Mike Goodson, Stephen Hill, Chris Ivory Injury Updates
New York Jets wide receiver Stephen Hill (84) catches a pass against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Fantasy owners are looking closely at the injury statuses of key New York Jets offensive players Mike Goodson, Chris Ivory, and Stephen Hill in order to see if they can get a read on how health they are and how much they will play on Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons. ESPN New York’s Jane McManus reports that Chris Ivory and Stephen Hill are practicing today, and running back Mike Goodson was spotted riding the stationary bike.
Chris Ivory will likely play on Monday now that he is practicing today, and he got in some practice on Wednesday and positional work yesterday despite not practicing. While Ivory is on track to play, it sounds like we should expect Bilal Powell to receive the brunt of the workload once again. Although Ivory has been progressing quicker than expected from a hamstring injury, it’s still a stretch to think that he’ll get the start. That could change if new information is revealed, but we should expect Ivory to play and not start on Monday.
The New York Daily News’s Manish Mehta reports that Jets head coach Rex Ryan hopes that Mike Goodson will be able to play against the Falcons this week, and that he isn’t concerned with Goodson feeling tightness in his hamstring. Goodson hasn’t been activated from the suspension list, though, and he only will be if he is deemed fit to play. I view him as somewhat in the same boat as fellow RB Chris Ivory: I think he will be active, but I expect him to get only minimal touches as he gets eased back into things.
Maybe the best bit of news the Jets could get ahead of this Falcons game is the return of wide receiver Stephen Hill, who was back at practice for the first time today since his concussion against the Tennessee Titans. Hill was sporting a red, no-contact jersey at practice, but he will have to be medically cleared after passing through the NFL’s concussion test protocol in order to play on Monday. Santonio Holmes isn’t practicing and will be out, so the Jets will cross their fingers and hope that the second-year deep threat out of Georgia Tech is healthy. Hill has made marked improvements here in year two with 233 receiving yards to his credit, and the Jets would have a much better chance with a wide receiver trio of Jeremy Kerley, Hill, and David Nelson than with Clyde Gates playing for Hill. Having both Holmes and Hill out would definitely hurt against Atlanta, but I wouldn’t count on him playing.
All told, none of these guys are legitimate fantasy options this week.
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