Unfortunate injuries to some St. Louis Rams starters on Sunday may cause our first significant fantasy shakeup of 2011. We know it’s an enormous shocker, but Steven Jackson has already suffered a leg injury. Jackson was removed from the Rams game against the Eagles early on Sunday with what is being called a quad strain.
Cadillac Williams got the bulk of the work after Jackson went down and should instantly become a must-grab in most if not all fantasy formats. Williams racked up over 100 total yards of offense including six catches for 49 yards. There is no telling if Jackson’s injury will cause him to miss any time, but he has had many a nagging injury in the past and a strained quad could certainly turn into one. He’s only owned in 7 percent of Yahoo! leagues which is shocking considering Jackson’s injury history.
The second significant injury the Rams fell victim to was far more gruesome. Receiver Danny Amendola suffered an arm injury in the second half that is rumored to be a dislocated elbow that could keep him out for a while. The injury looked so bad that Fox would not show a replay.
Sam Bradford and the Rams passing game were struggling prior to the injury, so it’s difficult to determine who could receive a fantasy boost as a result of the Amendola injury. Mike Sims-Walker, who is already owned in most leagues, will certainly receive more looks and is worth a pickup if available. Another player whose production should increase is Brandon Gibson, who had 53 catches last season and caught three passes for 50 yards on Sunday. He is owned in 16 percent of CBS leagues and less than 5 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
