In a way, injuries in fantasy football can be the defining moments of a season. Did you lose your first and second-round picks to long-term injury? Good luck finding that level of replacement on the waiver wire. Did your quarterback get injured on the first drive in your Week 16 playoff matchup? See you next season!
Most injuries that occur during games are unpredictable and force a certain set of reactions once the game week ends, but what about the injuries we are aware of before the season begins?
As the draft season for fantasy football leagues really ramps up over the next two weeks, players who are currently dealing with an injury can force a major dilemma. Do you take on the risk of an injured player for the hopeful outcome that they are ready for the season or can produce with only a short time missed?
As is often said in fantasy football, “Don’t invite trouble onto your roster.” Sometimes, however, the reward will outweigh the risk. This is why understanding the impact of injuries in preseason is immensely important.
This piece will look at 13 key injuries to fantasy football-relevant players. The goal is to determine whether or not to take on the injury risk and what impact the injury could have during the season.
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Fantasy Football Injuries to Monitor
All ADP data is taken from FantasyPros consensus ADP for half-PPR formats.
Kirk Cousins (QB – ATL)
Kirk Cousins signed a four-year deal with Atlanta this offseason even after tearing his Achilles on November 1, 2023. Achilles injuries are becoming more common around the NFL, but so are recovery times that fall under 12 months. Cousins has already made comments in camp that he expects to be on the field in Week 1 when the Falcons face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Fantasy Impact: The Falcons are truly counting on Cousins to be healthy so he can provide a major boost to their offensive production under new coach Raheem Morris. If Cousins is not ready or misses any time, controversial first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. would get the reigns in this offense.
J.J. McCarthy (QB – MIN)
J.J. McCarthy was dealt an awful hand on Wednesday when it was determined that he would need season-ending knee surgery for a torn meniscus. It’s a horrible end to what was shaping up to be a promising rookie campaign after he threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns on 11-for-17 passing in the Vikings’ preseason opener. He also rushed two times for 18 yards.
Fantasy Impact: Sam Darnold is now the full-time starter for the Vikings. The team will likely bring someone in from off the street or trade for a backup who knows the system like Joshua Dobbs or Nick Mullens. Justin Jefferson doesn’t take much of a hit because his quarterback situation was in flux even before this McCarthy news.
Anthony Richardson (QB – IND)
Anthony Richardson missed one game with a concussion and 13 games with an injured AC joint last season, limiting him to parts of only three contests in his rookie season. He did play in the preseason opener, which is a great sign that Richardson is in full health and ready to ramp up for the regular season. The Colts are monitoring his reps with the goal of starting him in Week 1.
Fantasy Impact: Richardson is the consensus No. 6 quarterback by ADP this offseason. His struggles throwing the ball are offset by how much he will run and how much he should be used at the goal line. Michael Pittman and other wide receivers maintain their value with A-Rich healthy.
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
After Jahmyr Gibbs left practice this week with a hamstring injury, we got good news when head coach Dan Campbell said on Wednesday that the second-year running back should be fine and ready for Week 1. The team plans to be very cautious with him as training camp winds down to ensure he will be ready to go for the regular season.
Fantasy Impact: Gibbs’ availability knocks David Montgomery back down a little bit in the rankings, but it also means there is no need to move Gibbs into the second round of drafts. Presently, Gibbs is the RB6 with an average ADP of 11.7.
Nick Chubb (RB – CLE)
Nick Chubb “still has a ways to go” in his rehab from major reconstructive knee surgery. He will start the year injured, although it remains to be seen if he will be on the PUP list or just be inactive. If the Browns think he will be ready within 2 to 4 weeks from the start of the season, Chubb will avoid the PUP list.
Fantasy Impact: Jerome Ford will nominally be the lead back in this offense while Chubb is out, but D’Onta Foreman will also have a short-yardage and goal-line role. It remains to be seen how gingerly the Browns will ease Chubb back in considering the gruesome nature of his knee injury last November.
Jonathon Brooks (RB – CAR)
Carolina head coach Dave Canales admitted last week that rookie Jonathon Brooks would not be ready until at least Week 3 or 4 this season as he recovers from a torn ACL in college last year. As a rookie with very limited practice reps, it’s hard to imagine that the Panthers don’t slow play him into the offense until he feels comfortable enough to carry a heavier load.
Fantasy Impact: While Brooks is out, Chuba Hubbard is the back to own in Carolina. Last season, Hubbard had the ninth-most carries among running backs and caught 89% of his passes. However, at pick 95, if your league allows injury stashes, Brooks is certainly a pick to make hoping you have him for 11-12 games this year.
