Arian Foster's calf injury one of many making headlines already
NFL training camps are in full swing with league-wide preseason action ready to commence later this week. Better still, the official start of the regular season is a little more than a month away, which means this is a perfect time to update Athlon Sports' Fantasy Football 2013 Big Board.
If there's any early headline for training camp action so far, it's been the number of significant injuries that have already occurred, several of them being season-ending. Injures were already a factor before training camps even began with Michael Crabtree tearing his ACL and Rob Gronkowski undergoing back surgery, and this trend has continued.
Jeremy Maclin and Dennis Pitta are already lost for the season, while Percy Harvin will miss a significant chunk of it after undergoing hip surgery. Not only do these injuries impact these players' respective offenses, the ripple effect carries over to the fantasy world too.
There also are other early injuries that bear watching, such as Arian Foster's calf and back issues that held the Texans' workhorse out of training camp so far. Neither issue is expected to be serious or linger into the start of the season, which is why Foster remains No. 2 on our big board. Still, this is certainly a situation worth keeping an eye on, as is things like Robert Griffin III's return from his knee injury, Ben Roethlisberger's recovery form offseason knee surgery, Maurice Jones-Drew's comeback from foot surgery, and others.
Fantasy Football 2013: Preseason Big Board (Top 250)
Last updated Aug. 7
| Rk | Player | Team | POS | Bye | Comment |
| 1 | Adrian Peterson | MIN | RB | 5 | |
| 2 | Arian Foster | HOU | RB | 8 | Keep an eye on calf injury. |
| 3 | Marshawn Lynch | SEA | RB | 12 | |
| 4 | Ray Rice | BAL | RB | 8 | |
| 5 | Jamaal Charles | KC | RB | 10 | Could be in for huge season. |
| 6 | Calvin Johnson | DET | WR | 9 | Top fantasy WR had just 5 TDs. |
| 7 | Doug Martin | TB | RB | 5 | Sophomore slump coming? |
| 8 | C.J. Spiller | BUF | RB | 12 | |
| 9 | Trent Richardson | CLE | RB | 10 | |
| 10 | LeSean McCoy | PHI | RB | 12 | Is he Kelly's No. 1 weapon? |
| 11 | Dez Bryant | DAL | WR | 11 | |
| 12 | Aaron Rodgers | GB | QB | 4 | |
| 13 | Drew Brees | NO | QB | 7 | |
| 14 | A.J. Green | CIN | WR | 12 | |
| 15 | Alfred Morris | WAS | RB | 5 | |
| 16 | Steven Jackson | ATL | RB | 6 | |
| 17 | Peyton Manning | DEN | QB | 9 | More weapons for No. 18. |
| 18 | Matt Forte | CHI | RB | 8 | |
| 19 | Brandon Marshall | CHI | WR | 8 | |
| 20 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN | WR | 9 | |
| 21 | Julio Jones | ATL | WR | 6 | |
| 22 | Tom Brady | NE | QB | 10 | Really needs a healthy Gronk. |
| 23 | Jimmy Graham | NO | TE | 7 | |
| 24 | Vincent Jackson | TB | WR | 5 | |
| 25 | Andre Johnson | HOU | WR | 8 | |
| 26 | Randall Cobb | GB | WR | 4 | |
| 27 | Stevan Ridley | NE | RB | 10 | |
| 28 | Roddy White | ATL | WR | 6 | |
