Presented by
THE INJURED LIST PODCAST AND FANTASY SPORTS CORPORATION
PRESEASON 2
BY: BRIAN SCOTT AND ANDREW LEDUC
WELCOME TO THE MEDICAL TENT
Welcome back for the second year of “Inside The Medical Tent.” Each week I, Andrew Leduc, will be asking Brian Scott, of “The Injured List Podcast,” injury questions that could have a fantasy impact. Brian will be giving his professional analysis of the injury and potential timelines. I will then turn that around into what you should do with that player and who could be a possible replacement. Check back every Tuesday during the season for all the necessary information before hitting your league’s waiver wire.
Let’s jump in and tackle the injuries so far from the offseason and preseason as we prepare for our drafts.
Kendre Miller - RB (NO)
Andrew Leduc - A knee sprain seems straight forward. Is there still a chance this could be more than a sprain?
Brian Scott - Details are still pretty vague about how and exactly what play the injury occurred. He was able to get off the field and back to the locker room after being evaluated “Inside the Medical tent” under his own power. That is a good sign. Usually what happens in this situation is that he might have sustained an MCL injury. MRI will confirm and that should happen first thing Monday. If significant enough we will see his preseason time limited and he will likely spend the next few weeks working back up to 100% in preparation for week 1.
Andrew Leduc - It seems as though the Saints have not had too much confidence in Kendre Miller to this point enough to have already brought Kareem Hunt in before this injury. Now with Miller potentially sidelined, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hunt have another visit with the Saints and finalize a deal. Just this week both Ezekiel Elliot and Dalvin Cook signed with the Patriots and Jets, so Hunt has moved to the top of the free agent running back list. I would expect the first three weeks of the season to be fairly balanced between Jamaal Williams and Hunt if that were the case. Once Alvin Kamara returns from suspension, I would think Hunt would take a slight step back, but I could see all three options being viable with rumors of Kamara being used more as a slot receiver. Jamaal Williams is still the back I want to own in this group at his current value, even if Hunt signs and when Kamara returns.
Rachaad White - RB (TB)
Andrew Leduc - "Non-contact knee injury" is a "kiss of death" phrase in the sports world. Have you heard anything more here yet?
Brian Scott - Yes, non contact knee injuries are a scary thing, as a good amount of the time they are related to serious ligament injuries in the knee. However, it's been reported that Rachaad White tweeted that he is in fact fine and for his fans not to worry. Not sure why he had this occur. It could have just been an awkward plant on his leg as he was making a cut, or just could have been him losing his footing and it being reported or described as a “non-contact” injury when in fact it might not have truly been. If he suits up in practice then there should be no worries.
Andrew Leduc - White is someone who has been hanging around the area of drafts where zero running back builds are grabbing their first back, coming in as the RB23 and in the 6th round.. Those owners are most likely paying very close attention here. If white is to miss significant time, then Tampa Bay’s backfield is wide open for veteran Chase Edmonds and rookie Sean Tucker. If White does indeed miss time, I would be taking a late round pick on Sean Tucker while you can still get him at great value. His draft stock has already been on a slow rise, but this would most likely launch him ahead two more rounds. Tucker is currently being drafted as the RB104 in the 29th round of drafts. Basically, he is someone who should be sitting on your waiver wire if you have already drafted. If you have a deep bench and a flexible bench spot, I would take a shot at adding him if the news starts to turn negative for White.
Elijah Moore - WR (CLE)
Andrew Leduc - Have you heard any news on what he was evaluated for?
Brian Scott - Elijah Moore was taken back into the locker room for evaluation of a rib injury. Whether sprained or fractured, the rib injuries are very painful. There is also not much you can do to treat them, aside from treating the symptoms of pain and swelling. These can also take a long time to heal, but a lot of players do play through them. I think if significant enough it might sideline him for a few weeks leading into week 1. See what he does in practice this week and do not expect him to suit up in the preseason game next weekend. I expect a few weeks of rest. Let us just hope that they do not pull a Tyrod Taylor on him and try to inject his ribs for pain and cause a pneumothorax.
Andrew Leduc - I was reading that final word from Brian and it still took me way too long to type it out. Basically what we have here with Moore though is not a lot. There is no clear treatment path and everyone deals with pain differently, so we have no true information on whether he will be ready for week 1 or if he will be able to use his full set of skills if he does play. Moore has become a bit of a later round darling for teams drafting already. He comes in currently as the WR51 being drafted in the 12th round. Given his standing as most likely a flex play on your team, I am still looking at him around here, maybe a round later if he is going to miss some time. I believe Moore has a big season ahead of him. When it comes to the rest of the options in Cleveland, there is a real chance he is the number two option for Watson. We know what Donovan Peoples-Jones is at this point and I do not believe he will challenge Moore for the WR2 role on this team. Moore in the 12th or 13th round is still good value in my eyes.
Jonathan Taylor - RB (IND)
Andrew Leduc - Do you believe there is a real injury he is working through?
Brian Scott - I do not think he is working through his injury at this point. He has had more than enough time since his surgery that he should be completely recovered by now. I think this stems more from his contractual issues more than anything at this point. Once that is resolved, look for him to jump into gear real fast and be ready to go.
Andrew Leduc - I completely agree with Brian here. This has seemed like the new trend of “holding in” instead of a hold out. Taylor is upset with Colt’s ownership over his contract and he is not going to put any extended wear-and-tear on his body if he can avoid it. I do believe we see Taylor suit up and take the field for week 1, returning him to RB1 status on your team. I would still feel comfortable taking him as the RB7. What could come into play here is whether or not he stays with the Colts. The back-and-forth between Taylor and the team is bordering on irreparable. If Taylor were to get traded, obviously the situation he lands in would matter. I think he would have all the motivation in the world to play hard and prove his worth no matter what though. Draft Taylor with confidence.
THE DISCHARGE
Come back every week for all of the latest injury updates. If you have other questions we didn’t get to in this week’s edition you can follow us on Twitter below and message us directly.
Brian Scott - The Injured List Podcast - (@injuredlistpod) https://twitter.com/injuredlistpod
Andrew Leduc - (@theRealMrMallard) https://twitter.com/realMrMallard
If you are interested in Andrew’s weekly rankings as well, follow the link below to TSS Fantasy.
Andrew Leduc’s (Mr. Mallard) Rankings - https://tssfantasy.com/andrews-rankings
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