Fred Jackson/CJ Spiller Fantasy News 2012/2013

HacheMan · Sep 10, 2012

<table border="0" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="bodyCopy">The MRI on Fred Jackson's right knee did not provide an "exact timetable for return" Monday, but CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reports Jackson is expected to miss four weeks in a "best case scenario."</td></tr><tr><td>

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">F-Jax sprained his LCL at the very least, and the Bills don't know the full extent of the damage yet. Per La Canfora, the Bills will "monitor" the injury for the next 7-10 days. Look for C.J. Spiller to draw the start in Week 2 against the Chiefs and operate as an every-down back going forward. Spiller got loose for 194 total yards and a touchdown against the Jets in Week 1.
Sep. 10 - 1:50 p.m. ET</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">Source: Jason La Canfora on Twitter</td></tr></tbody></table>

HacheMan · Sep 11, 2012

<table border="0" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="bodyCopy">Coach Chan Gailey suggested that C.J. Spiller will be the Bills' offensive focal point with Fred Jackson (knee) out of the lineup for a month.</td></tr><tr><td>

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">"He made some big plays, which we saw last year. He's capable of doing that," said Gailey. "We're going to keep running him because we can score as fast with him running it as we can throwing the football." According to Pro Football Focus, Spiller forced eight missed tackles on 16 touches versus the Jets. No other player in the league forced more than six missed tackles in Week 1.
Sep. 11 - 4:52 p.m. ET</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">Source: Sporting News</td></tr></tbody></table>

HacheMan · Sep 12, 2012

<table border="0" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="bodyCopy">Fred Jackson (knee) says he'll "without a doubt" be back in four weeks.</td></tr><tr><td>

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">"No tear. I’m good," Jackson insisted. "Obviously I’m not where I want to be right now, but I feel good after looking at the film and then getting evaluated. So hopefully things happen sooner rather than later." Jackson will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days. Four weeks would be a best-case scenario for Jackson. How quickly he's brought back could heavily depend on how C.J. Spiller fares in his absence.
Sep. 12 - 1:42 p.m. ET</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">Source: BuffaloBills.com</td></tr></tbody></table>

HacheMan · Sep 24, 2012

<table width="100%" align="center"><tbody><tr vAlign="top"><td class="vaLabel" colSpan="3">C.J. Spiller - RB - BUF - Sep. 24 - 4:03 p.m. ET </td></tr><tr><td vAlign="top" colSpan="3">Bills coach Chan Gailey says C.J. Spiller's shoulder injury isn't "as bad as originally thought," and there's a chance he could be active for Week 4.
Gailey allowed it was "unlikely" Spiller suits up against the Patriots, but it's notable that he's yet to be officially ruled out. How hard the Bills push Spiller could depend on how Fred Jackson (knee) looks in his return to practice. There's a lot of sorting out to do between now and Sunday in the Bills' backfield. For now, owners should expect to be without Spiller for at least one week.
Source: Bills on Twitter
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HacheMan · Sep 24, 2012

<table border="0" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="bodyCopy">Fred Jackson (knee) gives himself a 70-75 percent chance of playing in Week 4.</td></tr><tr><td>

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">Jackson also said he'll be sporting a custom knee brace upon his return. Coach Chan Gailey confirmed Monday morning that Jackson will return to practice this week, but doesn't know if it will be Wednesday or Thursday. Jackson said he'll practice Wednesday. With C.J. Spiller (shoulder) doubtful for Sunday's game against the Patriots, the Bills would be forced to go with Tashard Choice as their feature back if Jackson isn't ready.
Sep. 24 - 3:08 p.m. ET</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">Source: Bills on Twitter</td></tr></tbody></table>

HacheMan · Sep 25, 2012

<table width="100%" align="center"><tbody><tr vAlign="top"><td class="vaLabel" colSpan="3">Fred Jackson - RB - BUF - Sep. 24 - 10:14 p.m. ET </td></tr><tr><td vAlign="top" colSpan="3">ESPN's Chris Mortensen stated at halftime of Monday Night Football that Fred Jackson (knee) will "probably" return in Week 4 against the Patriots.
Jackson previously gave himself a "70 to 75 percent" chance of playing. With C.J. Spiller shelved for at least one game with a sprained shoulder, Jackson should operate as Buffalo's feature back upon return, relegating Tashard Choice to situational plays. Jackson has long given New England fits as an all-purpose back and should be penciled into fantasy lineups as an RB2/flex. We'd still encourage you to monitor his practice reports all week.
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HacheMan · Sep 26, 2012