| 29 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | WR | 9 | New QB should help. |
| 30 | Victor Cruz | NYG | WR | 9 | |
| 31 | Wes Welker | DEN | WR | 9 | New team, same results. |
| 32 | Marques Colston | NO | WR | 7 | |
| 33 | Chris Johnson | TEN | RB | 8 | Can he be elite again? |
| 34 | Cam Newton | CAR | QB | 4 | |
| 35 | Maurice Jones-Drew | JAC | RB | 9 | Will he return to old form? |
| 36 | Frank Gore | SF | RB | 9 | |
| 37 | Reggie Wayne | IND | WR | 8 | |
| 38 | Jordy Nelson | GB | WR | 4 | |
| 39 | Matt Ryan | ATL | QB | 6 | |
| 40 | David Wilson | NYG | RB | 9 | |
| 41 | Darren McFadden | OAK | RB | 7 | New scheme, same RB? |
| 42 | Montee Ball | DEN | RB | 9 | Golden opportunity for rookie. |
| 43 | Mike Wallace | MIA | WR | 6 | Will he miss Big Ben? |
| 44 | Danny Amendola | NE | WR | 10 | Is he Welker-esque? |
| 45 | Hakeem Nicks | NYG | WR | 9 | Groin injury keeping him off field. |
| 46 | Colin Kaepernick | SF | QB | 9 | The stage is all his. |
| 47 | Matthew Stafford | DET | QB | 9 | Hoping to bounce back. |
| 48 | Andrew Luck | IND | QB | 8 | New OC, same Luck? |
| 49 | Dwayne Bowe | KC | WR | 10 | Could he break out in '13? |
| 50 | Jason Witten | DAL | TE | 11 | |
| 51 | Darren Sproles | NO | RB | 7 | |
| 52 | Steve Smith | CAR | WR | 4 | |
| 53 | Tony Romo | DAL | QB | 11 | No excuses now. |
| 54 | Eric Decker | DEN | WR | 9 | |
| 55 | Antonio Brown | PIT | WR | 5 | Big Ben's new No. 1. |
| 56 | Eli Manning | NYG | QB | 9 | |
| 57 | Pierre Garcon | WAS | WR | 5 | |
| 58 | DeSean Jackson | PHI | WR | 12 | Clear-cut No. 1 after Maclin's injury. |
| 59 | Tony Gonzalez | ATL | TE | 6 | Can he do it again? |
| 60 | Torrey Smith | BAL | WR | 8 | It's his time to shine. |
| 61 | DeMarco Murray | DAL | RB | 11 | |
| 62 | Reggie Bush | DET | RB | 9 | Back on turf in DET. |
| 63 | Vernon Davis | SF | TE | 9 | Could see snaps at WR. |
| 64 | Anquan Boldin | SF | WR | 9 | No. 1 option w/o Crabtree. |
| 65 | Stevie Johnson | BUF | WR | 12 | Dealing with hamstring issue. |
| 66 | James Jones | GB | WR | 4 | |
| 67 | Ryan Mathews | SD | RB | 8 | |
| 68 | Russell Wilson | SEA | QB | 12 | Harvin's injury is huge blow. |
| 69 | Robert Griffin III | WAS | QB | 5 | Will he be ready by Week 1? |
| 70 | Rob Gronkowski | NE | TE | 10 | Probably start season on PUP list. |
| 71 | Eddie Lacy | GB | RB | 4 | |
| 72 | Chris Ivory | NYJ | RB | 10 | |
| 73 | Lamar Miller | MIA | RB | 6 | |
| 74 | Cecil Shorts | JAC | WR | 9 | |
| 75 | Greg Jennings | MIN | WR | 5 | Needs to let his play do the talking. |
| 76 | Tavon Austin | STL | WR | 11 | |
| 77 | Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | QB | 5 | Knee shouldn't be an issue. |
| 78 | Andy Dalton | CIN | QB | 12 | |
| 79 | Joe Flacco | BAL | QB | 8 | |
| 80 | Sidney Rice | SEA | WR | 12 | Will his knee hold up? |
| 81 | Owen Daniels | HOU | TE | 8 | |
| 82 | Kyle Rudolph | MIN | TE | 5 | |
| 83 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | RB | 5 | Is he the answer for Steelers? |
| 84 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | WR | 8 | |
