Recapping the Injuries week 14 2017

By Armando Marsal
Armando Marsal
Fortunately, we did not see many injuries in Week 13, but we still had players go down with injuries, which could affect fantasy owners as they head into their first round of the playoffs. Making the proper adjustments and understanding the impact that an injury could have on a team is important. As I do every week, below I will go over some of this past week’s injuries and how they may affect things moving forward.

Matthew Stafford – Lions: Stafford hurt his throwing hand during Sunday’s game against the Ravens, but X-Rays came back negative and initial reports consider the injury to be a bruise. On Monday, coach Jim Caldwell confirmed that there is no fracture on Stafford’s hand and at this time it does not appear that the injury will force him to miss any time. However, this could affect his efficiency and could cause him issues being that the injury is to his throwing hand. The Lions face the Bucs this upcoming week, which is a dream matchup for any quarterback, but Stafford could be a risky play this week because of the injury. It is a situation worth monitoring throughout the week.

Tyrod Taylor – Bills: Taylor was carted into the locker room during Sunday’s loss against the Patriots. That said, initial reports suggest that he has avoided ligament damage and he has been diagnosed with a patellar tendon contusion, while being listed as day-to-day. Coach Sean McDermott already said that Taylor will be their starting quarterback if healthy, so it is a situation to keep a close eye on this week. The Bills draw a favorable matchup against the Colts in Week 14, one of the worst pass defenses in the league.

Bruce Ellington – Texans: Ellington was knocked out of Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. There have been no updates regarding his status, however, the severity of the injury will decide his availability for the upcoming game. If he misses any time, Braxton Miller would likely work as the No. 2 wide receiver for Houston. They faces the 49ers this week, which is a favorable matchup.

Joe Mixon – Bengals: Mixon left Monday night’s game after sustaining a concussion. He will be placed in the league’s concussion protocol and would have clear it before getting back on the field. It was a scary moment as he took a big hit and stayed face down on the ground for a while, but thankfully he was able to get up and walk off on his own. Giovani Bernard would likely get the start and receive the bulk of the workload should Mixon miss any time.

Zach Ertz – Eagles: Ertz exited Sunday’s game against the Seahawks with a concussion and never returned. He suffered the injury late in the third quarter after banging his head on the turf. He will need to be cleared from the league’s concussion protocol in order to be eligible to play in Week 14.

C.J. Fiedorowicz – Texans: Fiedorowicz left Sunday’s game against the Titans after suffering a concussion. Considering his track record with concussions and the fact the he was on the IR this season already because of a concussion, Fiedorowicz could be shut down for the remainder of the season. There has been no official word of that, but it is what makes the most sense. We should know more regarding his status later in the week.