Julio Jones Injury Update: Great News For Atlanta Falcons And Fantasy Football Owners [Breaking]
Julio Jones injury updates have been closely watched by fantasy football owners this week, and now the Atlanta Falcons have some good news. A report by NBC Sports indicates that the Falcons are “optimistic” that Jones is going to play in the Week 14 game. The Falcons are on the road to play the Los Angeles Rams in a game that has a direct effect on the current NFL playoff standings.
Jones is dealing with a turf toe injury that took place against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13. The Falcons ended up losing that game, dropping the team into a tie for first place in the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn was worried Jones would end up missing the next game due to limitations in practice, but it appears that hopes are rising that he will be back at full-strength against the Chiefs.
The good news for fantasy football owners and Atlanta Falcons fans is that this is a receiver who typically plays through minor injuries such as this one. While the latest Julio Jones injury update will still have him on the injury report for the Week 14 game, he is now expected to be on the sideline with his team. That’s a big piece of good news for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who is likely to have his favorite target on the field again.
Through 12 games for the Atlanta Falcons this season, Julio Jones has 72 catches for 1,253 yards and five touchdowns. Jones currently leads the NFL in receiving yards, possibly making this the second-straight season where he reaches that mark. During the 2015 NFL season, Jones had 136 catches for 1,871 yards and eight touchdowns, putting him atop the list for most successful receivers in the league.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Falcons are currently the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoff standings. The team has a 7-5 record that puts them just behind the No. 3 seeded Detroit Lions (8-4) in the overall standings. The Falcons are also tied for first place in the division with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but currently hold the tie-breaker in order to reside in first place. The Falcons and Buccaneers have already played two games this season, splitting the head-to-head matchups in order to make the divisional race even more exciting for the fans.
The December 11 game against the Los Angeles Rams is an important one for the Falcons, so this Julio Jones injury update comes as great news. The Rams are just 4-8 on the season, but the team is often difficult to beat at home. The Rams are also difficult to run on, so getting a threat in the passing game like Jones back on the field is an important step toward putting this game in the win column. Following the game against the Rams, the Falcons play the San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints to close out the regular season schedule.
Fantasy football owners will still want to pay close attention to this situation as the Atlanta Falcons will likely release more updates as the weekend approaches. Finding out that the team is “optimistic” about Jones playing is great news, but this is also the type of injury that could flare up in the days leading up to Sunday’s game. If he is officially cleared to play against the Los Angeles Rams, then Julio Jones becomes a must-start for all owners because this is a must-win game for the Falcons, and he has a good matchup that could lead to one or two touchdown catches.
[Featured Image by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]