<table width="100%" align="center"><tbody><tr vAlign="top"><td class="vaLabel" colSpan="3">Fred Jackson - RB - BUF - Sep. 26 - 2:02 p.m. ET </td></tr><tr><td vAlign="top" colSpan="3">Fred Jackson (knee) returned to Bills practice Wednesday.
The extent of Jackson's participation is unknown, but it's a huge step toward returning on Sunday. The test will be how Jackson's knee bounces back on Thursday, but he's tentatively in line to handle a big load against the Patriots with C.J. Spiller (shoulder) expected to be sidelined. Jackson will be an excellent flex option if he suits up.
Source: Bills on Twitter
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HacheMan · Sep 26, 2012

<table width="100%" align="center"><tbody><tr vAlign="top"><td class="vaLabel" colSpan="3">C.J. Spiller - RB - BUF - Sep. 26 - 2:14 p.m. ET </td></tr><tr><td vAlign="top" colSpan="3">A source with knowledge of the situation tells Profootballtalk.com C.J. Spiller (shoulder) is "healing faster than expected," and could return to practice later this week.
Spiller was limited to pad-less side work in Wednesday's session, but it sounds like he could be ready for at least a limited practice as early as Thursday. It's excellent news for the Bills, but makes for a muddled fantasy situation with Fred Jackson (knee) expected to return against the Patriots. It's a situation to monitor closely over the next 48 hours.
Source: Profootballtalk on NBCSports.com
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HacheMan · Sep 27, 2012

<table width="100%" align="center"><tbody><tr vAlign="top"><td class="vaLabel" colSpan="3">Fred Jackson - RB - BUF - Sep. 27 - 4:17 p.m. ET </td></tr><tr><td vAlign="top" colSpan="3">Coach Chan Gailey confirmed Thursday that Fred Jackson (knee) is likely to play in Week 4, barring a setback.
Jackson was limited again in Thursday's session. Gailey said Jackson "worked well" and showed no residual effects from Wednesday's return to practice. "I think if we make it through the next couple days and continue to improve I think he'll have the opportunity to play," Gailey explained. Jackson did have soreness and swelling Thursday morning, so he's not out of the woods just yet. At this point, he does have a better chance than C.J. Spiller (shoulder) of starting versus the Patriots.
Source: Buffalo News
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HacheMan · Sep 27, 2012

<table width="100%" align="center"><tbody><tr vAlign="top"><td class="vaLabel" colSpan="3">C.J. Spiller - RB - BUF - Sep. 27 - 2:14 p.m. ET </td></tr><tr><td vAlign="top" colSpan="3">C.J. Spiller (shoulder) returned to a limited practice on Thursday.
The Bills website considered Spiller a "long shot" to play earlier in the day, suggesting a game-time decision at best. Spiller only took "a few reps" on Thursday and conceded his status is up in the air. "We didn't do tackling drills out there," added coach Chan Gailey. "We'll see where it takes us. I don't know where it's going." Fred Jackson is a better bet to suit up versus the Pats.
Source: Buffalo News
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HacheMan · Sep 30, 2012

<table border="0" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td class="bodyCopy">ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on SportsCenter Sunday that Fred Jackson (knee) is expected to play Sunday against the Patriots, but C.J. Spiller's (chest) status is less certain.</td></tr><tr><td>

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">"The expectation is Fred Jackson is going to be out there and he's going to be getting most of the work," Schefter said. "There's still a question on C.J. Spiller at this point, after he suffered the chest injury last week. ... He's gonna test it pre-game to see whether or not he can play." As we had suspected, Jackson will be the lead back against New England and Spiller will be a change-of-pace runner in the event he's active for the game.
Sep. 30 - 10:01 a.m. ET</td></tr></tbody></table>

HacheMan · Sep 30, 2012

<table border="0" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="bodyCopy">CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reports that C.J. Spiller's (questionable, chest) Bills teammates expect him to be active for Sunday's game against the Patriots.</td></tr><tr><td>

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">We'll know for sure in under an hour. ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that Fred Jackson is expected to get "most of the work," so Spiller may have only a minor role off the bench. Our tentative expectation is that Jackson will be the Bills' lead back against the Patriots, with Spiller in a pace-change role.
Sep. 30 - 10:39 a.m. ET</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">Source: Jason La Canfora on Twitter</td></tr></tbody></table>

