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By - Jerry Norts
Fantasy football is a game with a wildcard as big as the Hindenburg, and every bit as volatile. The threat of injuries always hovers, ready to explode and send a high-flying season into oblivion. No matter how star studded a roster might be, sudden impact on a gridiron can turn a team into a bumbling backup nightmare.
NFL players are finely tuned physical specimens. When injured, their recovery times can be amazingly quick thanks to superb conditioning along with the availability of exceptional sports injury care and rehabilitation ready to get them back onto the field ASAP.
Anyone trying to compete in fantasy football should be aware of injuries that occur and how long each will likely sideline or impede performance. When a player takes a major smuck, gets loaded onto the ‘meatwagon,’ is iced on the bench or left goo-goo glassy-eyed, then lineup juggling and transaction decisions have to be made that can make or break a season.
Recovery times are critical, but are, in actuality, as much a function of an individual player’s toughness, dedication and quality of position depth on his team as they are to the severity of the injury. Some players play with pain, others don’t suck it up quite as well.
Certain injuries pop-up with regularity to give just about every fantasy team owner cause for concern during the course of a season and can generally be lumped into the following categories
CONTUSION – a severe bruise (0-2 weeks out);
LACERATION – a cut or gouge that usually requires stitches (0-2 weeks out);
STRAIN – a stretch or tear of a muscle or tendon (0-season ending);
SPRAIN – a stretch or tear of a ligament (0-season ending);
FRACTURE – a crack or break of a bone (0-season ending);
CONCUSSION – a jarring of the brain (0-season ending).
Within these categories are some common gridiron injuries that create havoc during a football season. Here’s a rundown from head to toe –
HEAD –
Concussion: Caused by a blow to the head that disrupts normal brain function. Categorized as mild, moderate or severe. RECOVERY TIME – Mild (0-2 weeks out; moderate, second instance or severe (2 weeks-season ending).
NECK –
Neck Sprain/Stinger: Also called cervicalgia, injury usually results from impact to the top or side of the head and involves muscles and nerves in the neck. Pain can be localized or radiate to the head, shoulder or arm (stinger). RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 1-4 weeks out); Torn (season ending).
SHOULDER –
Clavicle Fracture: Also called broken collarbone, the injury involves a fracture of the clavicle, the bone that extends along the front of the shoulder to the breastbone (sternum). RECOVERY TIME – (5 weeks - season ending).
Humerus Fracture: Also called broken shoulder, the injury involves the neck of the bone that fits into the shoulder socket and results from direct impact or falling onto an outstretched hand. RECOVERY TIME – (8 weeks - season ending).
Separated Shoulder: Also called acromioclavicular joint separation. Separation occurs by direct impact or falling onto an elbow or outstretched arm. It has a range of severity from slight pain to the collar bone protruding from the neck and is graded 1 to 3. RECOVERY TIME – (2 weeks - season ending).
Dislocated Shoulder: The injury involves the dislocation of the head of the humerus bone from the shoulder joint and is considered to be less severe than a separation. Most commonly (about 95% of the time), the dislocation is anterior with the humerus popped out of the front of the joint. In rare cases it can be posterior with the bone popped out of the back of the joint. Causes of the dislocation can be direct impact or twisting of the arm. RECOVERY TIME – (2 weeks - season ending).
Shoulder Sprain: The injury involves the ligaments that hold the shoulder in place. RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 1-4 weeks out); Torn (arthroscopic surgery: 4-6 weeks out, reconstructive surgery: season ending).
Rotator Cuff Strain: Also called a rotator cuff or cuff tendonitis. The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons that wrap around the front, back and top of the shoulder joint. They help in arm and shoulder rotation especially essential in throwing a football. Injury usually occurs to the tendons and results from repetitive throwing, after falling on an outstretched hand or as a result of heavy weight training. The supraspinatus muscle and tendon run along the top of the shoulder blade and are most commonly injured because of their involvement in slowing down arm speed after an object is thrown. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-4 weeks out but may affect performance of a quarterback for much longer); Torn (arthroscopic surgery: 8 weeks – season ending, reconstructive surgery: season ending).
Deltoid Muscle Strain: The deltoid or delt is the big muscle on the shoulder and has three parts – anterior (front), middle and posterior (back). The anterior helps to lift the arm up and forward, the posterior helps to lift the arm up and backward. Deltoid strains are graded 1 to 3. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-12 weeks out); Torn (surgery: season ending).
