Five Fantasy Football Players to FADE due to Injury

In a fantasy football world with so much uncertainty, navigating injuries can feel like guesswork. As a physical therapist, that is why I have identified five players I am confidently fading this season due to injury reports, research, and my clinical experience.

Jordyn Tyson, WR - Saints

Injury: Hamstring

Jordyn Tyson’s injury history has been one of the hottest topics of discussion since the 2026 NFL Draft process. I was previously optimistic about Tyson and was happy the New Orleans Saints were taking a conservative approach with his hamstring. Despite this, he reinjured his right hamstring late last week. Reports now suggest he will miss two months, but that’s only part of the problem.

One research study showed that any hamstring injury history elevated the risk for a future injury, while any hamstring injury less than eight weeks prior or less elevates that risk even further. This puts Tyson at an extremely high risk for an additional reinjury when he returns this season. Another study showed that reinjury risk following a hamstring strain stays elevated for 15 weeks after returning to competitive play. So if he were to return in Week 5, that risk would stay elevated for the rest of the fantasy season. Not only that, but he now misses out on valuable on-the-field time in practice and at the beginning of the season as a rookie. The Saints have set a two-month timeline, but I would not be surprised if it is longer than that to make sure he can stop these reinjuries once and for all. His rehab should hopefully focus on a Christian Watson-style recovery.

🤕🏈How can Jordyn Tyson break the recurrent hamstring injury cycle?



A Christian Watson-style recovery is needed for him, which should involve:



➡️Heavy eccentric strengthening (Nordic curls)



➡️Max Velocity sprinting, gradually loading the tissue under this stress to… https://t.co/JY2UHTRYcs

— Brandon PT DPT (@FantasyFootyPT) August 15, 2026

JK Dobbins, RB - Broncos

Injury: Foot

JK Dobbins is at an extremely high risk of reinjury due to the sheer number of injuries he has suffered throughout his career. He most recently had a Lisfranc surgical repair. Data on NFL and rugby athletes suggests a performance dip the season after a return from this surgery.

Let's say we give Dobbins the benefit of the doubt in this case, as he has been able to produce after battling injuries before. Small changes in foot mechanics following Lisfranc surgery alter the way the body distributes force up the leg, creating compensations that increase injury risk to other areas of the body. When you factor this in alongside his previous left ACL, LCL, meniscus, MCL, and right Achilles injuries, also creating compensations and increasing his injury risk, he just has too many obstacles to overcome.

Zach Charbonnet, RB - Seahawks

Injury: ACL

Reports suggest the Seattle Seahawks may have Zach Charbonnet return at the start of the season, a scenario that would be extremely risky for his long-term health and fantasy outlook. Returning in Week 1 would put Charbonnet at only six and a half months post-op. One research article showed there was a sevenfold increased rate of second ACL injury if returning before nine months. Nine months post-op would put him at Week 11, and even then, he would likely need time to ramp up to prior production.

There is also a historical major performance dip at least the first year back following ACL surgery. Rather than take the risk on Charbonnet, I would much rather select Alvin Kamara, Isiah Pacheco, Tyler Allgeier, or Jonah Coleman, all of whom go after Charbonnet’s ADP.

Daniel Jones, QB - Giants

Injury: Achilles

Daniel Jones underwent the SpeedBridge approach for his Achilles tear, which allows for much faster recovery times. However, his throwing mechanics and mobility for at least this year are a concern for me. He injured his right Achilles, or back leg, during throwing. Quarterbacks plant their back foot to help generate force during their throwing cycle. An alteration in that back foot push-off force can cause decreased ball speed, distance, and potentially even accuracy. His pocket mobility also requires quick changes in direction and explosiveness, which I can also see taking a hit this year. Additionally, research suggests performance dips in Year 1 for elite athletes after return from an Achilles repair.

Alec Pierce, WR - Colts

Injury: Ankle

Alec Pierce has too many question marks surrounding his ankle for me to confidently draft him at cost. Although unconfirmed, I believe Alec Pierce had a talar debridement surgery with bone marrow stimulation to help reform cartilage. The Indianapolis Colts are insisting that he will be ready for Week 1, though we have not seen him do more than light warm-ups and walking, and he has not yet returned to practice. At this stage, he should be working on independent sports-specific drills and be returning to team practices sooner rather than later. However, Colts head coach Shane Steichen does not expect Pierce to return for training camp.

The Colts recently signed veteran WR Keenan Allen, hinting they are preparing for at least the initial parts of the season without Pierce.