Sunday pain: A.J. Green the worst of Week 11's damaging injuries
The injury bug dealt fantasy owners several cruel blows on Sunday.
At the top of the list was a hamstring injury to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green that forced him to be carted off the field in the first quarter before he even recorded a single reception. As a No. 1 fantasy wideout, Green’s absence could cripple fantasy owners’ playoff hopes with two more weeks remaining in the fantasy regular season.
In addition, Bengals running back Giovani Bernard suffered a torn knee ligament that will end his season, according to USA TODAY Sports' Tom Pelissero. Jeremy Hill will no doubt have to carry the majority of the load at running back in Bernard's absence. Meanwhile, Brandon LaFell and rookie Tyler Boyd (who caught his first NFL touchdown pass on Sunday) will need to step up in the passing game.
Elsewhere, Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy rushed for 33 yards and a touchdown before his day was cut short by a thumb injury. While Green could be out for several weeks, McCoy is expected to be able to play next week.
Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller caught three passes for 61 yards and a touchdown, but broke a bone in his foot. Don’t expect him to be a fantasy contributor the rest of the season.
And the Philadelphia Eagles took a couple of major hits in the running game with starter Ryan Mathews leaving in the first half with a knee injury after gaining just 33 yards on the ground. Backup Darren Sproles also left with a rib injury, leaving rookie Wendell Smallwood and third-year backup Kenjon Barner to handle the duties.
Smallwood made the most of his opportunity, rushing for 48 yards and catching four passes for 31 more.
Return to relevance
On the positive side, Dallas Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant returned to fantasy owners’ good graces, catching a pair of touchdown passes from Dak Prescott. Bryant, who was dealing with a back injury this week, has bounced back from a one-catch effort in Week 9 to grab 12 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns over the past two games.
Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls made his first appearance since breaking a bone in his leg in Week 2. He ran 14 times for 57 yards and caught three passes for 31 yards. He’ll have to be a bigger part of the Seahawks offense going forward as starting running back C.J. Prosise suffered a shoulder injury that will likely sideline him for several weeks.
Stars step forward
As much as late-season injuries can ruin a season, having top players peaking down the stretch can pave the way to a fantasy championship.
David Johnson of the Arizona Cardinals and Le'Veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers are the two most explosive running backs in the league -- and they also turned in the position's best fantasy performances of the week.
Johnson racked up 160 yards from scrimmage, rushed for one touchdown and caught a pass for another.
Bell only scored once -- on a 1-yard run at the end of the first half -- but he rushed for 146 yards and caught eight passes for 55.
Finally, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady led all quarterbacks with four touchdown passes as he lit up the San Francisco 49ers' league-worst defense for 280 yards through the air and 12 more on the ground.
Fantasy owners with those three have to feel pretty good about their chances with the playoffs just around the corner.