| 85 | Mike Williams | TB | WR | 5 | |
| 86 | Vick Ballard | IND | RB | 8 | Bradshaw changes outlook. |
| 87 | Ahmad Bradshaw | IND | RB | 8 | Who's No. 1 - him or Ballard? |
| 88 | Greg Olsen | CAR | TE | 4 | |
| 89 | Antonio Gates | SD | TE | 8 | |
| 90 | BenJarvus Green-Ellis | CIN | RB | 12 | Could see less touches. |
| 91 | Shane Vereen | NE | RB | 10 | Versatility could increase role. |
| 92 | Rashard Mendenhall | ARI | RB | 9 | Knee tendinitis already an issue. |
| 93 | Miles Austin | DAL | WR | 11 | |
| 94 | Lance Moore | NO | WR | 7 | |
| 95 | Kenny Britt | TEN | WR | 8 | |
| 96 | Michael Vick | PHI | QB | 12 | How long will he keep job? |
| 97 | Emmanuel Sanders | PIT | WR | 5 | |
| 98 | Brandon Myers | NYG | TE | 9 | |
| 99 | Jared Cook | STL | TE | 11 | Is this his year? |
| 100 | Jermichael Finley | GB | TE | 4 | |
| 101 | Jay Cutler | CHI | QB | 8 | |
| 102 | Philip Rivers | SD | QB | 8 | |
| 103 | Sam Bradford | STL | QB | 11 | |
| 104 | Chris Givens | STL | WR | 11 | |
| 105 | Josh Gordon | CLE | WR | 10 | Will miss first two games. |
| 106 | Martellus Bennett | CHI | TE | 8 | |
| 107 | Brandon Pettigrew | DET | TE | 9 | |
| 108 | Andre Brown | NYG | RB | 9 | If Wilson slips, he's ready. |
| 109 | DeAngelo Williams | CAR | RB | 4 | Current No. 1 b/c of Stewart injury. |
| 110 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | RB | 12 | Could pounce if BJGE falters. |
| 111 | Mark Ingram | NO | RB | 7 | |
| 112 | Johnathan Franklin | GB | RB | 4 | |
| 113 | Daryl Richardson | STL | RB | 11 | No. 1 on Rams depth chart. |
| 114 | Mikel Leshoure | DET | RB | 9 | |
| 115 | Bryce Brown | PHI | RB | 12 | |
| 116 | Seattle Seahawks | SEA | DST | 12 | |
| 117 | Denarius Moore | OAK | WR | 7 | |
| 118 | Michael Floyd | ARI | WR | 9 | Ready to break out? |
| 119 | San Francisco 49ers | SF | DST | 9 | |
| 120 | Houston Texans | HOU | DST | 8 | |
| 121 | Denver Broncos | DEN | DST | 9 | Von Miller's appeal one to watch. |
| 122 | Kendall Wright | TEN | WR | 8 | Could end up No. 1 in TEN. |
| 123 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | WR | 8 | |
| 124 | Matt Schaub | HOU | QB | 8 | |
| 125 | Josh Freeman | TB | QB | 5 | |
| 126 | Carson Palmer | ARI | QB | 9 | So far, so good with new team. |
| 127 | Alex Smith | KC | QB | 10 | No QB controversy in KC. |
| 128 | Alshon Jeffery | CHI | WR | 8 | |
| 129 | Golden Tate | SEA | WR | 12 | Opportunity arises with Harvin's injury. |
| 130 | Malcom Floyd | SD | WR | 8 | |
| 131 | Cincinnati Bengals | CIN | DST | 12 | |
| 132 | Ryan Tannehill | MIA | QB | 6 | Struggled in Hall of Fame game. |
| 133 | Jake Locker | TEN | QB | 8 | Could be make or break year. |
| 134 | Christian Ponder | MIN | QB | 5 | Ditto for Ponder. |
| 135 | Brian Hartline | MIA | WR | 6 | |
| 136 | Andre Roberts | ARI | WR | 9 | |
| 137 | Ryan Williams | ARI | RB | 9 | Setback with knee has delayed his training camp debut. |
| 138 | Bernard Pierce | BAL | RB | 8 | |
