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When a starter goes down with an injury, it's presumed that he'll resume his duties once he is healthy. That's not always true. The most famous case was when Tom Brady took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe and never relinquished the role.
Khalil Herbert suffered a high-ankle sprain on Thursday Night Football in Week while awkwardly attempting to catch an underthrown pass. His injury opened the door for Roschon Johnson, who suffered an injury of his own.
The opportunity trickled down to veteran D'Onta Foreman. He's providing a newfound punch to the Chicago offense. That creates some uncertainty about the future of the Chicago backfield.
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Khalil Herbert Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Herbert's ankle sprain forced him onto injured reserve, meaning he's required to miss at least four games. Coincidentally, he'll be eligible to return for a different Thursday Night Football contest, this time against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10.
That's not a guarantee, but rather the earliest possible date he could play. Once the former sixth-round pick is practicing, the Bears will have a 21-day window to activate him to the 53-man roster.
Generally, when players return from a high-ankle sprain, it takes a few weeks of game action to regain the explosiveness that was lost.
Khalil Herbert Fantasy Football Outlook
Herbert was the unquestioned lead back in Chicago before the injury. Outside of Week 1 (more on that in a minute), Herbert played at least 60 percent of the snaps in three out of four games. He was averaging over 5.3 yards per carry and caught 10 passes, including a touchdown. Roschon Johnson played the complimentary role.
But D'Onta Foreman was inactive in Weeks 2 through 5. With the backfield decimated, Chicago called on their free-agent acquisition to lead the rushing attack. He's filled in admirably, rushing for 154 yards across two games and scoring three touchdowns in Week 7 against Las Vegas. The Bears' coaching staff may need to find some playing time for Foreman once Herbert returns.
This takes us back to Week 1 when all three running backs split time evenly. That was the original intent of Chicago when they brought in Foreman and drafted Johnson in the offseason. It's a nice trio for a real football team but a mess for fantasy managers. Herbert led the way with 12 touches in that contest against Green Bay. Johnson was one touch behind and Foreman earned seven of his own.
Should Chicago revert back to that strategy, it's going to be tough for fantasy managers to trust any of the running backs. There's also the chance (albeit a small one) that the Bears move forward with a one-two punch of Foreman and Johnson. There are tons of question marks about this backfield, even this week as Johnson returns to join Foreman against the Chargers. It's best to take a wait-and-see approach when Herbert returns.
Khalil Herbert Injury Update - November 7
The Chicago Bears designated running back Khalil Herbert (ankle) to return from Injured Reserve on Monday. He turned in a full practice on Monday, opening his 21-day window for the team to officially activate him from IR. The Bears aren't going to do much in practice on a short week before their Thursday night tilt against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10, so it's more likely that the 25-year-old Herbert returns to action in Week 11.
That said, his full practice status could mean he's ready to go in Week 10. When Herbert does return, he could face more competition for touches in Chicago's backfield from D'Onta Foreman. The 27-year-old Foreman has taken advantage of his opportunity as the team's lead back the last four game, averaging 4.52 yards per carry on 60 carries for 271 yards and two touchdowns, adding five catches, 35 yards and another score.
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