It’s always a risky proposition starting injured stars on your fantasy football team, and there are a few big names that fit into this category in Week 2.
We’ve been keeping track of the latest injury updates and have come to some conclusions about which players are worth the risk, and which ones need to be shelved for this weekend’s action.
Here are the verdicts for Week 2’s biggest injured stars.
Start ’em: Chris Ivory, RB, New York Jets
Ivory is dealing with a tweaked groin suffered early in the week that has kept him “limited” in practice. Though he is listed as “questionable” on the injury report, head coach Todd Bowles is not concerned about Ivory missing the upcoming Monday Night Football competition against the Indianapolis Colts.
While the Colts did hold LeSean McCoy to just 41 yards on 17 carries last weekend, nobody should mistake this for anything other than a poor performance by an injured McCoy. As a team, the Bills managed to gain 147 yards, 4.1 yards per carry and two rushing touchdowns.
New York appears to finally be ready to make Ivory the featured back, if his Week 1 performance was any indication. He’s a must-start player for your fantasy team going forward and should be good to go against a weak Colts front line on Monday night.
Sit ’em: LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills
McCoy’s 2015 campaign is getting off to a pretty abysmal start. Not only did he miss most of training camp and preseason with an injured hamstring, but he still can’t shake the injury and enters Week 2 with extremely limited upside.
Head coach Rex Ryan has conceded the hamstring is a “little bit of a concern” but still expects McCoy to “play lots.” It’s really no different than the reports we heard coming out of Orchard Park before last weekend, but McCoy was a shell of his former self in that contest.
Karlos Williams looked much more explosive against the Colts, averaging 9.2 yards per carry. If McCoy comes out cold again (he only managed 2.4 yards per carry last weekend) and displays the same lack of burst we saw against Indy, then Ryan might be forced to put Shady on the shelf to ensure his team has a legitimate chance to challenge the Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium.
Start ’em: Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It’s been nearly an entire month since Evans was in the lineup for the Bucs. He injured his hamstring during the team’s second preseason game and hasn’t made it back since. Evans finally started practicing with the team this week leading up to their inter-divisional rivalry game with the New Orleans Saints and says he feels like he is finally 100-percent healthy.
“The training staff did a great job — my hammies feel better than they ever have,” Evans said, via the Tampa Bay Times. “I’m looking forward. Hopefully I get to go this week.”
If the second-year playmaker does make it into the starting lineup, then fantasy owners should be salivating over a very favorable matchup.
New Orleans features one of the weakest pass defenses in the NFL. Without solid safety play and featuring just one decent cornerback in Brandon Browner, the Saints were torched to the tune of 307 yards and three touchdowns by the Cardinals in Week 1. Carson Palmer regularly found receivers open deep down the field, which bodes well for Evans, Jameis Winston and Vincent Jackson this weekend.
Sit ’em: Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears
Jeffery missed Week 1 with a calf injury, but a tweaked hamstring, on top of the lingering calf, likely will keep him out of the lineup in Week 2 when the Bears take on the Cardinals. He’s listed as “questionable” on the official injury report.
Even if Jeffery does play, fantasy owners should keep him out of the lineup. Arizona’s secondary is adept at keeping big-play receivers in check, with stud cornerback Patrick Peterson usually handling the opponents’ top pass-catcher.
Start ’em: Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Jones would need to be really laid up at this point to keep him out of fantasy lineups. After posting career highs in receptions and yards last year, the Falcons star opened up his 2015 campaign with nine catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.
He was simply dominant. Nobody in Philly’s secondary had a chance to keep up with Jones, as his numbers suggest. Whenever quarterback Matt Ryan needed a big play, he looked Jones’ way — a strategy that should hold true throughout the 2015 season.
Jones misses practice a couple days this week but returned on Friday after his sore hamstring had a chance to rest. He’s going to have a field day on Sunday against the New York Giants, who don’t have a cornerback who can shut him down one-on-one.
Sit ’em: T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Hilton missed practice with the Colts all week while he attempts to bounce back from a knee bruise that was first thought to be more severe. He did practice on Saturday, leading head coach Chuck Pagano to say he was “optimistic” the speedster could play on Monday night against the Jets.
Still, this isn’t an ideal matchup for a receiver with a gimpy knee. The Jets, even without Cromartie, who may or may not play, still feature a dynamic defense that should apply pressure on Andrew Luck all game long.
Even when he is fully healthy, he’s a guy who can go cold at times. During the 2014 season, Hilton caught three passes or less four times and was held without a score in nine contests. Call it a hunch, but he should be benched this week unless you really don’t have any better options.
Start ’em: Jordan Reed, TE, Washington
After opening the season with a strong performance against Miami, with seven catches for 63 yards and a score, Reed looks like a TE1 the rest of the way in 2015, even against a tough defense like the St. Louis Rams.
However, the athletic pass-catching tight end scared fantasy owners with a quad injury this week during practice. Head coach Jay Gruden views it as a “minor injury,” though, and Reed was back at practice on Friday.
With receiver DeSean Jackson out with an injury of his own, look for quarterback Kirk Cousins to look Reed’s way early and often as his security blanket against a brutal front four at home this Sunday against St. Louis.
Sit ’em: Delanie Walker, TE, Tennessee Titans
Walker didn’t show up often during Tennessee’s explosive first game against the Bucs in Week 1, though he did reward his fantasy owners with a touchdown to post a respectable score.
Not only do the Titans face a much stiffer test this week, taking on the Browns in Cleveland, but Walker may not even play. ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky still considers him “iffy” to play in this contest.
He suffered an injury to his wrist (sprained ligament) in the game last weekend and only returned to practice on Friday. Though Walker may suit up to play against Cleveland, he should be viewed as a bust in Week 2.