| 139 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | RB | 4 | Not off to good start health-wise. |
| 140 | Rueben Randle | NYG | WR | 9 | |
| 141 | Justin Blackmon | JAC | WR | 9 | Out first four games. |
| 142 | Ed Dickson | BAL | TE | 8 | Becomes No. 1 w/ Pitta injury. |
| 143 | Dustin Keller | MIA | TE | 6 | |
| 144 | Isaiah Pead | STL | RB | 11 | Suspended for opening game. |
| 145 | Jacquizz Rodgers | ATL | RB | 6 | |
| 146 | Ronnie Hillman | DEN | RB | 9 | Sits atop depth chart, for now. |
| 147 | St. Louis Rams | STL | DST | 11 | |
| 148 | Greg Little | CLE | WR | 10 | |
| 149 | Ryan Broyles | DET | WR | 9 | Looking strong in camp so far. |
| 150 | Vincent Brown | SD | WR | 8 | |
| 151 | Santana Moss | WAS | WR | 5 | |
| 152 | Fred Davis | WAS | TE | 5 | If healthy, he could have big season. |
| 153 | Coby Fleener | IND | TE | 8 | Asserting himself in second training camp. |
| 154 | Chicago Bears | CHI | DST | 8 | |
| 155 | Pittsburgh Steelers | PIT | DST | 5 | |
| 156 | Green Bay Packers | GB | DST | 4 | |
| 157 | Baltimore Ravens | BAL | DST | 8 | |
| 158 | Brandon Weeden | CLE | QB | 10 | |
| 159 | Geno Smith | NYJ | QB | 10 | Already making noise in camp. |
| 160 | Matt Flynn | OAK | QB | 7 | May be his last chance. |
| 161 | Brandon Lloyd | FA | WR | Will veteran find a job? | |
| 162 | Santonio Holmes | NYJ | WR | 10 | Foot continues to be an issue. |
| 163 | Miami Dolphins | MIA | DST | 6 | |
| 164 | Brandon LaFell | CAR | WR | 4 | |
| 165 | Andrew Hawkins | CIN | WR | 12 | |
| 166 | Kevin Kolb | BUF | QB | 12 | EJ Manuel is lurking. |
| 167 | Fred Jackson | BUF | RB | 12 | |
| 168 | Ben Tate | HOU | RB | 8 | |
| 169 | Chad Henne | JAC | QB | 9 | |
| 170 | EJ Manuel | BUF | QB | 12 | Can he unseat Kolb? |
| 171 | Jacoby Jones | BAL | WR | 8 | |
| 172 | Jeremy Kerley | NYJ | WR | 10 | |
| 173 | Jordan Cameron | CLE | TE | 10 | |
| 174 | Dwayne Allen | IND | TE | 8 | |
| 175 | Shonn Greene | TEN | RB | 8 | |
| 176 | Danny Woodhead | SD | RB | 8 | |
| 177 | Michael Bush | CHI | RB | 8 | |
| 178 | New England Patriots | NE | DST | 10 | |
| 179 | Jermaine Gresham | CIN | TE | 12 | |
| 180 | Jake Ballard | NE | TE | 10 | Could emerge as No. 1 TE in NE. |
| 181 | Stephen Gostkowski | NE | K | 10 | |
| 182 | Tyler Eifert | CIN | TE | 12 | |
| 183 | Blair Walsh | MIN | K | 5 | |
| 184 | Robert Turbin | SEA | RB | 12 | |
| 185 | Joseph Randle | DAL | RB | 11 | Strong showing in Hall of Fame game. |
| 186 | Matt Bryant | ATL | K | 6 | |
| 187 | Rob Housler | ARI | TE | 9 | Sleeper candidate at TE. |
| 188 | Mark Sanchez | NYJ | QB | 10 | Geno already applying the pressure. |
| 189 | Pierre Thomas | NO | RB | 7 | |
| 190 | Mike Tolbert | CAR | RB | 4 | |
| 191 | Darrius Heyward-Bey | IND | WR | 8 | |
| 192 | Cordarrelle Patterson | MIN | WR | 5 | |
| 193 | Justin Hunter | TEN | WR | 8 | |
| 194 | Keenan Allen | SD | WR | 8 | |
| 195 | Rod Streater | OAK | WR | 7 | |
| 196 | Kirk Cousins | WAS | QB | 5 | Value tied to RGIII's knee. |
| 197 | Blaine Gabbert | JAC | QB | 9 | |