Alvin Kamara (RB – NO)
Kamara has missed two days of practice with a back injury, although, right now, it is not considered serious. It was described by coach Dennis Allen as back tightness, so it is hopefully just something that needs time to rest before he can return. With Kendre Miller in the doghouse and Jamaal Williams staring down 30 after an inefficient season, the Saints desperately need Kamara to be healthy this year.
Fantasy Impact: There’s no reason to move Kamara down in rankings or Miller up in rankings yet. Williams did take first-team reps last week, but that was likely to just get reacclimated to his short-yardage and goal-line work.
Puka Nacua (WR – LAR)
After a magical rookie season, Puka Nacua is now frequently drafted at the end of the first round or beginning of the second (ADP 13.3). Putting that ADP in danger is a knee injury suffered in practice last week. Nacua and the coaching staff don’t seem to be worried about the injury. The plan is to be careful with the prized receiver for the rest of camp and get him ready for the season.
Fantasy Impact: Both the coaching staff and Nacua have said he will be ready to go Week 1, so there is no need to adjust anything yet. If Nacua were to miss time, however, it would be a downgrade for Matthew Stafford, but it could bump up Cooper Kupp by a full round of ADP. Kupp would receive tremendous volume in any game Nacua misses.
DeAndre Hopkins (WR – TEN)
Certainly more serious than Nacua’s issue, DeAndre Hopkins’ left-knee injury is substantial enough that he will be out several weeks while he tries to rehab for the season. There is already confirmation that Hopkins will not need surgery, and Brian Callahan believes he will be on the field in Week 1.
Fantasy Impact: There are plenty of other pass-catching mouths to feed in Tennessee, so if Hopkins were to miss time, it’s difficult to predict where those targets would go. Calvin Ridley and Chig Okonkwo would be the most likely candidates. However, do not rule out a lot of easy passes to Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard if Will Levis loses his best wide receiver.
Hollywood Brown (WR – KC)
Hollywood Brown suffered a sternoclavicular injury early in the Chiefs’ first preseason game. He will miss 4 to 6 weeks with the injury which puts his Week 1 (and perhaps Week 2 and 3) seriously in jeopardy. Andy Reid is someone who will put players out there when they are “almost” 100%, so hopefully Brown is back in uniform by Week 3.
Fantasy Impact: Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy could get big bumps in ADP if Hollywood Brown is out for two or three games to start the year. Rice’s legal situation could still leave him with a suspension, but it’s looking less likely. All of Rice, Worthy, and Travis Kelce will have a few more targets go their way with Hollywood on the sideline.
Jordan Addison (WR – MIN)
Jordan Addison was carted off of practice on Wednesday with an ankle injury. By the end of the day, head coach Kevin O’Connell said he did not think it was serious and that Addison would only miss a day or two of practice. Perhaps this was a bullet dodged for Addison considering all he is dealing with presently.
Fantasy Impact: Addison is already dealing with a potential suspension for trouble outside the team facility, so adding injury to indictment could cause him to tumble down draft boards. Right now, at WR40 in ADP, he is becoming something of a value if he were to only miss 2-3 games.
Josh Downs (WR – IND)
Speedy, second-year wide receiver Josh Downs could miss a month or more with an ankle injury suffered at practice last week. Downs was a trendy pick on sleeper lists because of Anthony Richardson, but he has fallen to WR58 in ADP and about number 154 overall. This is a high-ankle sprain, so be prepared if the timeline gets extended.
Fantasy Impact: There is no specific timetable for Downs’ return, so it’s hard to gauge. Drafting him after pick 150, where he is essentially risk free, is worth a shot. Richardson would also get a slight bump up if we find out he will be with all his weapons to start the season.
T.J. Hockenson (TE – MIN)
The injury list for the Vikings keeps getting longer and longer, but T.J. Hockenson is the most tenured on it. He suffered a serious knee injury in December of 2023, but the Vikings are still holding out hope that he will be ready to suit up for Week 1. Some of that optimism comes from the fact that Robert Tonyan was just diagnosed with back spasms, so the tight-end room is thin without Hockenson.
Fantasy Impact: Hockenson’s ADP is now around pick 120 because of the predicted lack of playing time due to the injury. If Jordan Addison is out for an extended period of time and Hockenson actually begins the season healthy, the Vikings’ tight end could soak up targets alongside Justin Jefferson.
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