With the countdown to NFL 2019 well underway, fans of fantasy football will be turning their heads toward their picks for the upcoming season. The off-season is a time when expectations begin to grow among fans, but it is also a time of jeopardy for players.
After a brief summer break, NFL players return to their clubs in a bid to regain fitness ahead of the new season. This exhaustive process aims to put players through their paces and get them to the peak of their physical capabilities.
This makes it a prime time for muscular injuries, which is normally bad news for fantasy football managers. However, playing daily fantasy football eliminates the risk of an injured player ruining your season, as team selections are made on a game-by-game basis. So although the rigorous preseason may ruin a few dreams, it doesn’t have to get in the way of your plans.
Here are a few players who have found themselves on the NFL injury list so far this off-season.
The NFL Injury List
Andrew Luck – Questionable for Training Camp
The Indianapolis Colts quarterback is one of the highest paid players in the NFL with a contract worth $122,970,000. With that in mind, Colts fans are understandably worried about the team’s leader after he suffered yet another injury. This one, though, doesn’t look too serious.
A calf injury has sidelined Andrew Luck so far and he is questionable for training camp, though recent reports are more optimistic. Luck chalked up 364.92 fantasy points last season and was somewhat of a left field pick for fantasy football managers.
Matt Breida – Expected to Return for Training Camp
The 2018 season was a breakthrough season for San Francisco 49ers running back Matt Breida. After spending much of his debut 2017 season as an understudy to Carlos Hyde, Breida claimed a starting role for his team in the second week of 2018.
Breida claimed the second-longest 49ers touchdown (66 yards) since 2009 as well as clocking the fastest speed among players carrying the ball (22.09 mph) in the entire NFL season. Those exploits seem to have taken their toll on Breida’s body though, as he is currently side-lined with a pectoral injury.
He is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, but this isn’t an encouraging sign given the slew of injuries he suffered last season.
Fletcher Cox – Questionable for Training Camp
Many pundits are saying that in order to repeat their success of 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles will have to hope for a good season from quarterback Carson Wentz. While that may be true to an extent, it overlooks the importance of defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.
Pro Football Focus published their rankings of the top 50 NFL players a couple of months ago and Cox was the highest rated Eagles player, coming in at number four on the list. Only Aaron Donald, Tom Brady and Bobby Wagner beat the veteran Eagles player.
Cox’s 91.2 pass-rush grade last season was a career high and much of the good work that the Eagles did came from his displays. Cox is currently recovering from off-season foot surgery and said that his goal is “to be ready for training camp.”
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