Playing With Pain

When your best player has a torn ACL, you know he's done

When he's got a bruised ego, you know he's a go. But what about those other aches and pains? Between sprains, strains, pulls, paranoid coachspeak and player double-talk, it's hard to know if your ailing fantasy workhorse should be counted on or counted out. That's why we're providing this injury-report decoder. Consult it regularly to make your game day roster decisions easy.

" TURF TOE
WHAT IT MEANS TO THE TEAM It can turn players with high pain thresholds into whiners. Problem is, nothing's torn, so coaches expect guys to play through it. In reality, three weeks' rest is needed.
WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU Lousy numbers. Artificial turf, hard foot plants and repeated stopping and starting feed this evil beast. Last season, Isaac Bruce took the field with TT, and his production plummeted. If your man's playing soon after a TT diagnosis, sit him: He's a decoy.

" SPORTS HERNIA
WHAT IT MEANS TO THE TEAM It's often mistaken for a groin pull, so players try to play through it. Then they heave it downfield or reach for a pass across the middle, and it feels like their insides are being ripped out.
WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU False hope. Remember the Donovan McNabb lesson: He suffered a sports hernia early last year and played worse as the season went on. In November, he finally shut it down to have surgery. Don't be swayed by a gamer. Bench him, even if his coach won't.

" BACK SPASMS
WHAT IT MEANS TO THE TEAM More fans miss games with back spasms than players do. Starters won't practice with tight backs, but they will suit up.
WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU No worries. The reward of starting a spasming but otherwise big-producing player trumps the risk. Think Steve McNair with the Titans. There are plenty of treatment options-injections, massage-that get players at their peak for a game.

" HAMSTRING PULL
WHAT IT MEANS TO THE TEAM When a lone deep threat pulls up lame, an entire game plan needs overhauling. That's why coaches are especially tight-lipped about tender hammies.
WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU Sleepless Saturday nights. Last year, Joe Horn was hamstrung most of the season, and caught 49 passes for 654 yards and 1 TD (versus 94 for 1,399 and 11 in 2004). Unless the afflicted is a quarterback, play it safe and sit him.

" HIP POINTER
WHAT IT MEANS TO THE TEAM Think charley horse. On your hip. And it hurts for days. And men in pads are aiming for it. Running backs feel the burn most, which forces their teams to throw more.
WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU Time for a sub. See Steven Jackson, who was hurt in Week 15 last year and rushed for only 28 yards the next game. Don't risk starting backs or receivers, but playing a well-protected pocket passer isn't a laughable idea.

" FOOT SPRAIN
WHAT IT MEANS TO THE TEAM These injuries are more sensitive than TO. Running, jumping, cutting, planting-you know, basic football moves-can turn a minor foot sprain into a major problem.
WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU Frustration. Why? Because you've got to wait until you've seen your guy thrive before putting him back on your roster. Last year, Cadillac Williams set a three-game rookie rushing record to start his career. Then he missed two games with a sprained foot, and averaged just two yards per carry his first three games back.

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