This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.
It has been a disastrous three weeks for those invested in Jones, as he has struggled in his two appearances and did not dress in Week 3. Jones has been battling a hamstring strain since Week 2 but managed to talk his way onto the field for Monday's night game against the Packers. Sadly, Jones appeared to irritate the injury and did not return to the game after halftime, finishing with four catches for 32 yards. Soft tissue injuries, especially hamstring strains, have been a predominate issue through the first quarter of the 2020 season. It seems like every week I'm rehashing the delicate balance that comes with a hamstring strain but let's review once more.
When a muscle is damaged, the injury is classified as a strain. Strains can occur in the belly of the muscle, the tendon, or even at the junction between these two unique tissues. When a strain occurs the body's healing response is initiated, starting with the inflammatory phase. The inflammatory response results in swelling in the area as well as primarily clotting at the site of tissue damage. While this is occurring, the second step, the proliferative phase, begins and specialized cells start repairing the damage.
Protein fibers, including collagen and elastin, are randomly placed to bridge the gaps created when the muscle was strained. Once enough scar tissue has been built up, the remodeling phase will begin. During this final stage, the strength of the newly developed tissue is gradually improved
It has been a disastrous three weeks for those invested in Jones, as he has struggled in his two appearances and did not dress in Week 3. Jones has been battling a hamstring strain since Week 2 but managed to talk his way onto the field for Monday's night game against the Packers. Sadly, Jones appeared to irritate the injury and did not return to the game after halftime, finishing with four catches for 32 yards. Soft tissue injuries, especially hamstring strains, have been a predominate issue through the first quarter of the 2020 season. It seems like every week I'm rehashing the delicate balance that comes with a hamstring strain but let's review once more.
When a muscle is damaged, the injury is classified as a strain. Strains can occur in the belly of the muscle, the tendon, or even at the junction between these two unique tissues. When a strain occurs the body's healing response is initiated, starting with the inflammatory phase. The inflammatory response results in swelling in the area as well as primarily clotting at the site of tissue damage. While this is occurring, the second step, the proliferative phase, begins and specialized cells start repairing the damage.
Protein fibers, including collagen and elastin, are randomly placed to bridge the gaps created when the muscle was strained. Once enough scar tissue has been built up, the remodeling phase will begin. During this final stage, the strength of the newly developed tissue is gradually improved as it is broken down and rebuilt multiple times.
Unfortunately, this process tends to occur in chaotic, sporadic way that can lead to complications that delay recovery and negatively affect the biomechanical properties of the developing tissue. Good medical care and rehabilitation can combat these side effects, though a complete recovery is essential for long-term health. If the injured athlete returns before the remodeling phase is complete, the still healing muscle tissue can be disrupted or another area of the muscle can fail. If this happens, the entire process must begin again, resulting in more time lost.
Players will often try to return while the remodeling is ongoing. It is possible to play at this point but, as previously discussed, the risk of re-injury or aggravation is elevated, and performance is often affected.
A multiweek absence for Jones may be the best course of action so that he can return this season and be effective when on the field. Green Bay has taken this approach with receiver Davante Adams, opting to hold him out for back-to-back outings, despite his desires to play. The approach is frustrating, but exhibiting patience often allows the athlete to not only suit back up but return as a fixture of the lineup.
Russell Gage and Calvin Ridley will likely see an increase in targets with Jones sidelined, and Olamide Zaccheaus will move up the depth chart. Zaccheaus could be worth considering in deeper leagues after finishing Monday night's loss with eight receptions for 86 yards on a team-high nine targets.
An injury was the only thing that seemed capable of stopping any of the Cleveland running backs on Sunday as they collectively shredded the porous Dallas defense. Unfortunately, Chubb was the lone back to fall victim to the injury bug, and it sounds like he will miss an extended period of time. Chubb suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee early in the first quarter when he was awkwardly taken down. The team quickly moved to place Chubb on the injured reserve, a good indicator that injury is a more moderate sprain. On the plus side, he will not need surgery. Surgical intervention on an MCL sprain is uncommon but can be necessary if the medial meniscus is involved. The fibers of the MCL are intertwined with the fibrocartilage, shock-absorbing disc, making it vulnerable to injury when a more significant sprain occurs. While a trip to the operating room will not be necessary, the early reports indicate the Browns expect Chubb to miss at least six weeks. Kareem Hunt will likely see a bump in carries, though D'Ernest Johnson and Dontrell Hilliard will continue to spell their lead back in order to keep him fresh and reduce his wear-and-tear. Johnson is worth a speculative add in most formats after his 13 carry, 95-yard performance in Chubb's absence.
Turf Burns
Le'Veon Bell: The Jets are expected to welcome back Bell into the fold after the veteran running back spent the past three weeks on the IR. Bell has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury since training camp and aggravated the injury in Week 1. While Bell has declared himself ready to go, he joins a suddenly crowded New York backfield while also carrying an elevated level of inherent injury risk. Rotowire's Jerry Donabedian did a great job breaking down the usage among New York's crop of running backs, painting a clear picture that Bell is returning to a volatile running back by committee situation. I would advise letting Bell get one week of action under his belt before you consider utilizing him as you normally would.
A.J. Brown: The Titans received a COVID-induced bye week in Week 4, providing their top receiver some extra recovery time. Brown has not played since suffering a bone bruise to his knee in Week 1. Bone bruises are often slow to heal due to the positioning of the knee cap on the leg, but often heal nicely if damage to the underlying cartilage is avoided. Feel confident plugging Brown back into your lineups.
Leonard Fournette: An ankle injury kept the Tampa running back in street clothes on Sunday and forced him out of Monday's practice as well. While the team insists Fournette has a chance to suit up in Week 5, a truncated week of preparation could make that difficult. It is also worth mentioning Fournette has a history of ankle problems that date back to his time at LSU. Moreover, Ronald Jones II appears to have a firm hold as the Bucs' lead back, further limiting Fournette's potential upside.
Chris Godwin: Tom Brady will likely be without one of his top aerial targets for the second straight week as Godwin is doubtful to play in Thursday's matchup with the Bears. Godwin is nursing a hamstring strain and will have a tough time improving on a shortened week. Everything we previously discussed with Jones and Adams applies here as well, and extra time off now will be beneficial in the long run.
Allen Lazard: The Packers wideout underwent surgery last week to address a muscle injury to his core. The procedure likely was needed to repair one of the muscles in the abdominal and groin area, and was performed by Dr. William Meyers, a leading specialist in the field. Once called a sports hernia, Dr. Meyers has led the charge to eliminate the injury's archaic and misleading name. Fortunately, the success rate of the surgery is high, and players are often able to return to their previous performance level after the repair. However, most athletes who opt for the procedure do so in the offseason, making a definitive timeline difficult to predict. Look for Lazard to miss at least six weeks and gradually build up his workload.
Michael Thomas: The All-Pro wideout has not played since Week 1 but is optimistic about his chances for Week 5. Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain in the season opener but has made progress and been a limited participant in practices. Thomas' situation remains delicate. The Saints don't play until Monday, giving Thomas an extra day of preparation, though a late scratch could leave fantasy players scrambling. Furthermore, New Orleans has a bye week in Week 6, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the team opt to hold him out for one more game to have him 100 percent for Week 7. Keep a close eye on this very fluid situation.
