The Training Room: 17 Injuries You Need to Know for Your Fantasy Football Drafts
Continuing a four-part series, this article focuses on key injuries that you need to know for your fantasy drafts. For weekly insight and adjustments to injuries, follow @jmthrivept for his injury database.
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Justin Herbert, QB LAC
Injury: Right Plantar Fascia Injury
Unfortunately in his first preseason with Greg Roman calling plays with a projected increase in rushing upside, Herbert has suffered a plantar fascia injury which will require him to spend at least two weeks in a CAM boot. This is more likely a plantar fascia tear versus plantar fasciitis, which means that even when Herbert can return (likely by mid to late August) the injury will linger into the season. The bad news here is that we should now project a lower rushing upside for him, as well as potential difficulty and pain with pocket navigation and scrambling ability.
The good news is that these injuries typically do not cause a dramatic hindrance on passing ability, with past examples of Drew Brees and Taysom Hill playing through their plantar fascia tears while continuing to provide good fantasy production. While I am concerned about a reinjury in-season, I am not concerned about his overall fantasy upside or production and will continue to draft Herbert at cost, especially now that his ADP will likely dip a bit more. He is currently going as QB17 after Jared Goff and before Kirk Cousins and Matt Stafford.
Russell Wilson, QB PIT
Injury: Calf Strain
The Steelers slow-played Wilson’s return to practice, giving him nearly two weeks to recover. QB Data shows that the majority of calf injuries for quarterbacks cost less than one week with no significant regression in production. Per reports, this injury does not sound as severe as Joe Burrow’s last preseason, with multiple reports indicating that it is a mild case that should not hinder Wilson’s return.
He has already returned to practice and was re-installed as the starting quarterback, and Justin Fields did not show much reason to start over Wilson in preseason Week 1. I would not fade Wilson for injury concern, leaving him as one of the cheaper starting options with rushing upside on a weekly basis, particularly in Arthur Smith’s offense.
Christian McCaffrey, RB SF
Injury: Calf Strain
Causing a lot of panic leading up to preseason and draft season for fantasy, I would not recommend fading Christian McCaffrey due to this calf injury. Per reports, the strain is mild and CMC himself stated that if there was a regular season game this week, he would be playing. The 49ers are slow-playing his return given how important his role within the offense is, the fact that he dealt with a mild calf strain late last season, and since it is preseason. He is still my 1.01 considering his immense upside of scoring close to 23-24 points per game. I have seen other injury analysts spreading panic and fading him – I beg you, do not do this.
Elijah Mitchell, RB SF
Injury: Hamstring Strain
Occurring at the worst time for Elijah Mitchell as he remained in a tight battle for the RB2 role with Jordan Mason, Mitchell is set to miss several weeks with a new hamstring strain. He has one of the highest injury risk profiles, particularly for lower extremity injuries, and now faces a tough test of recovering from his injury and trying to earn his RB2 role back from Mason. I do not believe he will be getting it back. If you have been drafting Mitchell as a late-round handcuff, I would recommend switching it to Jordan Mason, especially in best ball leagues.
Josh Jacobs, RB GB
Injury: Hamstring Strain, Groin Strain
Throwing up a yellow flag here for Josh Jacobs as he enters the 2024 season with a very high projected workload but has now suffered a hamstring strain and then a separate groin strain in camp. His ADP has dipped a little bit to the point where he is still worth the price, especially considering A.J. Dillon is anticipated to start the season as the backup with MarShawn Lloyd working as the third back to start the season as he recovers from his own reinjury of a prior hamstring strain. Anticipate Jacobs having a large workload early in-season with high upside. I am not fading due to injury, but hopefully, the soft tissue injuries stay away.
Joe Mixon, RB HOU
Injury: Quadriceps Strain, Hamstring Strain:
My concern grows on Joe Mixon as Week 1 gets closer, as he dealt with a quadriceps injury in late July and picked up a new hamstring strain last week which has kept him out of practice. Houston has also been relatively conservative with injury returns and given his cost, my season production concern is around the same amount as my concern on Jacobs stated above. The good news is that Mixon returned to practice on Sunday, though participation amount is unknown. He remains cheap in drafts considering his projected workload, which should help him pay off at cost despite the injury risk and history.
Kendre Miller, RB NO
Injury: Hamstring Strain
Miller has now missed over two weeks of practice and faces the wrath of head coach Dennis Allen, who recently stated that Miller is a guy who needs to figure out how to stay healthy since you cannot make the team from the training room. A red flag is being waved here considering his extensive injury history, particularly with lower extremity injuries, and his inability to lock down the RB2 role away from Jamaal Williams so far. He is off to a rough start this season already. Let's hope he is able to return so that you can either get solid production or at least sell at a higher price. Alvin Kamara remains a high-upside pick if Miller is unable to work in to the rotation.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR TEN
Injury: Left Knee Sprain
Given his age, past injury history, and this new left knee sprain injury that will cost him 4-6 weeks to recover, I am viewing DeAndre Hopkins as a Better-for-Best-Ball option while bumping Calvin Ridley up a slight bit in drafts. The good news is that Hopkins’ past MCL tear was to his right knee, and this likely MCL or PCL sprain is to his left knee. The bad news is that this might cost him actual regular season games, carries 15-20% reinjury risk, and runs the risk of causing explosiveness and change of direction regression in his movement patterns.
