Andy Richardson
Several players sustained minor injuries in the first few days of NFL training camps: Beanie Wells, Brandon Marshall, Tarvaris Jackson. It's a reminder that holding fantasy drafts early is a big mistake; far better to hold them as late as possible.
But if I can look to the future a bit, I'm anticipating that what is apparently a minor ankle injury for Wells and either a minor hamstring injury for Marshall (or just his way of getting out of practice for a team he wants to be traded from) will have a dramatic effect on their stock in fantasy drafts this week. Suddenly, Marshall will fall a round or two, while Wells will slip substantially -- and Tim Hightower's value will skyrocket.
(I'm not mentioning Tarvaris Jackson's sprained MCL, only because I felt there was little chance of Jackson winning the starting quarterback job over Sage Rosenfels, who the Vikings traded a fourth-round pick for, anyway.)
Anyway, while I'm sympathetic to avoiding injured players -- there are enough question marks surrounding many fantasy players to willingly select one with an injury -- don't be so quick to write off guys like Wells and Marshall. A dinged-up player other owners ignore, after all, becomes a steal when he's available at bargain-basement prices.
Every other preseason, it seems, Steve Smith battles hamstring injuries. (In the alternate preseasons, he battles his teammates.) Season rolls around, and he's usually fine. Brett Favre once missed an entire preseason with a "dead arm" -- that was remarkably lively once the games counted. Randy Moss missed time with a hamstring injury his first preseason in New England, then went out and caught 23 TDs.
Somebody like Wells, of course, would dream to be in such elite company as an NFL player; Marshall isn't there yet either, and an additional issue with Marshall is he's looking for a new contract or a ticket out of Denver.
Just remember, the season is almost six weeks away. A guy sprains an ankle or has a sore hamstring now, and all it prevents is him accumulating wear and tear in preseason activities that some feel go on for too long anyway. With Wells there's the concern that he'll fall behind Tim Hightower, but the truth is that if the team really believed in Hightower they wouldn't have drafted Wells. Missing a week in early August doesn't mean Wells won't be clearly the superior option in early September.
I"m not saying to build your draft around either player. Marshall is risky for both health and attitude, Wells is risky for being a rookie back in a poor rushing attack who has some durability worries and can't catch. But if I see Marshall falling into the fourth or fifth round and Wells sitting there while everyone else is drafting a fifth wideout, gimme.
There's a lot of preseason ahead, including four (or five) exhibition games per team. There are plenty of chances for injuries to occur. And for each one that does, there's a player who will be available later in drafts. That's not a player I'm necessarily targeting, but it is one I'll be watching, ready to catch him if he falls too far.
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