| 198 | Isaac Redman | PIT | RB | 5 | |
| 199 | Marcel Reece | OAK | RB | 7 | |
| 200 | Michael Turner | FA | RB | Will he find a team? | |
| 201 | Phil Dawson | SF | K | 9 | |
| 202 | Justin Tucker | BAL | K | 8 | |
| 203 | New York Giants | NYG | DST | 9 | |
| 204 | Dallas Cowboys | DAL | DST | 11 | |
| 205 | Braylon Edwards | NYJ | WR | 10 | |
| 206 | Jarius Wright | MIN | WR | 5 | MIN needs a No. 2 WR. |
| 207 | Stephen Hill | NYJ | WR | 10 | |
| 208 | Zach Miller | SEA | TE | 12 | |
| 209 | Jacob Tamme | DEN | TE | 9 | |
| 210 | Matt Prater | DEN | K | 9 | |
| 211 | Randy Bullock | HOU | K | 8 | |
| 212 | Davone Bess | CLE | WR | 10 | |
| 213 | Mohamed Sanu | CIN | WR | 12 | |
| 214 | Arizona Cardinals | ARI | DST | 9 | |
| 215 | Austin Pettis | STL | WR | 11 | Could be a factor for Rams. |
| 216 | Nate Washington | TEN | WR | 8 | Don't forget about old vet. |
| 217 | Justin Forsett | JAC | RB | 9 | |
| 218 | Brent Celek | PHI | TE | 12 | No lack of TEs in PHI. |
| 219 | Marcedes Lewis | JAC | TE | 9 | |
| 220 | Atlanta Falcons | ATL | DST | 6 | |
| 221 | Nick Foles | PHI | QB | 12 | His job if Vick struggles. |
| 222 | Jason Avant | PHI | WR | 12 | Maclin injury opens door. |
| 223 | Nate Burleson | DET | WR | 9 | Coming back from broken leg. |
| 224 | Zach Ertz | PHI | TE | 12 | |
| 225 | Delanie Walker | TEN | TE | 8 | |
| 226 | Cleveland Browns | CLE | DST | 10 | |
| 227 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | TB | DST | 5 | |
| 228 | San Diego Chargers | SD | DST | 8 | |
| 229 | Doug Baldwin | SEA | WR | 12 | |
| 230 | Donnie Avery | KC | WR | 10 | |
| 231 | Terrance Williams | DAL | WR | 11 | |
| 232 | Eddie Royal | SD | WR | 8 | Moves up b/c of Alexander's injury. |
| 233 | Josh Morgan | WAS | WR | 5 | No. 2 WR spot in WAS there for taking. |
| 234 | Jon Baldwin | KC | WR | 10 | |
| 235 | Daniel Thomas | MIA | RB | 6 | |
| 236 | LaMichael James | SF | RB | 9 | Could win KR/PR job. |
| 237 | Dan Bailey | DAL | K | 11 | |
| 238 | Josh Brown | NYG | K | 9 | |
| 239 | Garrett Hartley | NO | K | 7 | |
| 240 | Sebastian Janikowski | OAK | K | 7 | |
| 241 | Greg Zuerlein | STL | K | 11 | |
| 242 | David Akers | DET | K | 9 | |
| 243 | Steven Hauschka | SEA | K | 12 | |
| 244 | A.J. Jenkins | SF | WR | 9 | Crabtree injury opens door wide. |
| 245 | Leonard Hankerson | WAS | WR | 5 | |
| 246 | Jonathan Dwyer | PIT | RB | 5 | |
| 247 | Rashad Jennings | OAK | RB | 7 | |
| 248 | Dexter McCluster | KC | WR | 10 | |
| 249 | T.J. Graham | BUF | WR | 12 | Open battle for Bills' No. 2 WR. |
| 250 | Heath Miller | PIT | TE | 5 | Most likely will start season on PUP list. |
Rankings are based upon Athlon Sports' standard scoring system:
OFFENSIVE SCORING
All touchdowns are 6 points
1 point for 25 yards passing
1 point for 10 yards rushing/receiving
Receptions are .5 points
Interceptions/fumbles are minus-2 points
Additional Fantasy Football Rankings:
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Defense/Special Teams
Kickers
