Getty Ezekiel Elliott could play the entire 2017 season.
If you are confused on Ezekiel Elliott’s status for tonight’s game against the Giants, you are not alone. While Elliott has been suspended by the NFL for six games, a temporary court injunction will allow Elliott to play tonight, and likely the majority of the season.
In other words, start him in your Week 1 fantasy lineup.
To recap the Elliott saga, here is a quick summary. After a year-long investigation, Elliott was suspended by the league for six games after the NFL looked into domestic violence incidents. Elliott filed an appeal and Harold Henderson heard the appeal. Late last week, the suspension was upheld leaving many to assume Elliott would begin serving his suspension today.
This was put on hold because of a court injunction. According to the Dallas News, Judge Amos Mazzant III, of the Eastern District of Texas, issued the injunction which will allow Elliott to play tonight and in the foreseeable future. Why did Judge Mazzant issue the injunction? Essentially he said Elliott did not have a fair trial.
The Dallas News explains the ruling.
‘The question before the Court is merely whether Elliott received a fundamentally fair hearing before the arbitrator,’ the judge included in a ruling that strongly criticized the NFL’s investigatory and appeals process in Elliott’s case. ‘The answer is he did not.’
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Elliott is expected to play the entire season, citing a lengthy, 500 day battle between Tom Brady and the NFL. The NFL can file an appeal on the injunction on Monday, but, as of now, Elliott is expected to play the entire season.
Based on the recent news, those who drafted Elliott in their fantasy leagues may have gotten a bargain. After Elliott was suspended, he was going in the second and third rounds in most drafts. Prior to the news, Elliott was a consensus top-three pick.