We are a mere ONE WEEK away from the NFL Kickoff, folks! We’ve been waiting all offseason for this moment. We even pretended to care about things like reading and nature just to bide our time! Don’t worry, friends. It is officially the appropriate time to think about football all the time. With the NFL season right around the corner, it is prime Fantasy Football season. When deciding to target or fade a player, a huge consideration is their injury situation. Here are the BIGGEST Fantasy Football injuries to watch for NFL Week 1!
Welcome to the Fantasy Football Injuries To Watch – 8/30/2024 Edition! Injury news happens fast and can change quickly, so for the most up-to-date news and analysis, follow me on X @TheDegenDoc !
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Fantasy Football Offseason Injury Update
Training Camp Hold-Outs
Cincinnati Bengals Ja’Marr Chase
The one surefire way to NOT get better at football is to not play football. These guys are all studs, but I would love for them to get at least two weeks of practice to ramp up for the NFL season. From both a rust and injury risk perspective, the sooner they return to practice, the better.
Players OUT for the 2024 Season
Minnesota Vikings QB JJ McCarthy (meniscus repair)
Atlanta Falcons WR Rondale Moore (knee)
Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List
*These players will miss a minimum of four games*
Carolina Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks (ACL)
Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell (ACL)
Minnesota Vikings TE TJ Hockenson (ACL+)
New England Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne (ACL)
Los Angeles Rams TE Tyler Higbee (ACL+)
Miami Dolphins WR Odell Beckham Jr. (?)
Injured Reserve
*These players will miss the entire season*
Green Bay Packers RB AJ Dillon (Neck)
Indianapolis Colts TE Jelani Woods (Toe)
Puka Nacua (WR) Los Angeles Rams
Injury: Knee Sprain
Injury Date: 8/3/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 2-4 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 5 weeks
Breakout WR Puka Nacua will kick off this fantasy football injury watchlist. There is some mystery with this injury as we were simply told he has a “knee sprain” and that he is considered week to week. Head coach Sean McVay has called it a minor injury and said that he is not concerned about his Week 1 availability.
Some faith has been restored in coach McVay’s words as Puka did in fact return to practice this week. He even practiced in full on Thursday with no apparent setbacks. Being there was no need to rush Nacua back in the offseason, I have minimal concerns about Nacua for Week 1 and onward. Draft away friends, although I’m a Cooper Kupp guy myself.
Brock Bowers (TE) Las Vegas Raiders
Injury: Foot Injury
Injury Date: 8/15/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 2-4 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 3.5 weeks
The next fantasy football injury on tap comes with a bit of a mystery. The Las Vegas Raiders drafted former Georgia TE Brock Bowers with their first pick, which surprised many people. Having just drafted TE Michael Mayer the year prior, it appears head coach Antonio Pierce is looking to run a lot of two TE sets this season. Those plans ran into a bit of a hiccup a few weeks ago when the rookie TE left practice for what the team is calling a foot injury.
Despite this injury occurring over two weeks ago, we still don’t have the full picture. What we do know is that Pierce has remained adamant that he expects Bowers to play in Week 1, and the team is being precautionary. What we also know is that Bowers has yet to return to practice and is missing key reps as a rookie. At this point, it may be time to start planning for other TE options in your Week 1 starting lineup. A week of full practices next week may change my outlook, but at this rate, it’s hard to imagine Bowers will be 100% or in sync with the first-team offense. An injury to monitor, as the Week 1 clock is ticking for the rookie TE.
Mike Williams (WR) New York Jets
Injury: ACL Tear
Injury Date: 9/24/2023
Expected Recovery Time: 10-12 months
Recovery Time to Week 1: 11.5 months
The New York Jets newest offensive addition is next up on the fantasy football injury watchlist. The big-body receiver in Mike Williams comes into the season looking for a fresh start on a new team. As in a number of his seasons, William’s season was cut short by injury last year. He tore his ACL in Week 3 after having an impressive game.
One of the few benefits of tearing this major stabilizing ligament in the knee so early in the season is the added recovery time. An ACL Tear comes with a season ending surgery and expected recovery timeline of 10-12 months. Williams is working with 11.5 months of recovery from his injury to NFL Week 1.
