Fantasy Football: Top 12 Injury Concerns

Athlon Sports looks at the top 12 injury concerns overall and by position for the 2011 fantasy football season. These are 48 guys that may concern you in your draft preparation, and that you may be able to get as a steal due to their injury history or may go much sooner than they should because of that history.

• Overall
1. Matthew Stafford, DET, QB
Burly, strong-armed passer has played in only 13 of his possible 32 career games.

2. Frank Gore, SF, RB
Has not played 16 games in a season since his second year in 2006.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew, JAC, RB
Battled through injuries last season and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in January.

4. Michael Vick, PHI, QB
Dynamic dual-threat who takes a beating has played in 16 games only once in his career.

5. Austin Collie, IND, WR
A thumb injury, multiple concussions, and his role in the slot make him a risky pick.

6. Owen Daniels, HOU, TE
Has missed 13 games over the last two seasons with serious injuries.

7. Antonio Gates, SD, TE
Chronic foot issues have bothered him for years; finally cost him six games last fall.

8. Joseph Addai, IND, RB
Has missed 13 games over the last three seasons for a team that doesn’t look to run often.

9. DeAngelo Williams, CAR, RB
A serious foot injury cost him most of 2010. He missed three games in 2009 as well.

10. Ryan Grant, GB, RB
Upright runner saw his 2010 end after eight carries with a season-ending ankle injury.

11. Steve Smith, PHI, WR
May start the season on the PUP list while recovering from microfracture knee surgery.

12. Sidney Rice, MIN, WR
Hip injury forced Rice to miss all but six games last season following breakout 2009.

• Quarterbacks
1. Matthew Stafford, DET
Burly, strong-armed passer has played in only 13 of his possible 32 career games — missing all but three contests last season.

2. Michael Vick, PHI
Dynamic dual-threat who takes a beating. Vick has played in all 16 games only once in his career (2006).

3. Peyton Manning, IND
Has had neck sugery in each of the past two offseasons. Colts might not be concerned — but fantasy owners should be.

4. Matt Hasselbeck, TEN
Has missed 12 games over the last three years, and he turns 36 in September.

5. Alex Smith, SF
Has averaged fewer than 10 games per season over the last three years.

6. David Garrard, JAC
His 216 carries over the last three years will begin to take a toll at some point — it cost him two games in 2010.

7. Tarvaris Jackson, SEA
Injuries interfered with his opportunities last fall, and the five projected starters on the O-line have never played together.

8. Tony Romo, DAL
Porous O-line could keep Romo running for his life after missing most of 2010 to a broken collarbone.

9. Jay Cutler, CHI
Takes chances, and his mental toughness was questioned in the playoffs a year ago.

10. Chad Henne, MIA
Has never started a full season in the NFL, due to injuries and ineffectiveness.

11. Christian Ponder, MIN
Suffered shoulder and elbow injuries in college; might not get much protection from his O-line this fall — if he plays at all.

12. Matt Schaub, HOU
Injury issues could be a thing of the past, but he missed 10 games in 2007-08.

• Running Backs
1. Frank Gore, SF
Suffered hip injury in Week 12 last season; had two knee injuries during his college days at Miami.

2. Maurice Jones-Drew, JAC
Battled through injuries last season and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in January.

3. Joseph Addai, IND
Has missed 13 games over the last three seasons for a team that doesn’t look to run often.

4. DeAngelo Williams, CAR
A serious foot injury cost him most of 2010. He missed three games in 2009 as well.

5. Ryan Grant, GB
Upright runner saw his 2010 end after eight carries due to a season-ending ankle injury.

6. Pierre Thomas, NO
Ankle injury cost him 10 games last fall. Arrival of Mark Ingram crowds the backfield.

7. Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG
Nagging ankle injury required offseason surgery for the smallish second-year starter.

8. Ronnie Brown, PHI
Alternates healthy and injured years: seven games (2007), 16 games (’08), nine games (’09) and 16 games (’10).

9. Montario Hardesty, CLE
Recovering from a torn ACL that caused him to miss the entire 2010 season.

10. Beanie Wells, ARI
Battled injuries at Ohio State, and that trend continued last fall with a knee issue.

• Wide Receivers
1. Austin Collie, IND
A thumb injury, multiple concussions — in both November and December 2010 — as well as his role in the slot make him a risky pick.

2. Steve Smith, PHI
May start the season on the PUP list while recovering from microfracture knee surgery.

3. Sidney Rice, SEA
Hip injury forced Rice to miss all but six games last year following a breakout 2009 season.

4. Danario Alexander/Donnie Avery/ Mark Clayton, STL
Each of these Rams has dealt with major injuries over the past few seasons.

5. Arrelious Benn, TB
All signs point to him being healthy for the start of the season after rehabbing a torn ACL.

6. Marques Colston, NO
Appears to be struggling to get healthy after undergoing offseason knee surgery. He missed five games in 2008 as well.

7. Dez Bryant, DAL
Season ended with a fractured ankle last fall, but he appears ready to go in 2011. Bryant is also a concern off the field.

8. Percy Harvin, MIN
Migraine headaches have cost Harvin a handful of games the last few seasons; he also has a history of hamstring and ankle issues.

9. Michael Crabtree, SF
Injuries continue to plague the former first-round pick, who is battling an injury this training camp as well.

