After missing practice Wednesday, many owners feared Mikel Leshoure did indeed suffer a leg injury last week against the Seattle Seahawks. Thankfully, we found out he missed practice for personal reasons, and Leshoure started today against Jacksonville.
Those who started him have been rewarded nicely after the second-year back recorded 52 yards on 13 carries with three touchdowns. The math on that leads to 23 fantasy points in just one half.
You’re familiar with this Sunday morning routine by now. I stumble 10 feet from my bed to my couch and start hitting keys, while you do the same, but instead you’re just sleeping in a different location. Then around 11:30 ET the official early-game inactives begin to trickle out, and so does your hair. Fun times indeed.
But before we get to the real fun in just a little bit, let’s take care of the most pressing and important injury item which really shouldn’t be either of those things. Calvin Johnson is expected to play.
An accurate depiction of how Calvin Johnson owners feel right now.
I know you’re feeling weary, tired, and cold. You’re worried about Calvin Johnson, even though in truth the only difference between Calvin Johnson in 2011 and Calvin Johnson in 2012 are his touchdowns. I realize the use of the word “only” there will make cutlery fly towards eyeballs. Worse, pandas will trash office space.
But before we get to the real reason for your broken objects and hair eating (not just pulling, because we’re long past that) let’s bury the lede a little and look at some very simple but very revealing Johnson numbers.
Mikel Leshoure returned to practice today, just when you thought Joique Bell could be the waiver wire steal of the week.
He’s fine. Like I said, he had a personal day yesterday RT @ericranes: Leshoure?
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) November 1, 2012
Leshoure was seen having his leg checked out by trainers in the final minutes of this past Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, making Bell an instant wire addition for many owners in need of running back depth. Leshoure was a no-go at practice Wednesday, and fantasy owners of the second-year back wondered if he did indeed a suffer a leg injury. Head coach Jim Schwartz updated the situation after yesterday’s practice, stating that there was no injury, and Leshoure was absent from practice due to personal reasons.
Not a real lion. That would be weird, and against football rules. Lions can’t play football.
No, instead of undergoing a metamorphosis and shedding his human body, Mike Thomas has kicked off what’s sure to be another NFL trade deadline filled with similar nothingness. He’s been traded from the Jaguars to the Lions for an undisclosed draft pick.
A future trade or signing with the Bengals will now fulfill Thomas’ destiny, and complete the jungle cat trifecta.
As we go through the usual routine of dusting ourselves off on a Monday morning from hangovers that are either induced by beverages, too much football consumption, or hurricane baby making, foggy numbers always emerge from the heavens.
More specifically, as we look back on Sunday it’s always important to dissect the usage that’s spread around each offense, whether it’s the carry split between running backs, the targets for wide receivers, or just simply the amount of plays each player was on the field for, because doing anything of significance is only possible if you’re on the field.
This is a weekly ritual, and usually if we see something that especially jumps off the screen, we note it as we run through the various taking points created by another Sunday of hot football action. Today two such usage trends have already risen, showing two players who are possibly headed in opposite directions.
The best way to defend Calvin Johnson is to place a safety right over top of him in a cover-2 (two safeties). For this to work properly, a defense needs the talent and balance to shut down other threats without help from that safety. As Alen Dumonjic points out, defending Megatron is made easier by a cornerback who plays with flawless technique.
However, more teams are attempting to limit Johnson and force somebody else beat them. This makes the Lions’ other threats very viable fantasy options. Titus Young had already taken Nate Burleson’s starting job before Burleson went down with a season-ending injury. Young, a second-round pick in 2011, hasn’t been a favorite of the coaching staff thus far. Why? Young punched teammate Louis Delmas and was accordingly banned from the team’s practice facility. He also headbutted CB Janoris Jenkins, which resulted in a second half benching against the Rams. You could say he’s a bit of a loose cannon.
Young has never really clicked on the field with Stafford, which led to Burleson winning the starting job opposite Megatron again in training camp. If we remove his miracle, game-tying touchdown as an outlier, Young has only one week with more than two fantasy points.
Ryan Broyles is now almost a year past his torn ACL that he suffered as a senior at Oklahoma. That injury unquestionably hurt his draft stock and bumped him into the middle of the second round last spring. He’s getting stronger every day and should be nipping at Young’s heels for targets. That started on Monday as Broyles hauled in Detroit’s only TD and finished with eleven fantasy points to Young’s eight.
He’s included in this week’s watch list, along with a few other prominent backups.