The added recovery time and his style of play leads more towards optimism with Williams. I am not expecting him to be fully healthy right away, but I do think he can be a real threat by midseason. Williams has returned to team drills at practice already and is expected to be active Week 1.
Now, the Jets have mentioned how they will have a similar game plan as Breece Hall last season. Expect Williams on a snap count for the first four games, and then to be let lose.
Jonathon Brooks (RB) Carolina Panthers
Injury: ACL Tear
Injury Date: 11/11/2023
Expected Recovery Time: 10-12 months
Recovery Time to Week 1: 10 months
The Carolina Panthers made the right move by adding rookie RB Jonathon Brooks to the PUP list. It also is the move I’ve been calling for and expecting all offseason. This will allow him to focus solely on getting healthy for at least the first four weeks of the season. The stellar Texas RB heads into his rookie season coming off a major knee injury.
Brooks suffered an ACL tear late in Texas’ season, leading to the end of his college career. He has only ten months of recovery timeline from the injury until Week 1. This would be very early to simply roll the rookie RB out there. Typically, you want a player closer to 11 or 12 months before you can have some confidence in their ability.
This move also shows that the Panthers are thinking with the future in mind. They drafted Brooks to be there next franchise RB and understand their roster is not in win now mode. I expect Brooks to be eased in after his time on the PUP and not be very productive until the midpoint of the season. In the meantime, Panthers Chuba Hubbard is about as cheap of a RB1 as you can ask for in fanatasy.
TJ Hockenson (TE) Minnesota Vikings
Injury: ACL + MCL Tear
Injury Date: 12/24/2023
Expected Recovery Time: 10-12 months
Recovery Time to Week 1: 8.5 months
The next player on this fantasy football injuries list is also fighting a pretty steep uphill battle. Vikings TE TJ Hockenson got hit low in the knees late in the season, and it ended his year. He suffered both an ACL and an MCL tear in his knee, which are two of the four major stabilizing knee ligaments. With a multi-ligament injury, the expected recovery timeline is typically pushed back a little, closer to 11-12 months.
With only 8.5 months of recovery time until Week 1, its hard to be optimistic on Hockenson’s fantasy outlook. Despite reports of him being ahead of schedule, I still think he won’t be active until after the first six weeks of the season. At this point he will still need to ramp up and begin to trust his knee again.
Hockenson has a chance to see a good volume of targets later in the season, but expectations should be tempered. I think it’s unrealistic to think we see the elite TE we have grown accustomed to, right away. Other than for a potential late fantasy playoff push, i don’t see a lot of fantasy upside this season.
Juwan Johnson (TE) New Orleans Saints
Injury: Foot Injury
Injury Date: 6/12/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 8-12 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 12 weeks
We are ending this fantasy football injury report with one of My Guys. At the start of the offseason, there was a nice hype train for Saints TE Juwan Johnson. However, Johnson injured his foot back in June, and the hype train quickly went off the tracks. This significant reaction to simply fade Juwan Johnson due to this injury was commonplace. Luckily, we were told he would need foot surgery, and his expected recovery timeline was about 12 weeks.
Having just about 12 weeks until the start of the season, there was no reason for mass panic on Johnson. As I advised below, this was a perfect opportunity to buy the dip and it seems like this may pay off. Johnson was recently activated off the PUP List and has been ramping up in practice for the season. It’s time to get back on the hype train before we leave the station.
Fantasy Football Value ALERT 🚨#Saints TE Juwan Johnson
His ADP has PLUMMETED since the injury news 📉
But I think the market has it wrong on this one 🤷🏽♂️
Not all injuries are created equal 🤕
Find out why I’m targeting Johnson as a late round steal 🎯👇 #AskFFT #WhoDat ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/kzqvzhUpmh
— Sebastian Fearon DPT, CSCS, OCS (@TheDegenDoc) July 8, 2024
Christian McCaffrey (RB) San Francisco 49ers
Injury: Calf Strain
Injury Date: 8/4/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 1-3 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 5 weeks
Let’s continue with this fantasy football injuries article with none other than 1.01 himself. Niners All-World RB Christian McCaffrey finds himself in familiar territory to last season, dealing with a calf strain before important football. McCaffrey injured his calf at the beginning of the month, and the team has decided to hold him out of all preseason and training camp work.