Rashid Shaheed, WR NO
Injury: Hamstring Strain
Another key injury to monitor is Rashid Shaheed, who picked up a hamstring strain that has kept him out of practice for close to two weeks. It sounds like he is close to returning, and if he can return to full go this week without limitations or setbacks, I will feel better about his early-season production and utilization. The main concern for speedy receivers is hamstring strains and reinjury, especially for Shaheed who is projected to maintain a high usage in kick returns while also adding a significant increase in routes run as the Saints second receiving option. Keep an eye on his status, but given his immense per-touch upside and lack of competition for targets alongside Chris Olave, I am not fading him in drafts.
Ladd McConkey, WR LAC
Injury: Left Ankle or Knee Sprain
The Chargers will be one of the most difficult teams to decipher regarding injuries. From video that I found, it appeared that McConkey suffered a left ankle or knee sprain and was limping off of the field, favoring his left side. He missed three practices and then returned to practice, so it is safe to assume that this injury is minor. Monitor closely for any setbacks, but as of right now, despite his extensive lower extremity injury history, I am not fading him due to his cheap cost and potential upside as Herbert's primary target.
Josh Downs, WR IND
Injury: High Ankle Sprain
In the midst of a stellar camp, Downs has suffered a moderate-grade high ankle sprain that reportedly will cost him 4-6 weeks, putting his Week 1 status in jeopardy. Based on the severity, I would categorize his severity in the Romeo Doubs and Jerry Jeudy severity, which would be close to 4-5 weeks, despite average time missed for wide receivers with high ankle sprains being 2.89 weeks. Anticipate a few weeks of ramp-up and production regression, but I do believe Downs will be back to form by Week 3-5 range, even if active in Week 1.
Xavier Legette, WR CAR
Injury: Foot Sprain
The good news on Xavier Legette is that there was no fracture, confirmed with imaging. The downside is that he is currently listed as WR4 and is missing valuable reps in the preseason due to his foot injury. The hope is that it does not linger for too long, with the main concern being a Lisfranc sprain. Given the fact that he was spotted sprinting on the side field in under two weeks from the injury, I believe it is closer to a mild to moderate foot sprain that is not midfoot related. If drafting him, it is important to keep in mind that this injury has cost him valuable practice reps as he continues to work behind Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, and Jonathan Mingo. You might not get early-season production.
Jerry Jeudy, WR CLE
Injury: Knee Sprain
A yellow flag is up regarding Jerry Jeudy’s knee injury, which has limited him since May. He recently returned to “full go” in practice for one day, however was spotted the next day with a wrap around his upper leg for a likely hamstring irritation. No reports have surfaced about reinjury or a new hamstring strain, and there is a chance that his prior “knee” injury that was reported was actually a hamstring strain since teams do not have to be very specific with injury labeling during camp and preseason. Given his past injury history, I lean towards fading him at cost.
Roman Wilson, WR PIT
Injury: Left High Ankle Sprain
Roman Wilson suffered a moderate-grade left high ankle sprain and was labeled week-to-week with a chance to be active in Week 1. If you roster the rookie, I would not anticipate production early in-season as he had been working behind Calvin Austin as the Steelers’ WR3. If Wilson earns playing time, it will likely be closer to midseason but hard to know what the pass volume will look like at that point. I am avoiding Wilson for the 2024 season coming off of this high ankle sprain. He is a better-for-best ball option.
Rondale Moore, WR ATL
Injury: Leg Injury, Season-Ending
Rondale Moore suffered a season-ending leg injury, likely a fracture, and had to be carted off with an inflatable cast on his right leg. He is droppable in all formats.
Sam LaPorta, TE DET
Injury: Hamstring Strain
Initial reports indicate that Sam LaPorta suffered a minor hamstring strain that has kept him on the rehab field. Detroit has stated he will likely be back soon, so as of now I am not concerned. It is likely a typical ramp-up injury, common with soft tissue injuries this time of year. Monitor closely.
Juwan Johnson, TE NO
Injury: Foot Fracture
Initial thought on the foot fracture was a Jones fracture, however, Juwan Johnson was spotted out on the field without a boot on working the JUGS machine only four weeks after his surgery. Based on that timeframe, I am assuming this was a simple pin procedure to stabilize the fracture and the Saints will likely slowly ramp up his workload, including sprinting and cutting, over these next four weeks to get him ready for week one. I will continue to buy the injury discount in his ADP.
Thank you for reading through this next part of the injury series. Follow me on X/Twitter @jmthrivept for more updates.
