We finally have a few big names returning this week from inside the medical tent for Week 11. Keenan Allen looks like he is finally going to make his return from a nagging hamstring injury. This will be a big boost for the Chargers along with Mike Williams and Gerald Everett avoiding missing time. For the first time all year, we are going to see a full-strength Chargers offense. Maybe it will be enough to make a late run.

Let’s hear from Brian Scott though on some other big names we may or may not be without in Week 11. Some of these guys could be the difference between a championship or an early playoff exit.

Marquise Brown

Andrew Leduc: Designated to return from IR this week, do you think he plays Monday night?

Brian Scott, MEd, PA-C, ATC-ret: He is coming back from a non-surgical foot fracture and is just shy of 4 weeks from going on IR. I do not expect him to be ready right out of the gate. I still think he’ll need at least another week or two before we see him in-game action. Any fracture regardless of type can take at least 6-8 weeks to fully fuse. Some athletes can play with fractures after 4 weeks if not painful and show good signs of healing in X-rays. In the foot that is limited to only a few types of fractures, of which we don’t know what he has. We will be watching next week to see how quickly he can ramp up good participation in practice.

Prognosis: Brian believes we don’t see Brown this week. This falls in line with the team not publically saying he is active as well. Remember, activating off the IR just means he can practice again. Do not jump to get Brown in your starting lineup this week, especially with a Monday night game. I think no matter what, he should be on benches this week. I started Christian Watson over him on Thursday night and would start just about all WR3 or better players over him, if not WR4s. Odds are, he doesn’t play and you can’t take the risk of taking a zero on a Monday night game.

Josh Allen

Andrew Leduc: Is it sustainable for Allen to continue playing through the UCL injury? Could a hit or fall on that arm worsen it, or would it just be a tweak when throwing that would escalate this injury?

Brian Scott, MEd, PA-C, ATC-ret: Yes he can play through this injury, but with each throw, he does run the risk of potentially causing irreversible damage. Eventually, he will need some form of surgery such as Tommy John. It’s going to be rough to play through it the rest of the way. I think he can do it as he’s proven a tough player, but the further into the season we go the more this could become a factor. Especially with velocity, and accuracy with down-the-field throws and squeezing them into tight windows.

Prognosis: I still believe the Bills are playing with fire with their season. Given the state of the division though, I do not think they have a choice. If they were up by two games or more I could see them giving Allen some rest before a playoff push. With Miami all over them though and the Jets and Patriots both having winning records and within one game, they do not have that luxury. Allen played okay last week in the loss. He was clearly juiced up on pain meds though. I am worried though that even with playing through this injury, we may see a regression in his ability due to the discomfort or distrust in the elbow.

Cooper Kupp

Andrew Leduc: Do you believe Kupp is just going to be done for the year now?

Brian Scott, MEd, PA-C, ATC-ret: Any chance at his return this year hinges on the Rams’ chances at a super bowl run. Anything short of that and I do not think we see him back this season. Isolated syndesmosis injuries that require surgery on average can take as many as 100 days +- 28 days to fully return to competition. Those numbers are from elite-level soccer players in England according to one study published in 2017 in the British journal of sports medicine. So extrapolate what you will to American professional football players and it’s likely not far off from reality.

Prognosis: I agree here that I am leaning more toward Kupp being done for the season. For this reason, I immediately picked up Van Jefferson wherever I could. Jefferson saw 6 targets in his first game action last week, but only caught one ball. I talked about him during “Sophistication Station” on TSS Fantasy this past week. Jefferson should shake that rust off and continue to get the volume. Sean McVay has been public about Jefferson’s ability and the team’s need to get him involved quickly. Jefferson could be a big difference maker down the stretch in FLEX positions and maybe even WR2 slots.

Leonard Fournette

Andrew Leduc: Can you tell us a bit about hip pointer injuries? Are they more annoying than debilitating?

Brian Scott, MEd, PA-C, ATC-ret: Hip pointer injuries are usually more of a nagging type of injury than anything. It’s basically a deep contusion to the bony prominence of your hip ( the iliac crest). Most players don’t lose much time from this injury and can usually return to full play with some protective padding fairly quickly. There usually are no long-lasting residual effects.

Prognosis: This is great news for Fournette owners everywhere. Fournette has proven to be a tough player who should be able to play through this injury. The bad news is, he has already begun to lose his job to Rachaad White. White has looked more consistent and explosive in the last couple of weeks. This backfield has begun trending more toward a 50/50 split. I think by fantasy playoff time we will see more of a 70/30 split in White’s favor.

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