Fantasy Football Injury Report: Get Ready for Week 1

The injury-plagued offseason is finally coming to an end, so it’s time to summarize injuries heading into Week 1.

Emeka Egbuka, WR (TB)

Injury: Toe Sprain/Turf Toe

Projected Return: Week 1-2

After a panicked few weeks following a toe sprain, Emeka Egbuka has returned to team practice. Although unconfirmed, the mechanism of the injury, along with the time it has taken him to return, signifies a lower-grade turf toe injury to me. He has a good chance to play Week 1, as he’ll be able to participate in about a full week of team practices. Even if he doesn’t suit up for Week 1, historical data for low-grade turf toe injuries in NFL players is positive, showing no statistical dip in performance when returning.

TreVeyon Henderson, RB (NE)

Injury: Ankle

Projected return: Week 2+

TreVeyon Henderson has not practiced since he injured his ankle about two weeks ago. With the New England Patriots opening the NFL season on Wednesday night, it makes the second-year running back doubtful to participate in Week 1. Without video or a detailed explanation to go on, it is difficult to estimate a timeline for return or determine what type of ankle injury he has, so let's discuss the possibilities. Regardless, return timeframes change based on strength, coordination, and symptoms. He will return to individual football drills before participating in contact and team-based practices.

He could have suffered a Grade two lateral ankle sprain, which would put him out on average for two to three weeks, but in more conservative rehab, up to six to seven weeks. A Grade three lateral ankle sprain seems unlikely, given initial reports stated it was a “minor” ankle injury.

He could have also suffered a mild high ankle sprain, which averages about 27 days for return to the NFL. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38804171/).

Lastly, he could have suffered a medial ankle sprain, though this is unlikely in my opinion. It is extremely uncommon for “minor” ankle injuries to be medial, as they often occur concurrently with a high or lateral ankle sprain.

It seems like the Patriots believe it’s a minor injury, which lines up most with a Grade two lateral ankle sprain. If he is unable to play Week 1, expect him to return to practice within the next week, and hopefully return for Week 2.

Christian McCaffrey, RB (SF)

Injury: General soreness

Projected Return: Week 1

Christian McCaffrey is being rested and did not participate in team practice today. I think everyone is a little bit on edge after what happened with McCaffrey’s calf tightness two years ago. However, I am treating this as if they are trying to keep him fresh this season. Unless he continues to miss practice this week, I am not concerned.

Ashton Jeanty, RB (LV)

Injury: Ankle

Projected Return: Week 1

The Las Vegas Raiders are optimistic that Ashton Jeanty will play Week 1after suffering a lateral ankle sprain, and research aligns with this. Research on lower-grade lateral ankle sprains in elite soccer players shows about 16 days missed. The Raiders play on September 13th, which is 21 days post-injury for Jeanty, meaning he has a good chance to return for Week 1. I am not worried about long-term performance dips following a lower-grade lateral ankle sprain, but he could be eased back in depending on his symptoms.

Jeremiyah Love, RB (ARI)

Injury: Ankle

Projected Return: Week 1

The Arizona Cardinals feel “good” about Jeremiyah Love playing in Week 1 following his high ankle sprain. If it is a lower-level high ankle sprain, NFL historical data suggests about 27 days out on average, which is right around the Week 1 target. For Love, I would not be surprised if he is eased back in and Tyler Allgeier has a bigger role to start the season.

Jonathon Brooks, RB (CAR)

Injury: Knee/General Soreness

Projected Return: Week 1

Jonathon Brooks is returning this season after he had a devastating second ACL tear in his rookie season. Re-injury risk typically decreases about two years after ACL surgery, along with performance improvements, and Brooks will be 21 months post-op to begin the NFL season. His surgery was also most likely performed with additional stabilizing techniques to decrease his risk of re-injury. Because he has had plenty of time to rehab and his knee should be more stable, I expect him to look good to start the season.

Recent reports indicate some residual soreness unrelated to the knee. I am not panicking for now, but if this “soreness” seems to persist as we close in on the Carolina Panthers’ opener on Sunday, I will have some questions.

D’Andre Swift, RB (CHI)

Injury: Cramp

Projected Return: Week 1

D'Andre Swift gave everyone a scare last Thursday when he left practice early. It turned out to be a cramp, and he returned to practice this week. This does not seem like something that we should worry about heading into Week 1.