CHEST –
Pectoralis Muscle Strain: The pectoralis major or pec muscle is located at the front of the chest and is used to rotate the arm inward, pull the arm across the body, pull the arm from above the head downward and to pull the arm from the side upward. The tendon most commonly stretches or tears at the point that it inserts into the humerus (upper arm). RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out); Torn (surgery: 5 weeks – season ending).
Rib Fracture: Also called broken rib. The injury is caused by a direct impact or by falling onto a player or helmet. RECOVERY TIME – (no surgery: 0-6 weeks out but it can decrease performance for longer).
ABDOMEN –
Abdominal Strain: Also called a pulled abdominal muscle. Generally, the rectus abdominus muscle that extends over the belly (when well developed, it is described as a six-pack) is most often damaged, but the internal and external obliques are also susceptible to injury. Abdominal strains are graded 1 to 3. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-4 weeks out); Torn (surgery: season ending).
Sports Hernia: Also known as athletic pubalgia or Gilmore’s groin, is a strain or tear of the internal and external oblique muscles or tendons in the lower abdomen or of the adductor muscles but isn’t actually a hernia. Injury is a result of twisting and bending over and leaning forward as required by linemen. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-5 weeks out); Torn (surgery: 6 weeks - season ending).
BACK –
Back Strain: Also referred to as lumbago. Injury often sustained while blocking when lumbar muscles in the lower back go into spasm due to lack of blood flow. Back strains are graded 1 to 3. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-12 weeks out); Torn (surgery: season ending).
Back Contusion: Injury sustained due to impact to the back. Back contusions are graded 1 to 3. RECOVERY TIME – Intermuscular (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out but may limit production for 5); Intramuscular (no surgery: 3-12 weeks out; surgery: season ending).
ARM –
Biceps Strain: The biceps muscle on the top of the arm splits into two tendons – one long and the other short – at the shoulder. It is the long tendon that is typically strained. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out); Torn (surgery: 5 weeks – season ending).
Triceps Strain: The triceps muscle lies over the back of the upper arm and functions to straighten the elbow. Injury occurs due to impact, or when attempting to push off hard as when blocking. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out); Torn (surgery: 5 weeks – season ending).
Elbow Strain: The injury occurs to tendons that attach the triceps (back) and biceps (front) to the elbow. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out); Torn (surgery: 5 weeks – season ending).
Elbow Hyperextension: Also called elbow sprain. The injury occurs when the elbow is bent backward. RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 0-2 weeks out)
WRIST & HAND –
Wrist Fracture: Also called broken wrist or fractured scaphoid. The scaphoid is one of the group of calcarpel bones in the wrist and is the most common to be fractured. Injury occurs as a result of falling onto an outstretched arm or from hitting a helmet or onrushing player while following through after passing. RECOVERY TIME – (no surgery: 1-4 weeks out with a cast usually required to continue playing; surgery 5 weeks – season ending).
Wrist Sprain: Injury to wrist ligaments that is usually caused by falling on an outstretched hand or direct impact. Wrist sprains are graded 1 to 3. RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 0-2 weeks out with a cast usually required to continue playing); Torn (arthroscopic surgery: 3-5 weeks out, reconstructive surgery: season ending).
Thumb or Finger Fracture: Three bones called phalanges make up fingers and two phalanges and a metacarpal (hand bone) make up thumbs. Breaks usually occur near joints. In thumb fractures, the break occurs most often in the metacarpal bone at the lower part of the thumb. Finger fractures are more varied. RECOVERY TIME – (no surgery: 0-4 weeks out with a splint usually required to continue playing; surgery 4 weeks – season ending).
Thumb or Finger Sprain/Dislocation: Also called jammed thumb or finger. Dislocation occurs when the bone above a joint is bent backward requiring that it be put back into place. RECOVERY TIME – (no surgery: 0-2 weeks out with taping required to continue playing; surgery 4 weeks – season ending).
Hand Fracture: Also known as a broken hand and metacarpal fracture, the injury results from impact or from falling on the hand. Metacarpals are the five long bones of the hand. RECOVERY TIME – (no surgery: 1-2 weeks out with taping or a cast required to continue playing; surgery 4 weeks – season ending).
