps (like into an alien mothership). John Fox is notorious for being vague about injuries, and this could be more of the same.
What was initially thought to be a multi-week injury is looking more like what we originally predicted as being a one- or two-week injury. Although it is still unlikely, Forte could see the field this Sunday after practicing three times this week. It would not be surprising to see Forte pull a Cpt. Hiller and boldly venture into the alien mothership that is St. Louis and come away victorious with a cigar in hand.
Jocs: (Aman)
When Forte returns from injury, he will immediately return to being a fantasy stud. He gets a ton of carries in Fox’s offense, and Cutler trusts him in the passing game. Forte’s production may be cut with the emergence of Jeremy Langford, though.
Langford looked the part on Monday night against a weak Chargers’ defense, and the Bears know what they have in Langford. Forte has never had a legitimate spell (sorry Marion Barber), and it actually might be beneficial not to bear all the punishment.
Ben Roethlisberger: Marcus Luttrell from Lone Survivor
Docs: (Dr. Khalid)
Ben Roethlisberger is the “Lone Survivor” otherwise known as Marcus Luttrell. He’s battled through injuries all year. On first glance at the video of Roethlisberger’s foot being crushed, I thought for sure this would be a multi-week injury.
It’s similar to Lone Survivor in how Luttrell also escaped “death” on numerous occasions. Roethlisberger can consider himself extremely lucky to be in the conversation to play this week. Lisfranc injuries can be devastating (see Matt Schaub), and Roethlisberger escaped with the mildest form of the injury – a simple sprain.
The usual treatment for a sprain is immobilization in a boot until the pain subsides and then a gradual return to play. Roethlisberger was out of his boot on Wednesday and is already walking, which is a great sign. I still think this Sunday is a longshot, but I would give him about a 15% chance of playing this week.
If he does play, he is at risk of re-aggravating his injury and possibly making it worse. With the bye upcoming, the safest option would be to allow Roethlisberger two weeks to rest and heal. In a season where quarterbacks have been going down like flies, Roethlisberger is aiming to battle through injuries and be the lone quarterback survivor.
Jocs: (Adi)
At this point I believe it’s safe to say that Big Ben has been the most disappointing top-tier quarterback simply because of injuries. When he has played, he has been stellar. This injury eliminated any hope for him to help fantasy teams get into the playoffs.
The best case scenario is to stash him and hope he can return to form by playoffs. However, if you are in a playoff battle, you must look for other options. Research QB matchups and hit the waivers for spot starters.
If for any reason Blake Bortles is still available, pick him up. Otherwise, I would go with Kirk Cousins this week since DeSean Jackson is returning and he is going against a soft Saints’ defense.
Latavius Murray: Jason Bourne from the Bourne franchise
Docs: (Dr. Chen)
Which American war hero, real or fictional, has more head problems than Jason Bourne (espionage war counts)? After serving in the CIA, Bourne developed massive amnesia, headaches, hellish flashbacks and PTSD symptoms. However, none of that stopped him from kicking butt and taking down Treadstone and Blackbriar.
Similarly, Latavius Murray developed a head injury of his own last Sunday when he was hit by Mike Mitchell of the Steelers. This past week, he has made his way through the NFL’s concussion protocol and declared himself “symptom-free” while returning to Thursday practice.
The concussion protocol has five steps that players must progress through which are
1) Rest and recovery
2) Light aerobic exercise
3) Continued aerobic exercise with introduction of strength training
4) Football specific work
5) Full football activity, full clearance.
On Thursday, Murray participated in positional reps as well as taking reps with the first team. It seems that Murray is at the fourth step at least. If he can practice once more before Sunday with full contact without suffering concussion symptoms, he will likely be cleared to play. I estimate that his odds of seeing the field Sunday are pretty good. Much like Bourne, he will be a force to reckon with.
Jocs: (Adi)
While Murray will probably play, the Vikings present a formidable matchup. After all, they just held Gurley under 100 yards despite 24 carries. Chances are you will need to start Murray, but if you do have two other running backs with good matchups, then you should go with them.
Murray will be fine in the long term as the Raiders make a serious run at the playoffs. Look for him to finish strong this season and this concussion to be a minor hiccup in an otherwise good season.
UPDATE: Marshawn Lynch suffered an abdominal strain in today’s practice (Friday) and is now questionable for Sunday. This is a big concern and should be watched closely. Late week strains can be a big issue. Thomas Rawls and Fred Jackson should get looks as handcuffs.
The views of this show are strictly our own personal opinions and are in no way affiliated with any institution or any of our employers. All medical knowledge expressed is solely based off our own knowledge and no private patient information was obtained or used to formulate these opinions.
Import your team for free to get lineup advice
Asad Khalid, M.D., Jie Chen, M.D., and Rob Williams, M.D. are orthopedic surgeons and sports maniacs at heart. Aman Khalid and Aditya Patel are law students and former “athletes”! Follow the show @jocsanddocs and listen to them on iTunes.
