THE INJURED LIST PODCAST AND FANTASY SPORTS CORPORATION PRESENTS
INSIDE THE MEDICAL TENT
Week 12
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 Wednesday during the season for all the necessary information before hitting your league’s waiver wire.
De’Vone Achane - RB(MIA)
Andrew Leduc - Is Achane going to be done again with the same knee injury?
Brian Scott - By almost all reports, he aggravated his knee early in his first game back from IR. HC Mike McDaniel said that Achane was doing everything in his power to convince the coaching staff to let him go back into the game. Seeing as how it was his first game back off IR, they decided it would be best just to shut it down. This was a conservative move on the part of the Dolphins, and I am sure that their medical team was advising the coaching staff the entire time. Ultimately it comes down to what is in the best interest of the team/organization. Having an impact player like Achane whose game is built on speed is a huge part of the Dolphins going far in the playoffs. I have to whole heartedly agree with this decision. Look for him to take an early part of the week off and work his way into full action by week's end. He might get some limited game time next week but think long-term here.
Andrew Leduc - The return was short-lived. Luckily for the Dolphins, they were able to still lock down a win against a poor Raiders team. The defense played a big role in this game as the Dolphins offense limped their way through. Hill also got banged up for a period of time in this game, so this definitely felt like a “play-it-safe” scenario for the Dolphins. I expect Achane to be ready to go for the fantasy playoffs which will help your options. If you are in the playoffs you may have better options once that time comes, so we will have to see what his production looks like when he is back. I expect him to be a FLEX at worst going forward though.
Mark Andrews - TE (BAL)
Andrew Leduc - Do you see any issues from this injury bleeding into next season?
Brian Scott - Well, this is a tough one to take if your fantasy team relied on a solid every-down/game player like Andrews. At first, his injury looked horrendous. Then, he was able to walk gingerly off the field and into the locker room. As he disappeared into the tunnel, so too did all hopes of his return. Then, after an MRI ruled him out for the year, all hope was also lost. Once I heard the rumors swirl about his season-ending, I did not even need to hear the MRI report. I knew there was some form of significant ligament injury. These are usually noticeable on plain X-rays. The MRI, was likely just to confirm what they already knew, and also to look for any subtle findings that the X-ray could not detect. The only silver lining here is that come next season, he should be ready to go, good as new with no major long-term effects, but sometimes, only time will tell.
Andrew Leduc - Some rumors started swirling around yesterday about the possibility of Andrews being able to return by year's end. I agree with Brian though in that I do not see that happening. The news came out pretty quickly that his year was done, so they had to have been pretty sure pretty early to come out with that announcement. For them now to change course and backtrack a little tells me maybe Andrews is getting a second opinion on some sort of experimental treatment. Either way, I do not think we see him again this season and it’s time to prepare plan B. Immediately on the Ravens Isaiah Likely is the next man up. In this offense, Likely should be a suitable replacement on our fantasy teams. He has proven useful before and does have some form of report with Jackson. The offense isnt changing and the tight end position is still going to be highly utilized. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Ravens signed another player for depth, but I do not see it being anything more than that.
Michael Thomas - WR (NO)
Andrew Leduc - Based on Dennis Allen’s comments, how long do you think Thomas could be out for?
Brian Scott - He was injured in the week 10 game against the Vikings and was apparently kept out of the game for "precautionary reasons." This past weekend was a bye week for the Saints, but prior to this HC Dennis Allen said that his injury would "take some time". Fast forward to this week and apparently an old familiar face was spotted in the Saints facility in the form of WR Marquez Callaway. Whether he is on the active roster or practice squad, this could potentially spell a lengthy absence for Thomas from what could be a sprain or meniscus injury. My guess is that he might have some swelling in his knee and/or got a second opinion during their off week and they are contemplating their next steps in his treatment. Pay close attention, IR is not off the table.
Andrew Leduc - An absolute eagle-eye from Brian on the Callaway spot. This feels like the end of Thomas’s usefulness this fantasy season. Shaheed has already been more productive in recent weeks than Thomas anyways and is being used as a hybrid WR/RB. I love the prospect of Shaheed down the stretch here and you can probably still find him available in some leagues. To learn more about Shaheed make sure to tune into Sophistication Station on TSS Fantasy where he will definitely be one of my waiver wire targets to pick up.
Cooper Kupp - WR (LAR)
Andrew Leduc - What can we expect from Cooper Kupp after another injury setback?
Brian Scott - He injured his ankle while blocking down near the goal line in game this past weekend. Its unclear if this is the same ankle that ended his 2022 season and sent him to IR where he then had offseason surgery. If so, they would be wise to play its cautiously with him heading into week 12 although it was reported today that HC Sean McVay said Kupp is feeling much better today and could be available this weekend against the Cardinals. Kyren William is set to return and that was confirmed by McVay during the same press conference. With Kupp, I would be hesitant to see him make a full return this weekend. He is a tough guy, but lately he has been more often injured than not, so I think it would be a wise move on the Ram's part to bring him along slowly.
Andrew Leduc - Luckily for the Rams, the emergence of Puka Nacua this year has afforded them some wiggle room to play it safe with Kupp. They need to think about the long-term value of Kupp in this situation given their record and prospects for this season. Williams returning to the backfield should be a huge bump for the offense and provide some explosive concern for defenses. This should hopefully free up some space in the intermediate for the receivers to have some more production. Like most other teams across the league, the Rams offensive line has caused for some quick throws being the best option for Stafford. A healthy backfield should keep some linebackers and safeties a little more honest.
Kenneth Walker- RB (SEA)
Andrew Leduc - How serious of an injury are we talking about for Kenneth Walker?
Brian Scott - He apparently sustained a non contact Oblique Injury that will NOT send him to IR as per HC Pete Carroll. Later, Carroll made a statement that sounded like he is looking forward to the possible appearance of Kenny McIntosh, so it would appear that Walker might not be back by this weekend at least. Soft tissue abdominal injuries are tough no matter what sport you play, but we do not usually see these slow football players down much, so I am guessing maybe one week at most here. A lot of that is because I can never trust anything out of Pete Carroll's mouth when it comes to injuries, but he seems quite excited at the likelihood of McIntosh making an appearance this week.
Andrew Leduc - We should get a solid look at Zach Charbonnet this next week with the potential of some long term dynasty thoughts on the above mentioned Kenny McIntosh. Whoever emerges if Walker is absent long-term will be formidable in fantasy. Seattle has a way of having solid RBs who have a safe floor, even if they dont have a high ceiling. For playoffs we definitely want some ceiling players, but if Charbonnet can provide a floor of 15-20 total touches a game and around 75 total yards, I like his prospect to be a lock at FLEX and a potential RB2 if the touchdowns start to come as well.
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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