FANTASY: Todd's Corner - Injuries Put the Pressure On

By Todd W. Messerle

I cannot remember a season in which there has been so many injuries to key skill players in the NFL. These injuries are bound to bring on nightmares for some and riches for others. If you were smart enough to draft Kurt Warner and Trent Green, props to you, your bet is paying off!

For those players out there that tried to dodge the odds and stick only with the stud player with few formidable backups, shame on you!

All of these injuries are bound to put the pressure on some teams in your league; the key is to keep the pressure off of your team! At this point in the season with a solid line up, it may be a good move to go ahead and pick up these backup players NOW before these stud players get hurt! How many teams have Chris Warren, Thurman Thomas or Richie Anderson? These players could be prime candidates for pick up, betting that their first string stars could go down.

Many teams in the NFL are going with the "running back by committee" option. Kansas City, Philadelphia, Buffalo and Tampa Bay to a minor degree use "running back by committee" to foster their rushing duties. Many of these backs have some fantasy value. Darnell Autry, Stanley Pritchett, Kimble Anders, Mike Cloud, Sammy Morris, Shawn Bryson as well as the obvious Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott tandem can all lead to fantasy points each week depending on matchups and offensive trends. Try to take advantage of these players; they are out there and often over looked. On the flip side, I would advise staying away from the Brian Mitchell's, Jonathan Linton's, and the Donnell Bennett's of the NFL, their value so minimal they aren't worth keeping on your roster.

There will be more injuries this season, week by week the IR piles up. Think ahead, out wit your opposing league owners and take advantage of unsigned players. The free agent pool is dwindling fast; don't be caught with the pressure on your team to field a competitive team each week because the big studs are down!

Article courtesy of www.4thandlong.net