Injury News and Analysis -- Week 4

Lots of big injuries around the NFL this week. Here's what you need to know heading into the weekend:

• Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski and WR Danny Amendola are both questionable for Sunday night against the Falcons. A report from the Boston Globe says that "as of today" the two will play, but things could change in the next 48 hours. Gronkowski has a good matchup against a Falcons defense that has been mediocre at best this season, so if he's out there, he's absolutely a guy you want in your lineup. Same goes for Amendola, who Tom Brady clearly trusts. The problem here is the fact that the game is Sunday night, so you're taking a risk by playing them if it breaks late Sunday that either is out. Continue to monitor the situation leading up to Sunday morning. The pregame shows should have information on whether each will be playing. If both guys play, Julian Edelman's fantasy value goes down, but Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson are still viable flex options for now. 
• Colts RB Ahmad Bradshaw will miss Sunday's game against Jacksonville with a neck injury. Bradshaw wasn't going to be a RB1 or 2 this week anyway because of an expected increase in production for Trent Richardson, but it's still a big blow for the Colts. Bradshaw had a good game against the 49ers last week, and he's a solid backup for Richardson. This is good news for Richardson owners, because Richardson should now be seeing the bulk of the carries against an awful Jaguars defense. Richardson, who struggled to gain a yards even though he scored a touchdown, should be much better this week. He's a must-start in all formats. 
• A hamstring injury is once again preventing Cowboys WR Miles Austin from taking the field. Austin didn't practice all week and will not be suiting up against the Chargers. Terrance Williams  should see more targets with Austin out, but the biggest winners here are Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. Williams has been shaky thus far, meaning Tony Romo is much more likely to rely on Bryant and Witten throughout the game. Both Bryant and Witten are top-tier options at their respective positions. Williams, meanwhile, is nothing more than a flex option this week. 
• Vikings QB Christian Ponder will miss Sunday's game with a rib injury, meaning Matt Cassel will get the start. The Vikings pass offense has been awful all season, and don't expect that to change against a good Steelers defense. Adrian Peterson should see even more carries this week, and he's obviously an RB1 in all formats. As for the Vikings receivers, best to keep them on your bench this week. 
• Ravens RB Ray Rice is listed as questionable, and this one is going to come down to the wire. It sounds like Rice's status won't be determined until pregame warmups, so keep an eye on this one. The Bills are a good matchup for any RB, and Rice will be worth a start if he's out there. Bernard Pierce had a solid game against the Texans last week and would be a good RB2 option if Rice is unable to play. 

If anything else breaks, we'll let you know on Twitter. 

Week 4 Podcast

In our Week 4 podcast, we look back at the best and worst of Week 3 and look ahead to Week 4.

-- Ryan and Traci

Injury news and analysis

Here's the latest news and analysis on this week's injuries:

• Before we get into injuries, let's talk a little more about this week's big trade. Trent Richardson was sent to the Colts, and the second year RB will be on the field for Indy against San Francisco. But what will his fantasy value be this week? Richardson will have been a member of the Colts for just five days when he suits up on Sunday, meaning he'll still be a novice when it comes to the playbook. Moreover, the matchup with the 49ers is a difficult one under any circumstances, so it might be best to look for other options this week. Even though he may not show it this week, Richardson's fantasy value should increase as a member of the Colts, so this trade is absolute good news for Richardson owners. Just temper expectations heading into Sunday. 
• There are lots of conflicting reports on the status of Rob Gronkowski, who is looking to play for the first time this season. The Patriots officially list Gronkowski as questionable, but many reports have said his status is much less certain. This could come down to the wire, so make sure to keep an eye on it. If Gronk does play, he's a viable No. 1 TE option. He may not be playing at 100 percent, but the Pats are going to give him plenty of looks against the Buccaneers. Again, make sure to keep an eye on this one, especially since multiple reports have said it's doubtful he'll play. 
• Speaking of doubtful, that's the status of Pats receiver Danny Amendola, who missed last week's game as well. It's a tough break for Amendola owners, who surely miss the production he put up in Week 1 (10 catches, 104 yards). The Pats struggled in the air last week, mainly because of drops and bad routes by Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins. The biggest beneficiary of Amendola's absence is Julian Edelman, who last week had 13 catches for 78 yards. Edelman is once again worth a start as a WR2/flex, especially in a PPR. Dobson and Thompkins are no better than flex options. 
• Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell is listed as questionable, but even if he does play, he's probably not worth a start against a tough Bears defense. Pittsburgh has struggled to run the ball through the first two weeks, and much of that can be attributed to the quality of the offensive line, not just the quality of the running backs. Don't count on Bell coming in and saving the day for your fantasy team. 
• Ravens RB Ray Rice, who suffered a strained hip flexor in Week 2, is unlikely to play Sunday against the Texans. Rice wasn't producing big-time numbers through the first two games anyway, but it's still a big loss for Rice owners. Bernard Pierce will get the start, and Pierce is a talented backup who has value as a RB2/flex. The Texans defense is solid, but Pierce will get plenty of carries and should be able to put up good numbers on Sunday. 
• Lions RB Reggie Bush practiced Friday and looks ready to go for the team's matchup with the Redskins. Bush has strong fantasy value in all formats this week, as the Redskins defense has been torched both through the air and on the ground this season. Maybe Bush won't get quite as many touches as he normally would, but he still should see the ball enough to make a significant impact for Detroit, and your fantasy team. 

