Will LeSean McCoy be able to return for a pivotal Week 16?
The Jocs and Docs Show is back with our weekly injury wrap-up. Dive in as our experts give you what you need to know about the major NFL injuries of the past week.
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Marcus Mariota – QB – TEN
- Docs (Dr. Khalid): Mariota suffered a grade two MCL sprain to his left knee and missed two games earlier this season. This week it was the right knee that took a hit. Mariota is now dealing with an MCL injury again. MCL injuries can vary in severity. The MRI he will have Monday will define just how damaged the ligament is. A simple grade one ligament sprain (stretched but minimally torn) can be a one-to-two week injury. Grade two injuries, the likes of which Mariota dealt with previously, can be two-to-four weeks. With so little time in the season and the Titans’ playoff hopes non-existent, even though the risk of a setback is very low I would be surprised to see Mariota again this season. Although it is feasible for Mariota to return if it is a low-grade sprain and he wears a brace, don’t plan on seeing him Week 16.
- Jocs (Adi): It’s such a shame that on the day he became an offensive captain Mariota got injured yet again. At this point nobody who was alive in fantasy playoffs was relying on Mariota or any Titan not named Delanie Walker, so it wasn’t a big impact injury. However, it’s still important in the sense that it will take valuable snaps and experience away from Mariota before entering the offseason. Zach Mettenberger will step in and by no means even deserves a spot start against the resurgent Texans’ defense. The only fantasy relevance is that Walker will probably still see the same amount of targets and will still be a reliable TE1.
LeSean McCoy – RB – BUF
- Docs (Dr. Khalid): LeSean McCoy also suffered a mild MCL sprain this week, and I would expect to see him get an MRI Monday. His situation is different from Mariota’s because of the position he plays. A QB does not rely on the MCL for their throwing motion. A RB needs the ligament to cut and plant properly. We saw T.J. Yeldon suffer an MCL injury last week and miss Week 15’s game. I would not be surprised to see a similar fate for McCoy. MCL injuries are very difficult for RBs and can often be multi-week injuries. Initial reports are that the injury is very minor and this is a positive sign. If it is truly a minor sprain, McCoy should begin to practice on Wednesday or Thursday and would be in line to start Sunday. Owners should keep a close eye on his practices and have a plan B just in case.
- Jocs (Adi): That plan B is quite clearly Karlos Williams. By now prudent McCoy owners own Williams as a handcuff. And for those of you that had him on your bench hoping for this situation, your gamble may have paid off. However, the Bills are playing a stout Cowboys defense in Buffalo next weekend. Considering it’s either semifinal or championship week I sincerely hope you were not relying on only McCoy for a W. But if you were, this is going to be the ultimate boom/bust RB2/Flex play. With a pair of hundred-yard games this season and a 5.7 YPC average it’s clear Williams has the potential. Assuming McCoy is out, this is the week Williams can earn the right for a larger workload moving forward.
Danny Amendola/Julian Edelman – WR – NE
- Docs (Dr. Khalid): Amendola seemed to reaggravate his left knee injury this Sunday and left the game with a questionable tag. The fact that this is a setback is worrisome for Amendola. He seemed to recover quickly from his initial injury and actually didn’t miss any games despite being limited in practice for about two weeks. I would expect a similar forecast this week but his chances of playing Sunday are lower than what they were after his initial injury. I would not expect to see him practice very much this week, and he will very likely hold a questionable tag leading up to Sunday. This begs the question that with the potential loss of Amendola, will the Patriots be that much more improved with the return of Julian Edelman this week? Edelman had begun practicing last week but was never a serious consideration to play. Edelman is approaching six weeks from his initial injury in Week 10. Medically it is conceivable that Edelman sees the field this Sunday. Even though the bone will not be healed for months, it is held stable by a screw. The biggest issue is the pain associated with cutting, which happens to be a staple of Edelman’s game. If Amendola is out and Edelman is in, it would seem that Edelman would be in line for a very large portion of the targets. However, this potential could be offset by lingering effectiveness concerns from his injury. Edelman owners could very possibly have a tough decision to make Week 16.
- Jocs (Adi): With the Patriots playing the Jets next week and a trip on Revis Island coming up for Edelman, even if he starts his prospects do not look so cheery. However, if Edelman is healthy I just don’t see how an owner can avoid playing him unless they have some fantastic options. Edelman moves around a lot and the Patriots’ scheme will be elaborate and creative and will ensure that he gets his targets. The last time these two teams met, Edelman had a modest but not terrible game with 54 yards on five receptions, while Amendola ended up being the star with over 80 yards, eight receptions and a touchdown. I think things will change this time. Edelman will end up being the better fantasy option if they both play. However, if it’s the case that only one of them will play, whoever it is moves up to must-start status. Someone needs to catch targets besides Gronk, and the league’s best QB will make his top WR target gets those chances.
Shaun Draughn/Melvin Gordon – RB – SF/SD
- Docs (Dr. Khalid): There isn’t much to discuss here with these two running backs as there is little information regarding their injuries. Both suffered knee sprains and did not return to the game. I feel that there may be a difference between the two situations though. Shaun Draughn is not a future commodity for the 49ers. I would bet that his removal from the game was because of his injury and not because the team wanted to protect their asset. Gordon could be the opposite case. The Chargers do not want to risk their future workhorse in a meaningless game. I would expect to hear more news on both players Monday and would not be surprised to see MRI’s obtained. Like the aforementioned McCoy, if you are depending on either of these players, there is no guarantee we will see them in Week 16.
- Jocs (Adi): Let’s start with Draughn who’s cooled off these past few weeks after some promising games earlier in the season. Even if healthy he would have had a tough matchup next week against an improving Lions’ defense. If you are a fantasy owner, a completely healthy Draughn was a FLEX play at best. Now, with this injury, I doubt you can play him. There are rumors Carlos Hyde might be healthy next week, however it is nothing that one can bank on as an owner. In the case that neither of them are healthy it’s not like Kendall Gaskins or Travaris Cadet are playable by any means. The best case scenario is that Draughn practices early and is completely healthy, making him a low-end FLEX play, specifically in PPR leagues. The worst-case scenario is that Gaskins gets the start and Draughn is done for the fantasy season. In regards to Gordon, all you need to know is that Danny Woodhead had four touchdowns and Donald Brown had 90 yards off of 7.5 YPC replacing him. Gordon will be a total non-factor for the next week, Woodhead remains the perennial FLEX superstar that he is while Brown represents nothing more than a desperate spot start.
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.