10. Wes Welker, NE
Healed from ACL injury in 2009, but he gets hit a lot near the line of scrimmage.

11. DeSean Jackson, PHI
Brittle, smallish player has missed time in each of the last two seasons.

12. Jerricho Cotchery, PIT
Offseason back surgery and declining numbers add doubt to his value in 2011.

• Tight Ends
1. Owen Daniels, HOU
Has missed 13 games over the last two seasons with serious injuries.

2. Antonio Gates, SD
Chronic foot problems have bothered Gates for years and cost him six games last fall.

3. Dallas Clark, IND
A season-ending wrist injury slowed one of the most physical tight ends in the league.

4. Jermichael Finley, GB
A season-ending knee injury in Week 5 cut short what was looking like a breakout season.

5. Todd Heap, ARI
Missed three games in 2010, and he turned 31 in March.

6. Heath Miller, PIT
Has missed two games in two of the last three seasons.

7. Kyle Rudolph, MIN
Rookie missed significant time over his final two seasons at Notre Dame due to hamstring and shoulder issues.

8. Jeremy Shockey, CAR
The 10th-year vet has missed 10 games over the last three seasons.

9. Jermaine Gresham, CIN
Suffered ACL injuries in high school (2005) and at Oklahoma (2009).

10. Chris Cooley, WAS
Workhorse bounced back last season after missing nine games in 2009, but is battling injuries in camp already.

11. Tony Moeaki, KC
Missed time in each of his final two seasons at Iowa and one game last season in Kansas City. Was on PUP list at outset of camp.

12. Tony Gonzalez, ATL
Has played at least 15 games in all 14 NFL seasons, but Gonzalez turned 35 in February.

More Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets and Rankings:
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 280
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 240 w/ IDPs
2 011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks
2 011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers
2011 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defense/Special Teams

COMMENTS

Jacksonville Jaguars 2011 NFL Team Preview

An in-depth look at the Jaguars' offense, defense and special teams this year.

Last season was termed as a make-or-break year for both Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio and quarterback David Garrard. It wasn’t. The Jaguars were in contention for the AFC South title all the way into December as running back Maurice Jones-Drew played through a torn meniscus. But, with a chance to clinch the division in Indianapolis, Jacksonville lost to the Colts, then dropped their final two games as well.

COMMENTS

Fantasy Football: Breaking down the Jacksonville Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE
• Inside the Locker Room
With Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union

How much of an issue is Maurice Jones-Drew’s knee?
His trainer, Pete Bommarito, says there’s no reason Jones-Drew won’t return to full strength after having arthroscopic knee surgery in January. Jones-Drew himself insists he’s training hard and working to bring his weight down, which in turn will reduce the wear and tear on his knee. The knee shouldn’t be a problem, but fantasy owners should note that the Jaguars might be a little more cautious with the number of carries they pile on him. He carried the ball 312 times in 2009, and last season, on a torn meniscus, he notched 299 carries in only 14 games.

With first-round pick Blaine Gabbert there, how long does David Garrard remain the starter?
If he’s as good as the Jaguars coaches think he is, Gabbert will be the starter eventually; it’s just a matter of how long Garrard continues to be the better option. Garrard has a distinct advantage in that he knows the system and the playbook better than Gabbert. Also, he’s more seasoned, and the shortened offseason won’t hurt him as much as it will hurt Gabbert. Garrard’s often unpredictable, but it’s unlikely he’ll lose his starting job in camp. If he struggles during the season, look for Gabbert to take over.

Can tight end Marcedes Lewis repeat his solid 2010 season?
The Jaguars placed the franchise tag on Lewis, but he is looking for a long-term deal. Being in the last season of his contract was part of Lewis’ motivation in having a career year last season. He’s not the type of player who will take the foot off the gas once he gets a big contract.

• Fantasy Playoff Run — Weeks 14-16: TB, @ATL, @TEN
Just make it to the end, MJD. Waiting for you are two teams (Tampa Bay and Tennessee) that were in the bottom 12 in fantasy points allowed to RBs in 2010. MJD went for 186 yards on a bum knee in Week 13 vs. the Titans last year. Marcedes Lewis owners can rejoice if you make it to your title game as he gets a Tennessee team that ranked 26th against TEs the last two years.

• Athlon Best Bets
Sleeper: Mike Thomas, WR
Deep-Sleeper: Jason Hill, WR
Overvalued: Marcedes Lewis, TE
Top Rookie: Cecil Shorts, WR
Bounce-Back: Maurice Jones-Drew, RB
Top IDP: Paul Posluszny, LB

• Try to Avoid
David Garrard, QB
His 53-to-38 TD-to-INT ratio over the last three years prompted the Jags to select Blaine Gabbert in the first round. Garrard averaged under 200 yards passing per game in 2010.
WAIT UNTIL: 19th RD

• Draft Class Fantasy Impact
Quarterback David Garrard’s performance has been inconsistent, but the veteran has managed to hold onto the starting job. With the Jaguars trading up to get Gabbert, though, it’s only a matter of time before Garrard will step aside as the starter. Gabbert’s ability to make an immediate impact was hurt by the lockout, but if the Jaguars are out of the playoff race, expect to see him on the field this year. Jacksonville has one of the weakest receiving corps in the NFL, and Shorts is a sleeper to remember for 2011.