The Training Room: Week 13 Injury Updates

Week 12 is in the books and if you are reading this column, you are either right in the middle of a playoff race, or you are checking to see what players are worth holding onto in keeper or dynasty leagues for next year. Week 13 is usually a very important week to determine what seed you will be heading into the playoffs, or what moves you should've made that could've put you in the big dance. Let's look at some important injuries heading into Week 13 that could have you scrambling for a back-up plan.

Knowshon Moreno

Ankle Bone Bruise - Direct trauma to a bone can cause a significant amount of pain and swelling in that area. The muscles/tendons that attach to the area of the bone bruise are also affected as they are unable to function properly.

Moreno sustained an ankle injury in overtime against the Patriots while logging 38 touches in a losing effort. He was able to finish the game but was later seen in a walking boot and needed to use a crutch in order to get around. He was diagnosed with a bone bruise and is considered day-to-day.

Bottom Line - Bone bruises are very difficult to play through, especially when dealing with one in the lower leg. The key is to try to get some of the swelling and pain reduced as soon as possible to see if he'll be able to play through it. Check back later this week to see if Moreno is able to practice in any capacity, but in the meantime, it might not be a bad idea to pick up Montee Ball if he's available.

Chris Ivory

Ankle Sprain - An inversion sprain is often referred to as "rolling" your ankle. The ligaments/tendons/muscles on the outside of the ankle get overstretched and cause pain/swelling

Ivory rolled his ankle in the 1st quarter against the Ravens this past Sunday, but played through the injury. He states that the injury he sustained to the ankle was of both the high and inversion ankle sprain variety. An MRI is scheduled to determine what damage was done to his ankle.

Bottom Line - It is difficult to sustain both a high ankle sprain and an inversion ankle sprain at the same time, as the mechanism of sustaining each injury is different. For Ivory owners, an inversion ankle sprain is easier to manage and quicker to come back from, whereas a high ankle sprain would really limit his value the rest of the season. It's sounding more and more like Bilal Powell will be the lead dog heading into their game against the Dolphins. I would consider Ivory day-to-day for now with a good chance he misses this week's game.

Ryan Mathews

Hamstring Strain - The hamstring muscle is the primary muscle in the back of the thigh responsible for bending the knee and extending the hip. When it relates to sports, it's a very important muscle in aiding to accelerate/decelerate the lower body to allow proper running and cutting.

Mathews left in the 3rd quarter of Sunday's game against the Chiefs and did not return. It was revealed after the game that he re-aggravated a previous hamstring injury that he sustained in Week 10 against the Broncos.

Bottom Line - Mathews has put together a string of solid games, and fantasy owners were finally starting to put trust in him. This latest injury should not give owners confidence that he will recover quickly, as the original strain occurred only two weeks ago. Mathews is in danger of missing this week and potentially next week depending on how severe this re-aggravation is. No hamstring strain is the same, so be sure to check back later this week to see if he'll try and give it a go against the Bengals.

Daniel Thomas

Ankle sprain - An inversion sprain is often referred to as "rolling" your ankle. The ligaments/tendons/muscles on the outside of the ankle get overstretched and cause pain/swelling

Thomas was carted off the field this past Sunday against the Panthers when his ankle was landed on as he was being tackled. He did not return and was seen in a walking boot after the game.

Bottom Line - It's sounding like Thomas' ankle sprain is severely sprained which would put the rest of his season in doubt. Grade 2 or 3 ankle sprains can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks or longer to heal. The thing I worry about the most is that there isn't any fracture associated with the sprain just based on how his foot/ankle was landed on. With the Dolphins poor blocking from their offensive line, Lamar Miller is hardly a strong recommendation moving forward, but she should see a workload increase.

Concussions

Concussions are an insult to the brain from direct trauma. The brain suffers microtrauma and scarring with a variety of symptoms presenting, depending on where the trauma is located

Zac Stacy - Stacy suffered the head injury in the 2nd quarter and was later ruled out and did not return. Coach Fisher provided no real update other than he is going through standard NFL protocol to allow him to return to play.

Bottom Line - Whenever a coach fails to update the status of a player who suffered a head injury, it's never a good sign. It is sounding more likely that Stacy will miss this upcoming game against the 49ers, which makes Benny Cunningham a must add in all formats for the stretch run as insurance.

Jason Campbell - Campbell suffered the head injury when he was sacked in the 3rd quarter and was carted off the field and did not return.

Bottom Line - Campbell will struggle to pass the necessary tests in order to be ready for the Browns upcoming game against the Jaguars. He doesn't really hold much value at this point in the fantasy football season and can be safely dropped.

Mychal Rivera - Rivera took a helmet to helmet hit from Titans safety Michael Griffin in the 2nd quarter and did not return. Griffin was later suspended for one game for the hit on Rivera.

Bottom Line - Rivera is lucky that the head injury he sustained wasn't any worse, as he was able to walk off the field under his own power. Since the Raiders are playing on Thanksgiving, it is safe to rule him out for this week. Check out Patrick Fitzmaurice's waiver wire column on other TE's you can pick up for Week 13.