With one full wave of preseason games now in the books, we can't help but take notice of some injuries that could affect your fantasy draft. There weren't too many casualties in Week 1 of the preseason, but there are a few notable developments to take into consideration and monitor as the dog days of summer roll on. It's time for our weekly update on the latest bangs and bruises around the NFL.
But first, Fantasy LIVE is back, and our experts let you know if they are worried about a few fantasy studs returning from injury. Check out a quick recap below on how Michael Fabiano, Adam Rank and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila feel about potential fantasy risk involved with Tony Romo, Cam Newton, Arian Foster, Rob Gronkowski and Reggie Wayne.
Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys (back)
Fabiano:Not worried - "Romo is not going to cost me a prominent draft pick."
Rank:Worried - "Back injuries are serious."
Gbaja-Biamila:Not worried - "I believe in his toughness...he can be a quality starter."
Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers (ankle)
Fabiano:Not worried - "If I can get him in Round 8, 9 or 10, I'm not worried."
Rank:Worried - "There's a lot to worry about...he could be handing off the ball more."
Gbaja-Biamila:Not worried - "He's way too young for anyone to be worried."
Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans (back)
Fabiano:Worried - "If you draft him it's going to cost you a late first round pick or early second round pick."
Rank:Worried - "I will not draft him."
Gbaja-Biamila:Not Worried - "I'm not looking at him as my No. 1 running back."
Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots (knee)
Fabiano:Worried - "How can you not be worried about a guy who's undergone so many surgeries?"
Rank:Worried - "Look at all the injuries he's had over his career."
Gbaja-Biamila:Worried - "He plays the game with no regard for personal safety."
Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts (knee)
Fabiano:Not worried - "You can probably get him as your No. 4 wide receiver."
Rank:Not worried - "Because of his injury he will fall in drafts and you'll be able to scoop him up late."
Gbaja-Biamila:Not worried - "He's got a big time quarterback in Andrew Luck."
Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers (hamstring): The Panthers were hoping for a healthy start to the 2014 season from 27-year-old running back Jonathan Stewart after he only played in a total of 15 games over the past two years. Unfortunately, Stewart pulled his hamstring before training camp even got underway in late July. Stewart initially gave himself a two to four week timetable for return but he returned to practice for the first time this past Sunday. As long as he remains healthy throughout the week, he should see some playing time alongside DeAngelo Williams in Carolina's second preseason game on Sunday against the Chiefs. Williams and Stewart have current ADPs of Rounds 12 and 16 respectively for good reason, as Cam Newton (also working his way back from ankle sugery) and fullback Mike Tolbert usually get the team's goal line work. If Stewart can avoid further ailments, he could be quite a bargain in deeper leagues with minimal risk as an end of draft option.
Chris Ivory, RB, New York Jets (ribs): In the Jets preseason opener against the Colts last week, Chris Johnson scored an unexpected one-yard touchdown run because Gang Green's starter and favorite for goal line work, Chris Ivory, was taken out of the game with a rib injury one play prior. It was reported Sunday that Ivory has a rib cartilage injury and that he "felt some movement" in the area which led to his exit. Jets coach Rex Ryan said after the game that Ivory would be "fine" but it's not yet known if he will play in the team's next exhibition game against the Bengals on Saturday. If Ivory has to miss any regular season playing time due to his rib injury, CJ2K's fantasy value will see an uptick as he would likely become the starter in a timeshare with Bilal Powell. The Jets also have Alex Green and Daryl Richardson on their roster but neither are fantasy relevant.
Khaled Holmes, C, Indianapolis Colts (ankle): The Colts' starting center Khaled Holmes suffered an ankle injury early in Thursday's preseason game against the Jets. It didn't look good at first, but after further inspection coach Chuck Pagano said Holmes should only be out two to three weeks with a sprained ankle and is expected back in time for Indianapolis' Week 1 game against Denver. The Colts offensive line is already riddled with injuries as starting guard Donald Thomas went down with a season-ending quad tear in camp and rookie lineman Ulrick John broke his ankle against the Jets. We're a bit concerned about the protection of stud quarterback Andrew Luck here and will be keeping a close eye on how well the backup linemen hold up in the remaining preseason games. This could also have a negative effect on Trent Richardson's value, but he currently has an ADP of Round 9 so this wouldn't knock him down much farther (if at all).
Jason Campbell, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (arm):Andy Dalton's backup Jason Campbell suffered an arm injury against the Chiefs Thursday night and although X-rays came back negative, Cincinnati is resting the veteran signal-caller for now. The Bengals added some depth at the position by signing free agent Tyler Wilson on Saturday. Although there are no immediate fantasy implications to come from this, A.J. Green owners (and the rest of the Bengals' offense) would be in trouble if Dalton went down without a serviceable backup. In his nine games played with Cleveland last season, Campbell threw 2,015 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Matt Franciscovich is an associate fantasy editor at NFL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at _**@mfranciscovich**_
