Jarivs Landry was the surprise injury of the week

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 and who you can pick up to bolster your lineup.

This week we show our thanks to our great followers by comparing Week 12 questionables to our favorite Thanksgiving family members. Take a moment to appreciate your awkward family and laugh your way through our article.

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Charcandrick West – The Annoying Child

Docs (Asad)

As you sit down for your Thanksgiving dinner, you can’t help but salivate as you see the delicious matchup ahead of you. You know the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and other delectables will be no match for your appetite. Today, you should be able to eat. But then it happens. First, you hear crying out of the corner of your ear. Then the tug of your shirt. You look down, and there it is. Your three-year-old child is back, asking for attention, or McDonald’s, or to complain that his sister hit him for the fifth time in the last hour.

Charcandrick West, pulled from last week’s demolition of the Chargers with a hamstring injury. West has missed practice all week and is looking less and less likely to suit up on Sunday. I would give West a 20% chance of playing at this point. Too bad, all of that turkey is going to have to go somewhere.

Jocs (Aman)

Spencer Ware filled in admirably in the absence of West last week, but let’s not jump ahead of ourselves as the Chiefs pounded the broken Chargers. Both touchdowns were a product of garbage time, but he still looked impressive nonetheless. Andy Reid’s system however is very running back friendly, with the Chiefs’ RBs (a combination of Charles, West, and now Ware) have produced double-digit fantasy points in eight games this year. The Bills, on the other hand, may be without two great defensive linemen in Mario Williams and Kyle Williams and have given up 80+ yards rushing in eight straight games. Ware may hover around RB1 production this week and if he’s able to produce he may constantly cut into West’s production.

Jarvis Landry – The Sleeper

Docs (Asad)

Landry is somewhat of a surprise on this week’s injury report. Landry missed practice Wednesday with a knee issue and he wasn’t even brought up by HC Dan Campbell. At this point, Landry is pretty much the guy who come over for Thanksgiving, falls asleep on the couch, and doesn’t show up until dinner time. Nobody notices he is even there until the turkey comes out. But when it is dinner time, this guy shows up like a hurricane and is unstoppable. Landry returned to limited practice Thursday and is gearing up to play on Sunday against the Jets

Jocs (Aman)

Jarvis Landry may be in for a monster night in a favorable matchup against the Revis-less New York Jets. In Week 4, Revis held Landry to his worst game of the season, holding him to just four catches for 40 yards. With Revis out, Landry will be a target monster as he has been all year. Landry, however against popular perception, may be one of the more overrated fantasy players in fantasy football. He has five touchdowns all year; three receiving (one of which was absolute nonsense), one rushing touchdown, and one punt return touchdown. Landry has also had only one 100+ yard receiving game, coming against a weak Jacksonville secondary. He makes up some of the yards on the ground, but his most carries in one game this season has been four. He may be a PPR machine due to the amount of targets, but in standard leagues, I’m simply not a fan due to the lack of yards and touchdowns, which are necessary for points.

Devonta Freeman – The Drunken Uncle

Docs (Rob)

Devonta Freeman suffered a head injury last week against the Indianapolis Colts early in the course of play. Freeman took a shot to the head, and was immediately removed from the game with an apparent concussion. The Falcon’s star RB has been in NFL concussion protocol all week, and has yet to suit up for practice. Anyone that has suffered a concussion knows the feeling. Like that uncle that always goes a little too far with the libations over the holidays, you are left feeling groggy, confused, and sometimes missing whole chunks of your day. With Freeman still in concussion protocol at this time, I would say that he is still feeling the after effects of the massive shot he took last Sunday. He will likely not be ready for game time on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. He, like the drunken uncle, will begin to regain his cognition – leaving him ready to play by NEXT week, although this is also not guaranteed. Unlike the drunken uncle, this man has nothing to be ashamed of, as he has been a beast all season and will likely come back without any long term sequelae. Fantasy owners should be ready to play their backup this week, as Freeman will remain sidelined with his concussion.

Jocs (Aman)

Earlier in the season, as many of you may recall, Tevin Coleman had actually started ahead of Devonta Freeman. For whatever reason, the Falcons seemed to like their rookie more than their star Devonta Freeman. In fairness to the Falcons, Freeman did start the season abysmally.  Coleman, an explosive north-south RB with scorching straight line speed, was able to produce before a rib injury derailed his season. After the injury, the rookie seemed to lose faith in his coaching staff and his snaps steadily declined before Freeman’s injury. Coleman struggled in last week’s game, failing to score on the goalline and fumbling late in the game. Speaking of fumbling, Coleman has fumbled twice in just 59 snaps, which is a huge cause for concern. Coleman should see the bulk of the carries, but against a negative matchup against the Vikings, he’s not a strong play now and just a mere handcuff in the future.

Danny Amendola – The Overly Aggressive Backyard Football Playing Cousin

Docs (Asad)

Danny Amendola suffered a non-contact left knee injury against the Buffalo Bills last week during a punt return. He planted his left foot into the turf, but could not stop his forward momentum. The only reports that have come out have been an undisclosed knee injury. Based on pure speculation, the injury is a PCL sprain, and is likely very mild in nature. There are conflicting reports that Amendola might not travel with the team, but it seems odd that a player who has practiced two days in a row wouldn’t travel with the team. If I had to bet, Amendola will be in full gear and be ready to start this week. I believe that he will test the knee early, and play the majority of snaps. Amendola is the overly aggressive cousin that always has a bit too much fun at the traditional family “Turkey Bowl” backyard game. He will be brash, talk trash, and be in your business. The only difference between that obnoxious cousin and Amendola is that Amendola is actually as good as he thinks he is.

Jocs (Aman)

Danny Amendola looked tremendous before his injury last week, looking almost identical to Julian Edelman. Amendola caught 9 balls for over 117 yards and has clearly earned Brady’s trust. Even if Amendola misses a single game, he’s still a high upside WR2 in a high powered offense moving forward. He may struggle this week though against the stingy Broncos secondary. Amendola has struggled with injuries throughout his career, however, earning himself the infamous “injury prone” label. If he isn’t able to go look for other established players to step up as opposed to Amendola’s immediate filler. For his sanity of Patriots fans and fantasy owners, let just hope he’s able to stay on the field this time.

Mark Ingram – The Golden Child

Docs (Asad)

Ingram has been nothing but a star this year. He has single handedly allowed fantasy owners to trust in a Saints RB for the first time in years. Not only has he lived up to expectations, he has exceeded projections. Ingram, this season, is the one family member who ate his vegetables as a kid, consistently finished his homework, became a successful and productive member of society. He shows up to Thanksgiving dinner bragging about whatever new degrees he obtained and how his kids were accepted to the best pre-pre school in the country. Ingram has been the “Golden Child,” so if any small injury occurs, Mommy will coddle and protect him. Ingram has been nursing a shoulder injury and was limited in practice Thursday. We don’t know what the shoulder injury exactly is, but it does not seem to be something threatening his playing status. The injury could be anything from a strain to a bruise, but there has been no indication of anything serious. The injury should be very minor injury, but because he’s the “Golden Child,” the Saints are being extra cautious. Expect Ingram to show up Sunday and play without limitations.

Jocs (Aman)

The “Golden Child” is the perfect label for Mark Ingram, as far as this year is concerned. Ingram has shown up in every single game this year. He’s a complete back who’s able to gain yards on the ground and through the air, and score touchdowns. Ingram, in fact, has only had one game this year below 80 total yards (74 yards against the Eagles). Ingram is a consistent RB1 and these small injuries won’t hold him down.

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.

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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.