The Training Room: Week 8 Injury Updates

I know this is crazy to say or think, but we are halfway through the fantasy football season! Injuries continue to dominate fantasy rosters across the board, so if you are someone who has been relatively unscathed so far, consider yourself lucky. With six teams on bye this week, you'll need to make sure you keep an eye on players who have the possibility of returning this week to help fill roster slots. Keep an eye on our homepage news feed as it is constantly being updated with the latest news and check Brandon Niles' Week 8 waiver watch article for suggestions on who to pick up for this week!

On The Mend

Teams on bye: Ravens, Steelers, Giants, Dolphins, Rams, 49ers

Doug Martin (Strained Hamstring): It is unlikely that Martin will be available to practice in any fashion after suffering a setback before start of Week 7. He'll continue to be week-to-week until further notice. Projection: Misses Week 8. Aggravations to hamstring strains can sometimes take just as long as the original timetable to return from, so continue to monitor Martin's status each week.

Corey Coleman (Broken Hand): Coleman remains week-to-week as he returns from the broken hand he suffered in practice during Week 3. Coach Jackson didn't sound confident in Coleman possibly returning to practice this week, so he might be a week or two away still from returning. Projection: Misses Week 8. The Browns have no urgency to rush Coleman's progress, so they'll make sure he's 100% before having him return.

Dwayne Washington (Sprained Foot/Ankle): Washington continues to be sidelined with foot/ankle discomfort, and although the Lions continue to say he is closer to returning, he has now missed the last three games. He's more day-to-day at this point in his recovery process than week-to-week, but he'll need to get in a full practice to feel confident that he is on track to play anytime soon. Projection: Active Week 8. Washington will try and establish a role for himself in a backfield that is very crowded with Theo Riddick, Zach Zenner, and Justin Forsett.

Robert Woods (Sprained Foot): Woods was seen in a walking boot all week and wasn't likely to play after hurting his foot in Week 6. He'll likely be limited all of this week to give his foot enough time to heal, but he'll need to practice in some manner to feel confident that he suits up this weekend against the Patriots. Projection: Active Week 8. Foot sprains do have a tendency to take longer than expected when it comes to healing, but I believe Woods will be available this week against the Patriots.

Jared Cook (High Ankle Sprain): There are reports that Cook will not return to practice this week as he returns from a high ankle sprain. He'll continue to be week-to-week until we see him return to practice in some manner. Projection: Misses Week 8. High ankle sprains are normally multi-week injuries, so continue to monitor his status or possibly stash Cook if you have the space for when he returns.

Thomas Rawls (Fractured Fibula): Rawls continues to recover from a lower leg fracture that has sidelined him since Week 2. There are reports that he'll test his leg out with some running this week as the Seahawks assess where he is in his recovery process. Projection: Misses Week 8. Rawls seems to be getting closer to returning, but he might be a week or so away. It is still unknown as to how the Seahawks will utilize him when he returns, but for now, Christine Michael will remain the starter.

Donte Moncrief (Fractured Shoulder Blade): Moncrief is supposed to return to practice this week. He'll likely get in limited practice sessions with the possibility that he is a game-time decision. Keep an eye on his status as the week progresses, but he is definitely trending in the right direction. Projection: Starts Week 8. The Colts wide receivers besides T.Y. Hilton have not done much to help Andrew Luck, so Moncrief's return will be a nice boost for Luck's value.

The Training Room

Lamar Miller

Strained Shoulder

Bottom Line: Miller took a shot to his right shoulder on the first drive of the game. He was seen on the sidelines a few times having his shoulder tested out, and was rotating in and out with Alfred Blue as the shoulder continued to bother him during the game. He's considered day-to-day.

Projection: Starts Week 8. There shouldn't be too much cause for concern around Miller's shoulder unless he starts to miss practice time. He'll likely be limited all week, but the fact that he was able to rotate back into the game at times during this past week's game against the Broncos makes me feel that he'll be ok. Possible Production Dropoff: Minimal.