HIP –
Hip Flexor Strain – Also referred to as a hip flexor. Hip flexors are a group of muscles that move the hip forward and lift the knee while running. It involves the lliopsoas, actually two muscles – lliacus and psoas major that start at the lower back and insert into the thigh bone. Injury occurs when running with a high knee action or jumping. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 1-3 weeks out); Torn (surgery: 6 weeks - season ending).
Femur Stress Fracture – Hairline crack in the neck of the thigh bone that causes hip pain. Inactivity is required to allow new bone growth. RECOVERY TIME – surgery not an option (5-8 weeks out).
THIGH –
Hamstring Tendon injury: Tendon that connects hamstring muscles to the back of the knee. Injury occurs after an explosive movement or quick cut causing a tear in the tendon. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out ); Torn (arthroscopic surgery: 2-4 weeks out, reconstructive surgery: season ending).
Hamstring Muscle Strain: Usually referred to as a hamstring, strained hamstring or pulled hamstring. The injury, caused by moving thigh muscles rapidly, results in a tear or partial tear of one of the three hamstring muscles – semitendinosis, semimembrinosis, biceps femoris. Hamstring strains are graded from 1 to 3 with 3 being a complete muscle rupture. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 1-4 weeks out but may limit production for 6); Torn (surgery: season ending).
Hamstring Contusion: Injury occurs when impact is sustained to the back of the thigh causing muscle to be crushed against bone. There are two types of hamstring contusions – Intramuscular (most severe), tearing of muscle within the sheath that surrounds it but doesn’t cause visible bruising because blood can’t escape; Intermuscular (less severe), tearing of both muscle and its sheath with noticeable bruising. Hamstring contusions are graded 1 to 3. RECOVERY TIME – Intermuscular (no surgery: 1-3 weeks out but may limit production for 5); Intramuscular (no surgery: 3-12 weeks out; surgery: season ending).
Quadriceps Strain: Usually referred to as a pulled quad. Any of the quadriceps muscles – vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris – can be strained (most commonly, the rectus femoris suffers damage). Quadriceps strains are graded 1 to 3. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out but may limit production for 5); Torn (surgery: season ending).
Quadriceps Contusion: In its slightest form, referred to as a Charley Horse. Impact to the front or side of the thigh is its usual cause. There are two types of quadriceps contusions – Intramuscular (most severe), tearing of muscle within the sheath that surrounds it but doesn’t cause visible bruising because blood can’t escape; Intermuscular (less severe), tearing of both muscle and its sheath with noticeable bruising. Hamstring contusions are graded 1 to 3. RECOVERY TIME – Intermuscular (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out but may limit production for 5); Intramuscular (no surgery: 3-12 weeks out; surgery: season ending).
Groin Strain: Sometimes referred to as adductor muscle rupture. There are three short adductor muscles that stretch from the pelvis to the thigh bone – pectineus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, and two long adductors that go from the pelvis to the knee – gracilis, adductor magnus. The main function of groin muscles is to pull the legs together. Injury occurs when sprinting, twisting or kicking. Groin strains are graded 1 to 3. A torn adductor muscle is sometimes referred to as Gilmore’s groin or sportsmen’s hernia. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-5 weeks out but may limit production for longer); Torn (0-5 weeks out but the condition will continue to worsen; surgery: 6 weeks-season ending).
KNEE –
Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury (ACL): Injury to the forward ligament crossing over the middle of the knee that keeps bones from sliding forward and aiding rotation. RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out but may limit production for longer); Torn (arthroscopic surgery: 4-6 weeks out, reconstructive surgery: season ending).
Posterior Cruciate Ligament injury (PCL): Injury to the back ligament crossing over the middle of the knee that keeps bones from sliding backward. This ligament stops the knee from bending back. Often referred to as a knee hyperextension (knee bent backwards). RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out but may limit production for longer); Torn (arthroscopic surgery: 3-6 weeks out, reconstructive surgery: season ending).
Medial Collateral Ligament injury (MCL): Injury occurs when impact to the outside of the knee causes this inside ligament to stretch or tear. Three grades of injury with 3 being the most severe characterized by the knee being unstable or wobbly. Not considered as severe as an ACL. RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 0-2 weeks out with a brace usually required to continue playing); Torn (arthroscopic surgery: 3-5 weeks out, reconstructive surgery: season ending).
