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Panthers’ running back Stephen Davis is the biggest injury concern for fantasy players heading into this Sunday’s pair of playoff games.
Officially, Davis is listed as “questionable” for Sunday’s NFC Championship game in Philadelphia because of the strained left quadriceps he suffered during last week’s playoff victory over the Rams. Realistically, we probably won’t know his status for sure until pre-game warm-ups.
By Wednesday, he
might be all set to go…or he could still be watching practice from the
sideline on Friday. “Typically you just start treatment on those, and
kind of play it by ear,” head coach John Fox told the Gaston Gazette on
Monday. “It’s day to day.”
The typical recovery period? “Everybody’s different,” Fox
said. “It’s the degree of the pull, the particular player and how
they handle injuries. So there’s no 100 percent right diagnosis.”
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How’s that for uncertainty?
In many playoff fantasy leagues, you draft your team at the start of the postseason and you have no chance to make changes. If your player’s team gets eliminated in round one…too bad. If one of your guys gets injured…tough.
However, in games such as Fanball.com’s Fantasy Playoff Hold ’Em, there are lineup decisions to be made each week. For those fantasy owners in a league with such a format, Davis is a conundrum.
He rushed for a team-record 1,444 yards and scored eight times during the regular season, and has added another 190 yards and a touchdown on 32 playoff carries. Add to that the fact that the Eagles have been allowing everyone they face to run the ball effectively against them, and Davis has the most upside of any back this weekend.
If he plays.
Fantasy owners want to use Davis, but is starting him worth the risk? The Panthers are content using DeShaun Foster if Davis can’t go. The game plan will remain the same regardless of who they have carrying the rock.
“The coaching staff and players have had confidence in [Foster] all year long,” Fox said. “When called upon, he’s done an outstanding job. In a similar game against Indianapolis, on the road, he stepped in and did a great job.”
Indeed, Foster rushed for 95 yards on 21 carries against the Rams last week after Davis left the game and the team is 2-0 in games that Davis did not play this season.
Even if Davis responds well to treatment and gets the starting nod, there is a strong possibility he won’t be able to finish the game and an even stronger possibility that he will share carries with Foster.
The solution for fantasy owners may be to start both backs. If you have room for three or more runners in your lineup, the best way to go might be Edgerrin James, Davis, and Foster. Duce Staley is a fourth option, but the Panthers’ defense should be able to contain him. The same cannot be said for the Eagles D vs. the Davis/Foster tag team.
Stay tuned to Fanball all week for updates on Davis.