LeSean McCoy

Strained Hamstring

Bottom Line: McCoy played against the Dolphins, but was largely ineffective and then ended up aggravating his hamstring later in the game which forced him from the game. He's considered day-to-day. The Bills training staff will evaluate how he feels this week.

Projection: Misses 1-2 games. The Bills should be smarter this time around and not play Shady to reduce the risk that he aggravates his hamstring in consecutive weeks. Even with a game against the Patriots coming up, the Bills can't risk losing Shady for an extended amount of time.

Antonio Brown

Strained Quad

Bottom Line: Brown took a knee to the thigh in the second half and was seen on the sidelines with a heating pad over his thigh. He was able to return to the game and finish.

Projection: Starts Week 9. Brown didn't look right after he returned to the game after having a heating pad on his thigh, as quad contusions can be very painful to try and play through. Brown should be able to heal up and get healthy when the Steelers return from their bye week.

Tevin Coleman

Strained Hamstring

Bottom Line: Coleman left Sunday's game against the Chargers after he sustained a hamstring injury in the third quarter. He will be week-to-week, as Coach Dan Quinn has made it clear that he could miss this week due to the injury.

Projection: Misses 2-3 games. The Falcons also signed Stevan Ridley which further indicates that the Falcons are preparing to be without Coleman for at least a week.

Jerick McKinnon

Lateral Ankle Sprain

Bottom Line: McKinnon suffered an ankle injury this past weekend against the Eagles, and then re-aggravated the same ankle when trying to return from the injury. He is currently day-to-day as he receives treatment to try and get the ankle ready for Monday Night Football.

Projection: Starts Week 8. The extra day of rest should be enough to allow McKinnon to play on Monday night. The worry here is how effective he'll be as Matt Asiata continues to see work and saw an expanded role when McKinnon went out. Keep an eye on his status later in the week as the Vikings won't release an injury report most likely until Thursday. Possible Production Dropoff: ~5%. In game aggravations are the concern here with ankle sprains, and the fact that McKinnon had two separate instances of ankle irritation last game is what makes his health something to monitor.

Hunter Henry

Concussion

Bottom Line: Henry didn't miss any time during this past week's game agains the Falcons, but apparently felt concussion like symptoms after the game and reported it to the training staff. He is day-to-day as he enters the leagues concussion protocol.

Projection: Starts Week 8. If Henry is able to get through the concussion protocol, he'll have a tough matchup against the stingy Broncos secondary this Sunday. Possible Production Dropoff: Minimal if any at all.

Delanie Walker

Bruised Chest

Bottom Line: Coach Mike Mularkey states that Walker is dealing with a bruised chest after Sunday's game against the Colts. Walker didn't miss any time during the game and is considered day-to-day.

Projection: Starts Week 8. With the Titans playing Thursday night, we should find out soon what Walker's status will be heading into that game. With the fact that there wasn't any indication that he was hurt during the game, the hope is that he can heal up enough to play Thursday. Possible Production Dropoff: ~54%. The statistics are from a small sample size so take away what you will from this data, but Thursday night games always seem to be on the lower side of scoring as well.

Cody Kessler

Concussion

Bottom Line: Kessler's head hit the ground hard after being tackled in the red zone in the first half against the Bengals. He was evaluated for a concussion and was ruled out for the game. He is day-to-day as he works his way through the concussion protocol.

Projection: Misses 1 Game. Kessler's concussion leaves the door open for Josh McCown to return to the starting role and see if can stay healthy himself to keep the job. McCown has proven to be pretty effective when playing, so it should give the Browns positional players a boost, especially with Corey Coleman close to returning.

Geno Smith

Torn ACL

Bottom Line: Smith was tackled in the second quarter and hurt his knee. He was evaluated on the sideline and was quickly taken to the locker room where he was ruled out. Smith had an MRI which confirmed an ACL tear.

Projection: Misses rest of season, likely limited at the start of next season. Geno Smith's season ends prematurely after suffering an ACL rupture this past Sunday against the Ravens. He enters free agency next year coming off a major knee surgery and subpar performances so far in his career. He'll likely be a backup somewhere, but it is hard to say if he ever sees any significant playing time in the league again.