It’s hard to imagine McCaffrey would have played much, if at all, in the preseason anyway. However, I’m sure the team would have preferred a healthy scratch. A calf strain refers to damage to the calf muscle that is attached to your heel. With a minor strain, there is typically a 1-3 week recovery timeline associated. With five weeks of recovery time until the start of the season, McCaffrey should o be perfectly fine for Week 1. The only hesitation I have at this point is that McCaffrey has not returned to practice yet. A week of full practice next week would solve these concerns.
Curtis Samuel (WR) Buffalo Bills
Injury: Turf Toe
Injury Date: 8/12/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 1-3 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 3.5 weeks
Bills new WR Curtis Samuel is a player who was rising up fantasy football rankings before his injury. Unfortunately, early two weeks ago in practice, he picked up a turf toe injury. This refers to an injury to the main joint of the big toe and affects a player’s ability to properly push off while running. If not managed properly, this is a pesky injury that can linger throughout the season. However, Samuel thankfully picked up this injury with just about enough time in the offseason, so it should not affect him much.
Although it has not been explicitly stated, all indications are that this is a minor turf toe injury. With a minor injury, a 1-3 week recovery timeline is expected. Samuel is looking at about 3.5 weeks of recovery time before suiting up for Week 1. There is reason to be optimistic here for Samuel, but this injury bears watching to ensure he does not suffer a setback. At this point, Samuel has returned to practice in a limited fashion and is progressing towards being a full participant. Barring any setbacks, I expect Samuel out there in Week 1.
Christian Kirk (WR) Jacksonville Jaguars
Injury: Grade 1 (Minor) Calf Strain
Injury Date: 8/15/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 1-3 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 3.5 week
Another fantasy football injury, another calf strain. Jaguars WR Christian Kirk comes into the season as squarely the #1 WR in this offense. He is set up for a big season, but injuries can derail those plans. Thankfully, the minor calf strain he picked up last week is unlikely to lead to that.
The Jaguars made a wise decision of keeping Kirk out of practice last week and have worked him back into practice this week. Due to the moderate reinjury risk with these injuries, there is zero reason for Kirk to be rushed back. I would expect Kirk to slowly be introduced back to practice next week and be able to get some good reps in during game week. With Kirk already starting this integration process this week, I have low concern for his Week 1 availability.
Tyreek Hill (WR) Miami Dolphins
Injury: Thumb Injury
Injury Date: 8/20/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 2-3 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 3 weeks
There are not many things that can slow down Tyreek Hill in this world. Injuries do make that short list, although I don’t expect this one to keep the Cheetah down for long. Hill was spotted wearing a hand brace in practice last week and sat out of some practice this week. Although there has not been an injury diagnosis given, the reports are it is a minor thumb injury.
I have no issue with the Dolphins being extra-cautious here and sitting Hill out of practices still over two weeks away from the season. Minor thumb sprains typically heal in 2-3 weeks and that’s the expectation I have here. This is not a fantasy football injury that scares me at this point but it’s absolutely worth watching.
Jaylen Warren (RB) Pittsburgh Steelers
Injury: Hamstring Strain
Injury Date: 8/17/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 2-3 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 3 weeks
Arthur Smith seemed to find the perfect landing spot with two good running backs who aren’t afraid of some contact. Unfortunately, one of these chess pieces picked up an injury last week and now becomes a bit of a question mark for NFL Week 1. Steelers RB Jaylen Warren left the team’s second preseason game with a hamstring injury. A hamstring strain refers to damage to the hamstring muscle and it is a difficult injury to recover from.
Hamstring strains are particularly dangerous during the season as players are trying to rush their rehab to get back to the field. These injuries are notorious for feeling better before the muscle tissue is actually healed, leading to high reinjury rates. This is a situation we are looking to avoid here with Warren.