HacheMan · Sep 30, 2012

<table border="0" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="bodyCopy">Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller are both active for Week 4 against New England.</td></tr><tr><td>

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">While game flow may dictate otherwise after kickoff, our expectation going in is that Jackson will handle the majority of early-down carries while Spiller mixes in for 6-10 touches off the bench. Jackson is an RB2 in fantasy leagues. Spiller has the look of a dicey flex option.
Sep. 30 - 11:34 a.m. ET</td></tr></tbody></table>

HacheMan · Sep 30, 2012

<table border="0" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="bodyCopy">ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Bills plan to share the workload "evenly" between Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller in Week 4 against the Patriots.</td></tr><tr><td>

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Sep. 30 - 11:41 a.m. ET</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">

</td></tr><tr><td class="vaLink">Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter</td></tr></tbody></table>

HacheMan · Oct 3, 2012

Fred Jackson (knee) and C.J. Spiller (chest/shoulder) participated in Bills practice Wednesday, and both "feel better than they did at this time last week."

"I’m just taking it day by day trying to do all the necessary things that I can do to make sure that hopefully I’m ready to go," Spiller said. "I don’t think I wouldn’t be ready to go considering I played last week. So just doing all the necessary things that I can." How Spiller and Jackson will divvy up carries against the 49ers' No. 5 run defense is the question, but each will be at least a serviceable flex play.

Related: Fred Jackson

Source: BuffaloBills.com
Oct 3 - 1:31 PM

HacheMan · Oct 4, 2012

Fred Jackson (knee) said he felt stronger Wednesday than he did in the days leading up to Week 4.

Jackson is not even listed on the injury report this week. "I think that's just the knee getting stronger and the treatment that they're doing is making it better," he said before Wednesday's full practice. Jackson and C.J. Spiller will share the load against the 49ers' No. 6 run defense Sunday.

Source: BuffaloBills.com
Oct 4 - 10:00 AM

HacheMan · Oct 11, 2012

Fred Jackson's knee feels "tremendously stronger" now than it did two weeks ago upon his return to practice.

Jackson is hoping to shed his bulky brace, but he must wait for doctors' approval. We've noticed that F-Jax has been slower than usual the past two weeks. Losing the brace would be a sign that he's finally regaining pre-injury form.

Source: Buffalo Bills on Twitter
Oct 11 - 3:50 PM

HacheMan · Oct 15, 2012

Bills coach Chan Gailey says he isn't as concerned with getting either C.J. Spiller or Fred Jackson more touches; he wants to get the both of them the football more.

"I know he needs to touch it as much as we possibly can have him touch it, but Fred is another big play guy as well," said Gailey, when asked about Spiller. "But I think the issue is how do we get both guys more touches." Jackson finished Week 6 with 21 touches, gaining 83 yards. Spiller received 16 touches and totaled 110 yards. Despite Spiller's far superior per-play productivity, there is no end to the committee backfield in sight.

Related: Fred Jackson

Source: buffalobills.com
Oct 15 - 3:25 PM

HacheMan · Nov 26, 2012

Coach Chan Gailey told reporters Monday that he'll aim for a 60:40 timeshare in the Bills' backfield moving forward.

C.J. Spiller is now the starter and will get 60 percent of the snaps, per Gailey. Fred Jackson will play 40 percent. Gailey didn't specify how touches would be distributed, but we'd expect Spiller to receive about 67 percent of those moving forward, with Jackson hovering around 33 and playing on obvious passing downs where the Bills need someone to pick up the blitz.
Related: Fred Jackson

Source: Tim Graham on Twitter
Nov 26 - 4:04 PM

HacheMan · Dec 11, 2012

Bills placed Fred Jackson (knee) on injured reserve, ending his season.

Jackson has now finished the season on I.R. with a lower leg injury in back-to-back seasons. The current MCL injury is on top of an LCL sprain that caused him to miss three games early in the season. Turning 32 in February, Jackson showed alarming signs of toeing the cliff this year. His YPC average dropped from 5.5 to 3.8 while his yards per reception figure plummeted from 11.3 to 6.4. In stark contrast, backfield mate C.J. Spiller has averaged 6.6 and 10.4 respectively. Jackson is signed through 2014, including a $2.15 million salary and $300,000 roster bonus next season. He's a valued team leader in Buffalo. DT Jay Ross was elevated from the practice squad in a corresponding move.

Dec 11 - 4:59 PM