Four injuries that ruined fantasy owners' seasons

• Raiders RB Darren McFadden has missed 13 of 31 games due to injury over the past two seasons
• An ankle injury kept Chiefs RB Peyton Hillis from splitting carries with Jamaal Charles as expected
• Giants WR Hakeem Nicks battled a knee injury all season and has had only one big game

Now that the season is over for most fantasy owners it is time for reflection. It is also time for blame. It is time to blame those high draft picks who battled injuries and did not live up to our expectations.

These four players battled the injury bug in 2012 and cost owners to the point where all may not be forgiven by the time next year's fantasy drafts kick off.

RB Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders: Every year fantasy owners swear they will never draft McFadden again, yet someone always ends up ignoring his injury history and taking him in the first few rounds. McFadden is sure to draw the wrath of more fantasy owners next summer after a 2012 season that saw him struggle early and then miss four games with an ankle injury. Before getting hurt McFadden only topped 20 points once and he has now missed 13 of 31 games over the last two years. He is the ultimate boom or bust fantasy player.

RB Peyton Hillis, Kansas City Chiefs: It is hard to believe now, but Hillis was being drafted as high as Round 6 back in August when it looked like he would split carries with Jamaal Charles. While Charles has run for 1,456 yards, Hillis has been slowed by an ankle injury (missing three games). Despite his 101-yard effort in Week 16, Hillis has been a fantasy disaster. Some hoped he would regain the form that made him a 1,000 yard rusher in 2010 but it did not happen. Owners are unlikely to trust Hillis again after getting burned by him two years in a row.

WR Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants: Nicks only missed three games in 2012 but he has not been the same dominant receiver this year after having offseason foot surgery and dealing with a nagging left knee injury. Nicks had a huge Week 2 performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but since then he has scored double-digit fantasy points just four times in PPR formats. Nicks has shown toughness by playing through his injuries, but that is little consolation to fantasy owners who used a high draft pick only to watch him disappoint most weeks.

WR Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers: Nelson was selected on average in the fourth round after having a breakout 15-touchdown season in 2011. However, a nagging hamstring injury led to an inconsistent campaign. Between Weeks 4-7 he put up fantasy scores of 23, 39 and 26 points in PPR leagues -- but that was the highlight of his season. The rest of Nelson's year has been a huge disappointment. Take away his three big outings and Nelson has totaled just 61 fantasy points in eight games.

Thomas Casale writes for FantasySharks.com, a USA TODAY Sports Media Group affiliate