For fantasy football owners, this is definitely not the time of year you want to be hearing about a player missing practice due to injury. Unfortunately the injury bug doesn’t really care if your team has a chance to make a championship run or not.
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kendall Wright is just one of the guys who missed practice on Wednesday due to an injury. Wright is dealing with a rib injury after he took a knee to the back in Week 13’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The team has not said whether or not Wright will be able to play in Week 14 against the New York Jets or not, but even if he does play he is a WR4 at best. Although he is a talented weapon in the passing game, the team hasn’t been utilizing his skills as of late. Through nine games he has only 33 receptions for 390 yards and three touchdowns.
If you must start a Titans wide receiver, I would look no further than rookie Dorial Green-Beckham who seems to be earning a larger role with the team as the season goes on.
Another receiver bitten by the injury bug is San Diego Chargers’ Stevie Johnson. Johnson is dealing with a sore groin and has yet to practice this week.
Before being hurt against the Denver Broncos in Week 13, Johnson didn’t see a single target. In his defense, however, most people didn’t expect him to have a great week against the league’s best pass defense.
At the end of the day, quarterback Philip Rivers has to throw to somebody and his options are limited. Due to that fact, Johnson can be considered a WR2 if he gets the green light on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
If Johnson doesn’t play, I would advise against starting any of the Chargers receivers. Instead, I think the team would end up relying more on tight ends Antonio Gates and Ladarius Green as well as running backs Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead.
Denver Broncos tight end Vernon Davis also missed Wednesday’s practice and seems questionable to play in Week 14 against the Oakland Raiders. Davis suffered a concussion last week against the Chargers and remains in the league’s concussion protocol.
If Davis plays, I would feel comfortable slotting him in as a TE2 thanks to a nice matchup on Sunday. But if he doesn’t play, I wouldn’t bother subbing in one of his backups. Neither Owen Daniels nor Virgil Green are worth starting consideration right now.