Troy Polamalu Injury Update – Fantasy View

Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers technically won their opening game of the 2009 NFL regular season, they also suffered a big loss when Troy Polamalu injured his knee. Preliminary findings point to a sprained left MCL, however the Steelers will put the five-time Pro Bowl player through more tests.

If Polamalu has just a sprained left MLC, his likely return date is between Week 4 and Week 9. Considering that the team has a Week 8 bye, there’s a good chance that the Steelers would play it conservative and hold Polamalu out until Week 9.

For fantasy football purposes, this move could have a lot of ramifications. First of all, the Steelers defense isn’t worth as much without Polamalu in the lineup. He’s their playmaker and seems to always be in the right place at the right time. Without him, the Steelers D will find it more difficult to create turnovers.

For offensive players going against the Steelers, they will be worth slightly more on a weekly basis — especially quarterbacks. Without having to worry about Polamalu, a QB’s job is a lot easier.

Keep your ears open until the Steelers give a definite diagnoses. Until then, there’s a chance Polamalu could be back in a few weeks — but there’s also a chance he could miss the rest of the season if a worse injury is diagnosed.

Troy Polamalu (Image: Press Release)