"For injuries, timing is everything. A poorly timed injury can derail playoff aspirations and, even worse, cost you a championship. Fantasy owners were forced to face this stark reality in Week 16 with a pair of injuries that altered the fantasy landscape.
Tony Romo
In Dallas, Romo left his owners with a giant goose egg in the scoring column after exiting the game after two incomplete passes. The three-time Pro Bowler struck his right hand on the helmet of a Philadelphia defender, ending his day before it really started. X-rays were negative and all subsequent testing failed to reveal a fracture. Still, his hand was significantly swollen and, with the Giants winning and setting up a Week 17 clash for the division title, the Cowboys played it safe. Romo expects to play in the decisive game, but fantasy teams that play through Week 17 should be leery about using the quarterback. The injury is to his throwing hand and could cause a problem with his grip, altering the velocity and accuracy of his throws. Furthermore, the Cowboys offensive line is in shambles after left guard Montrae Holland suffered a partially torn biceps muscle and has been placed on injured reserve. Undrafted rookie Kevin Kowlaski or a less-than-healthy Derrick Dockery will be asked to fill in and help protect Romo's blindside from an aggressive Giants defensive line. If you somehow managed to survive the Romo no-show in Week 16, you have to strongly consider looking elsewhere this week, given the injury and the matchup.
Adrian Peterson
Peterson was a bit more helpful in fantasy circles than Romo, rushing for 36 yards and a touchdown before leaving with a devastating knee injury. Peterson tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee and sustained meniscus damage to both menisci following a hit against the Redskins. The ACL tear and meniscus damage will require surgery while the MCL will heal without intervention. The expected recovery for an injury of this magnitude is six to eight months, with six months being extremely optimistic. Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker suffered a similar injury in January 2010 and underwent surgery in February. He was in uniform for the season opener that September, just seven months after his surgery. However, Welker's quick recovery is not the norm, even for a receiver, and the demands of Peterson's position make it more difficult to expect him to do the same. Generally, running backs need more time. Terrell Davis and Edgerrin James each returned to the field about 11 months following surgery. Davis never fully recovered while James would go on to have five more 1,000-yard seasons, but even he needed an extra season and half to get back up to speed.
Peterson faces a difficult road to recovery. To start, he's 26, three years older than James when he suffered his torn ACL and one year younger than Davis when he went down. Veteran running backs need additional time to allow their bodies to completely recover and often have the disadvantage of already having extra mileage on their legs. Peterson is no exception, sporting a large workload that has placed him in the top 10 in carries three consecutive seasons. An already exhausted knee will need extra time to recover, especially if the menisci damage is significant. Factor in his previous leg injuries, including a high ankle sprain on his left leg, and it's hard to believe that Peterson will be available to begin the season."