Lateral Collateral Ligament injury (LCL): Injury occurs when impact to the inside of the knee or twisting causes this outside ligament to stretch or tear. A tear can range from a total rupture to a few small fibers. LCL injuries aren’t as common as damage to other knee ligaments. RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 0-2 weeks out with a brace usually required to continue playing); Torn (arthroscopic surgery: 3-5 weeks out, reconstructive surgery: season ending).
LOWER LEG –
Calf Strain – There are two calf muscles, gastrocnemius (large muscle at the back) and soleus (smaller muscle located lower and beneath the gastrocnemius). The gastrocnemius originates above the knee and inserts into the heel by way of the Achilles tendon. The soleus begins below the knee and also inserts via the Achilles. Calf strains are graded from 1 to 3 with 3 being a complete muscle rupture. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out but may limit production for longer); Torn (surgery: season ending).
Calf Contusion – Injury sustained due to impact to the lower back of the leg. There are two types of calf contusions – Intramuscular (most severe), tearing of muscle within the sheath that surrounds it but doesn’t cause visible bruising because blood can’t escape; Intermuscular (less severe), tearing of both muscle and its sheath with noticeable bruising. Calf contusions are graded 1 to 3. RECOVERY TIME – Intermuscular (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out but may limit production for longer); Intramuscular (no surgery: 3-12 weeks out; surgery: season ending).
Lower Leg Stress Fracture – Hairline crack in either the tibia (larger bone) or fibula. Fracture of the tibia is more serious because the bone is load bearing. The most common stress fracture is of the tibia slightly above the ankle. Inactivity is required to allow new bone growth. RECOVERY TIME – surgery not an option (5-8 weeks out).
ANKLE –
High Ankle Sprain – The most severe and least common type of ankle sprain involving damage to ligaments between the tibia and fibula known as talo-fibula and calcanao-fibula ligments. Damage to tendons may also occur. The injury, sometimes referred to as syndesmotic ankle sprain, is caused by an outward rolling of the ankle accompanied by an inward twisting of the foot. Pain is centered just above the ankle joint. High ankle sprains are graded 1 to 3. RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 2-5 weeks out but may limit production for longer); Torn (surgery: season ending).
Common Ankle Sprain – The most common injury in football. It involves damage to ligaments between the tibia and fibula at the ankle joint. The injury is caused by an outward rolling of the ankle accompanied by an inward twisting of the foot. Pain is within the ankle joint. RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 0-3 weeks out but may limit production for longer); Torn (arthroscopic surgery: 3-5 weeks out, reconstructive surgery: season ending).
ACHILLES TENDON & FOOT –
Achilles Tendon Strain/Tendinitis – The Achilles tendon runs from the calf muscle to the heel. Injury occurs during bursts of speed or jumping that suddenly stretch the tendon. Pain can be an indication of a more severe partial or complete rupture in the future. Considered to be grade 1 of 3. The Achilles has a poor blood supply that often makes it slow to heal. RECOVERY TIME – Strained (no surgery: 0-10 weeks out but may lead to a rupture).
Achilles Tendon Rupture – Injury occurs during bursts of speed or jumping that require pushing off hard on the toes or suddenly bending the foot upwards and stretching the tendon. The rupture can be either partial or complete. Considered to be grade 2 (partial) or 3 (complete). RECOVERY TIME – (surgery required: season ending).
Foot Fracture – Also called a broken foot. Can be either a stress fracture or full fracture of one or more of five metatarsal bones – the long bones in the forefoot. The injury either results from overtraining (stress) or from being stepped on by another player (full). RECOVERY TIME – Stress (no surgery: 4-6 weeks out); Complete (no surgery: 7 weeks out - season ending).
Foot Sprain – Sometimes called plantar fasciitis, it is a midfoot injury involving the plantar fascia, the arch ligament that extends from under the heel to the ball of the foot. The injury often occurs due to sudden twisting. RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 2-3 weeks out); Torn (surgery required: 8 weeks - season ending).
Turf Toe – A sprain most common on artificial surfaces when a shoe grips hard and causes the big toe to bend upward and ligaments to stretch. Bone surface at the joint may also be damaged. A very difficult injury for fantasy football team owners to assess because players, who often try to continue to play, are either game-time decisions and/or have reduced production. RECOVERY TIME – Sprained (no surgery: 0-5 weeks out with diminished production if the player doesn’t take time off).
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