The question still remains whether Warren suffered a Grade 1 (minor) or Grade 2 (moderate) hamstring strain. The majority of reports hint at a minor hamstring strain with a 2-3 week recovery timeline. With just three weeks until the start of the season, this becomes a tight but possible timeline.
There becomes some risk vs reward conversations for the Steelers regarding their willingness to have Warren suit up just three weeks after his hamstring strain. At this point we have more questions than answers but this injury does give me some pause on Warren’s early season expectations. A clearer picture should be made during the practices of that first game week.
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB) Detroit Lions
Injury: Hamstring Strain
Injury Date: 8/12/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 2-3 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 3.5 weeks
Here is another fantasy football injury that does not create much concern. RB Jahmyr Gibbs suffered a minor hamstring strain two weeks ago. The minor severity has been confirmed, and the Lions have started to work him back into practice this week. Despite the elevated reinjury risk with these injuries, Gibbs has enough recovery time to not be pushed too soon. Assuming the Lions continue to be smart and have no setbacks, Jahmyr Gibbs will be good to go for NFL Week 1.
Jordan Addison (WR) Minnesota Vikings
Injury: High Ankle Sprain
Injury Date: 8/14/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 3-6 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 3.5 weeks
This is another example of a fantasy football injury that was overreacted to initially. One day after losing rookie QB JJ McCarthy for the season, news out of practice was WR Jordan Addison getting carted off the field. Despite the initial fears, thankfully Addison avoided a serious injury.
However, I don’t think he is quite of the woods. Based on the video of the play, there is concern he suffered a high ankle sprain which even in mild cases can be difficult. As the video shows, the Browns defender lands on the outside of his planted foot, causing the foot to roll inwards. This is the opposite mechanism of injury for the common low ankle sprain and causes some concer.
High ankle sprains refer to damage to stronger ligaments that are more difficult to injure. If enough force is applied to the ankle to cause the injury, it typically leads to a longer recovery time. Even a mild high ankle sprain would be closer to a 4-6 week recovery as opposed to a 1-2 week low ankle sprain recovery. This is NOT season-ending threatening, but at this point, I’m concerned for Addison’s Week 1-3 production.
Vikings WR Jordan Addison Injury 🤕
Shout out to Jeff for finding the footage 👇
Tend to agree with concern for high or medial ankle sprain vs low ankle sprain
Browns player lands on the outside of Addison’s leg with his foot planted
High/medial ankle sprains are stronger… https://t.co/uaTiswJxeV
— Sebastian Fearon DPT, CSCS, OCS (@TheDegenDoc) August 14, 2024
Marquise Brown (WR) Kansas City Chiefs
Injury: SC Joint Dislocation
Injury Date: 8/10/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 4-6 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 4 weeks
This next injury is the scariest injury in this article from a quality of life perspective. Chiefs new WR Marquise Brown was driven down hard to the ground in last weeks preseason game. The combination of the force of the hit and the ground led to Brown’s clavicle being pushed back towards his neck. This SC joint dislocation is a scary injury as it poses the risk of affecting a person’s major vascular system in the neck.
Thankfully, he had the joint reduced (put back into place) and was released from hospital the same day. Brown has since rejoined the team, but his Week 1 availability has become squarely a concern. This injury comes with an expected recovery timeline of 4-6 weeks. Based on reports, it sounds like Week 1 is an unlikely option for a return. Week 2 is a bit more realistic, but I would not be shocked if Week 3 were the target date for Marquise Brown. This is a scary injury that many players would not want to risk happening again.
Josh Downs (WR) Indianapolis Colts
Injury: High Ankle Sprain
Injury Date: 8/7/2024
Expected Recovery Time: 4-6 weeks
Recovery Time to Week 1: 4.5 weeks
The Colts’ young wide receiver Josh Downs is another player who avoided the worst-case scenario. Much like fellow WR Jordan Addison, he was carted off the field, but thankfully, the injury was not as significant as expected. Downs did pick up a mild high ankle sprain with a minimum 4-6 week recovery timeline. Players also tend to struggle with production during their first week or two after returning from the injury. Although he avoided a major injury, it’s hard to be too optimistic about Downs’ start to the season. He may be active for Week 1, but he will not be 100%.
