E.J. Speed Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

The Colts have downgraded LB Zaire Franklin to doubtful for Sunday's game against the Panthers for the knee injury that kept him out of practice all week. That should leave Shaquille Leonard and E.J. Speed as the top two LBs for Indy in this game. Check our Week 9 LB rankings to see how high each has risen.

Colts LB Zaire Franklin missed his third straight practice Friday with a knee injury. Mike Chappell of Fox 59 in Indianapolis reports that Franklin will be a game-time decision. Unfortunately, that game carries a 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. So we might not know Franklin's status until after the first set of Sunday games has begun. On top of that, Franklin figures to carry some re-injury risk even if active. It'll be scary to sit fantasy's No. 2 scoring LB (in most formats) for anyone if he's active. But we're moving Franklin down the Week 9 LB rankings for those risk factors. E.J. Speed would likely see full or near-full playing time if Franklin goes inactive.

Colts LB Zaire Franklin missed his second Thursday with a knee injury he sustained in Sunday's loss to the Saints. He returned quickly, though, and missed just two of Indy's defensive snaps for the game. That makes his practice absences a bit surprising. Friday should tell us whether they were more maintenance days of if Franklin is in danger of missing Sunday's clash with the Panthers. E.J. Speed would likely pick up more playing time if Zaire Franklin can't go and makes sense as a stash right now in deeper IDP leagues.