5 Injuries to Know Before Your Fantasy Football Drafts

Some injuries coming into the 2026 NFL season have not stirred up enough discussion. As a physical therapist, here are five injuries to brush up on before entering drafts.

Cam Skattebo, RB - Giants

Injury: Ankle

It’s safe to say Cam Skattebo is not lacking any confidence in his surgically repaired ankle, as shown by his viral offseason backflip. While the video may have given many a heart attack, that exact psychological edge is what puts Skattebo and others with similar gruesome injuries ahead of the rest of the playing field.

Skattebo confirmed in a live stream this offseason that he dislocated his ankle, fractured his fibula, and suffered a high ankle sprain.

This combination of deficits is uncommon, and there is no large-scale research that matches his profile. Chris Godwin, who dislocated his ankle, fractured his fibula, ruptured his deltoid ligament, and also sustained a high ankle sprain, is a similar case. However, his case has a distinct difference, as Godwin suffered complications that required a 2nd surgery, resulting in a delayed return (13 months). One NFL-specific study looked at 14 NFL players with ankle fractures and deltoid ligament repairs. All 14 returned to cutting drills by 6 months without a decline in “playing experience”. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26160387/).

Skattebo has already returned to pre-season, and by Week 1, he will be roughly 10 months post-op. He is already looking like he is back to his old self.

A.J. Brown, WR - Patriots

Injury: Chronic Degenerative Knees

A.J. Brown has been dealing with chronic knee issues since 2021. Up to this point, it has not caused him to miss time or impact his performance.

He underwent a “cleanup surgery” on both knees in 2021 and was having fluid drained from them as recently as 2024. It is clear that his knees have degenerative changes and are symptomatic, likely worsening since 2021. Both knees are impacted, which means that altered mechanics in one knee may accelerate wear and tear in the other knee, creating a snowball effect over time.

Until his knee deficits translate into missed time or significant production dips, I have a hard time fading his ceiling, especially since he has proven he can repeatedly perform at an elite level despite his symptomatic knees.

Chris Olave, WR - Saints

Injury: Blood Clot/Concussion Risk

Worrying news regarding Chris Olave’s contract came out recently. His new deal has a guaranteed waiver if he suffers a concussion or a blood clot and is unable to play.

Olave was originally held out of team drills earlier this summer due to a blood clot in January 2026. He was placed on blood thinners and completed his treatment on June 29th. He was cleared for contact at the start of training camp. The Saints are likely to be monitoring his cardiovascular health throughout pre-season. It is certainly something to monitor, and he will have a risk of a recurrent clot in the future, but I expect Olave to be at full fitness at the start of the season.

Chris Olave’s history of concussions is another talking point. He has had four concussions since 2022. After each additional concussion, there is a lower threshold required for an additional concussion injury and a longer recovery time. However, I find it difficult to buy into the “forced retirement” narrative. If he were to suffer an additional concussion, he would have a shared decision with his family and medical team. It’s impossible to predict how an additional concussion would impact Olave, but I do not see him making the decision to walk away from the NFL if it were to happen.

Garett Wilson, WR - Jets

Injury: Knee

At a glance, seeing Garret Wilson miss 10 games last season would make some fantasy drafters feel uneasy.

Wilson had a knee injury in October, which caused him to sit out a few games, and he seemed to aggravate that same knee injury a few weeks later. Although unconfirmed, it seemed to be an MCL sprain of the right knee, which was likely aggravated in November, causing the Jets to shut him down. It seems like it was an isolated sprain without any surgery. Because the Jets did the right thing and gave him so much time off, it has given him plenty of time for his rehab process.

While an almost fully lost season last year seems alarming, I expect no significant performance dips this year. Assuming he has met return-to-play criteria with symmetrical leg strength, he should not be at risk for an additional knee injury this year.

Tank Dell, WR - Texans

Injury: Knee

Before his multi-ligament knee injury, Tank Dell was in the same conversations as Nico Collins in Fantasy Football. However, the road back to his previous form requires patience.

He suffered a dislocated L knee, torn ACL, MCL, LCL, and meniscus damage in December 2024. Recently, a few clips emerged of Tank looking confident while cutting and sprinting with quick changes of direction. Shortly after, the Houston Texans placed him on Injured Reserve.

Nothing is certain in terms of a return to performance in Dell’s case. It takes about 24 months for ligaments to fully mature following surgical repair and reconstruction. He will be about 20-21 months post-op at the start of the season. It would make sense that his return to play would be closer to the 24-month post-op range to allow his ligaments to be as strong as possible.

When he does return, expect a slow ramp-up, gaining form and volume late in the season, with his true form likely re-emerging for the 2027 NFL season.