If anything else breaks, we'll let you know on Twitter.

-- Ryan and Traci

Analysis on Richardson-to-Colts trade

A big trade just went down in the NFL, and we look at the implications of the move in this quick podcast update.



-- Ryan and Traci

Week 3 Podcast

In our Week 3 podcast, we look back at the best and worst from Week 2, plus we analyze all 16 games in Week 3:

-- Ryan and Traci

Injury news and analysis

We've already posted some injury information on Twitter, which you can see on the right side of the home page (follow us!). Now, here's some additional info on those injuries and how they affect your lineups going forward:

• Vick Ballard is out for the season with a torn ACL, leaving Ahmad Bradshaw and Donald Brown as the Colts options at running back. John Clayton said on SportsCenter that the Colts were hoping to ease Bradshaw into the starting role, but now he'll have to take on the bulk of the carries with Ballard out. Tough loss for the Colts, as Ballard rushed for 63 yards in Week 1. The Colts obviously need to run the ball at some point, but Bradshaw probably isn't worth a start just yet. We'll see how many touches he gets this week, but for now it looks like this injury benefits Andrew Luck and the Colts receivers more than it does Bradshaw. Look for Luck to have a solid game against the Dolphins. 
• Danny Amendola could miss up to six weeks with a groin injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Julian Edelman, who had 13 catches for 78 yards, is the only target Tom Brady trusts right now, meaning he's a guy you should be starting in your flex spot going forward. Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins, the Patriots rookie wide receivers, struggled to hold onto the football last night, but both are worth a pickup. Dobson caught a TD last night, and Thompkins nearly caught one as well. 
• Nothing new on Jamaal Charles, who suffered a quadriceps injury against the Jags last week. His status may not be determined until Sunday morning, so make sure to keep an eye on that all weekend. Most expect Charles to play, but it's still worth keeping an eye on. If he's healthy, he's a must-start against the Cowboys. 
• Jermichael Finley, who has a toe injury, is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Redskins. Finley looked to be on the same page as Aaron Rodgers last week, which is a good sign for his fantasy value going forward. You should have no concerns putting him into your lineup this week. 

If anything else breaks, we'll let you know. 

-- Ryan and Traci 

Week 2 podcast

In our Week 2 podcast, we look back at Week 1 and look ahead to all 16 matchups this week.

First show

Several issues kept us from having a show last week, but we're all set for this Wednesday's podcast. Hear our thoughts on Week 1 and what we think will happen in Week 2. Expect the podcast to be up by 5 p.m. CT.

-- Ryan and Traci

Welcome

Welcome to The Fantasy Football Fix, hosted by Ryan Drescher and Traci Kern.

We're broadcast journalism majors at the University of Oklahoma, and we both want to go into sports broadcasting.

We love football, and between us, we have a combined 15 years of fantasy football experience. Every week we'll preview each game and tell you who to start, who to sit and much more.

The show's podcast will be posted right here every Wednesday. Expect each show to be posted roughly around 5 p.m. CT.

Keep an eye on our Twitter feed, where we'll let you know when each podcast has been posted. Plus we'll have updates throughout the week on injuries, etc. Also, tweet at us (@TheFantasyFBFix) if you have any lineup questions and we'll be sure to answer them during the show.

-- Ryan and Traci