Nicks hopes to return Week 1

Fantasy owners don't want to deal with injury, but it is a part of the game. And unfortunately, injuries play a major part in a fantasy season. A fantasy team that stays healthy normally has a leg up on the competition.

Below is a rundown of several players with injury concerns heading into this season. Hopefully, all players are on their road to recovery and ready for the start of the season. But we know that isn't always the case. Here is the latest injury news from around the league:

Hakeem Nicks, WR, Giants. Nicks broke his foot during offseason workouts. He might not be healthy enough for the start of the season but the Giants aren't ruling him out just yet. There is a chance Nicks could be ready for Week 1. Either way, he isn't going to miss an extended period of time because of the injury. Just be prepared for him to start a little slow because of the injury, so his numbers could suffer some early.

Ryan Williams, RB, Cardinals. Williams missed all of his rookie season because of surgery to repair a torn patella tendon in addition to meniscus damage. He has a long road back from the injuries but could be ready for the start of training camp. As long as he doesn't have a setback, Williams should be healthy enough to play Week 1. But like some others returning from injury, it might take a bit for Williams to round into form. He could start slow early in the year.

Terrell Suggs, LB, Ravens. Suggs suffered an Achilles' injury during the offseason. He claims he'll return at some point during the season but the chances of that seem slim. Suggs is a long shot to play this year. And if he does, it will be after the halfway point of the season. He is a huge loss for the Ravens' defense.

Johnny Knox, WR, Bears. Knox continues to recover from back surgery. There is a chance he doesn't play at all this coming year. His season is up in the air as he recovers from this major surgery. The Bears haven't rule him out for Week 1 but the chances of him playing early in the year seem a little slim right now.

Jahvid Best, RB, Lions. Best missed much of last year because of concussion issues. He has a history of concussions, which is a huge concern going forward. He still hasn't been cleared to practice, which is a huge concern going forward. It is very uncertain when he'll return. And if he suffers another concussion, his career could be in jeopardy.

Mikel Leshoure, RB, Lions. Leshoure missed all of his rookie season with a torn Achilles. He remains questionable for the start of camp but seems likely to be ready. His injury is a serious one to return from, so it might take a little time for him to get back up to speed. But if healthy, Leshoure should play a big role in the offense.

Alex Green, RB, Packers. Green missed most of his rookie season with a torn ACL. He was hurt pretty early in the year, though, and has a chance to be ready for the start of training camp. He should be healthy enough for Week 1 although he could be eased into action, especially with the Packers having a few options ahead of him on the depth chart.

Jamaal Charles, RB, Chiefs. Charles tore his ACL the second week of the season. The only thing good about that injury was how early he got hurt. He should be about full strength for training camp and the start of the year. Charles should open the season as starter, barring a setback.

Tony Moeaki, TE Chiefs. Moeaki suffered a torn ACL before the start of last season. He was hurt very early and expects to be just fine for the start of camp and preseason action. Moeaki should move back into the starting lineup and play a big role in the offense, similar to what he did his rookie season.

Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings. Peterson tore his ACL late in the season last year. He has made great progress since the injury and hopes to be ready for Week 1 but that probably is a tad too optimistic. Peterson likely is going to miss a few weeks to start the year but should be ready to go shortly after the season opens. So expect Peterson to see his stats dip some with the missed time but he should be up to speed before long. Toby Gerhart will start while Peterson is out.

Mark Ingram, RB, Saints. Ingram had offseason toe and knee surgeries. This is a concern as Ingram has a little history with knee issues. Neither surgeries were too serious but they could keep Ingram from being healthy for training camp. He could be a little slowed early in the year as he recovers from his offseason surgeries. The Saints could ease him into things early in the season.

Jake Ballard, TE, Giants. Ballard hurt his knee late last season and needed both ACL and microfracture surgery. This is not good. At this point, it is a bit of a long shot for him to play at all this year and if he does play, it likely doesn't happen until around midseason.

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Steelers. Mendenhall is another player that suffered an ACL injury late in the season. He is likely to begin the season on the sidelines but should be ready after a few weeks. Isaac Redman will open the season as the starter and could grab hold of the job for good with a solid showing. Mendenhall is a question mark for the coming season.

Sidney Rice, WR, Seahawks. Rice had surgery on both his shoulders during the offseason. Neither surgery was too big of a deal but he has chronic shoulder issues of late, which is somewhat of a concern. He is expected to be ready for camp but the Seahawks could take it easy with him to make sure he is healthy for the start of the year.

Kenny Britt, WR, Titans. Britt tore his ACL early last season and was on his way to recovery but needed a second cleanup surgery during the offseason. This sets his recovery timetable back a little. He could still be ready for the start of the season but it is no longer a sure thing. He might be slowed a little early in the year. The Titans aren't going to push their star receiver unless he is ready to go.

Tim Hightower, RB, Redskins. Hightower is another guy returning from a torn ACL. He also was hurt early in the year and has a good chance to be 100 percent for the start of the season. Hightower should be ready for camp but you'll want to track his progress to make sure he doesn't have any setbacks. He'll compete for the starting job with Roy Helu.

If you have any questions or comments, please email Jeff Paur at jeff@rtsports.com