Kyle Monangai, RB (CHI)

Injury: Knee

Projected Return: Week 1

Kyle Monangai hyperextended his knee on August 16th and appeared to suffer a bone bruise or a low-grade knee ligament strain. Return from this type of injury has a lot to do with the player’s symptoms. The fact that he is back practicing this week ahead of the Bears’ game on Sunday tells me he has a great chance of playing Week 1 with a full return to pre-injury performance, assuming it is an isolated bone bruise and his symptoms have fully resolved.

Rome Odunze, WR (CHI)

Injury: Unspecified Leg

Projected Return: Week 1

Rome Odunze was not seen at practice on Monday after he had a right leg issue last week. It was deemed “not serious”, though this will be one to monitor throughout the week. This may be a case of the Bears being extra cautious ahead of their season opener.

Important to note that Rome dealt with a left foot stress fracture last year. This right leg injury seems unrelated, but could have resulted from compensation due to Rome’s “new normal” of his left foot structure.

Ja’Marr Chase, WR (CIN)

Injury: Knee

Projected Return: Week 1

A significant injury was avoided when Ja'Marr Chase landed awkwardly in late August, instead suffering a mild hyperextension injury and possible bone bruise of his left knee. Chase returned to practice this week. Return to sport is often dictated by symptom severity, and his performance should not be impacted upon return. He should be good to go in Week 1, assuming no setbacks.

Tee Higgins, WR (CIN)

Injury: Heel

Projected Return: Week 1

Tee Higgins returned to practice this week after dealing with a mild heel contusion since late August. Similar to knee bone bruises, return is typically associated with symptom resolution. Tee Higgins should be set for Week 1.

Puka Nacua, WR (LAR)

Injury: Psoas

Projected Return: Week 1

Puka has been dealing with psoas “soreness”, a hip flexor that originates from the lower back, since mid-August. He is expected to play Week 1. It sounds like this injury could be a low-grade psoas strain. If so, he does have some elevated re-injury risk for the early parts of the season. One study showed about a six percent recurrence risk in the first game back, with a 20-fold increased risk of re-injury with a muscle strain in the past eight weeks. According to the same study, upon return to competitive play, there is also a re-injury risk that remains elevated for 15 weeks. While I do not expect a performance dip from Puka, his early-season re-injury risk is elevated and will gradually taper off the more games he makes it through without injury.

Alternatively, he could be dealing with a muscle contusion or bruise. If this is the case, he would not have an elevated re-injury risk when returning.

Luther Burden

Injury: Groin

Projected Return: Week 1

Luther Burden returned to practice in late August following a lower-grade groin strain. He is expected to be ready to go for Week 1. As I mentioned before, even a low-grade strain leaves a player at risk for re-injury throughout much of the early season. Again, there is a six percent injury recurrence chance in the first game back, a 20-fold increased risk of re-injury until early October, and elevated re-injury risk for 15 weeks when returning to competitive play, all according to a research study on muscle strains. This is not something I am expecting to impact Burden’s performance, but hopefully he can make it through the early parts of the season without another groin strain.

Zay Flowers, WR (BAL)

Injury: Unspecified

Projected Return: Week 1

An undisclosed injury kept Zay Flowers out of practice for a couple of weeks, but he has since returned. Head coach Jesse Minter stated that it was a minor issue. Flowers did have a quad contusion earlier in August, so it could have been some residual soreness from his previous injury. Regardless, I am not worried about Flowers heading into Week 1.

Mike Evans, WR (SF)

Injury: Groin

Projected Return: Week 1

Mike Evans has been dealing with several issues this offseason, including quad, groin, and adductor strains. These muscle strains, even if they are low-grade, are again something to monitor throughout the season, and he is likely at a massive risk of re-injury throughout the early-to-mid season. I do not think his performance will be impacted, but I am not confident that Mike Evans can stay healthy throughout the season, even if he himself says his injuries were “not significant”.

Malik Nabers, WR (NYG)

Injury: Knee

Projected Return: Week 1-3

The New York Giants have been optimistic about a Week 1 return for Malik Nabers for the past few months. While a Week 1 return is still unconfirmed, it sounds like he will return at least within the first 2 weeks of the season. Despite that, Malik Nabers is still not fully confident in his knee, recently stating, “I make everything look good… I don’t feel right doing this cut, I haven’t been hit, there are certain things as a football player you have to mentally prepare”. This is not abnormal when returning from a major offseason surgery. Widespread historical data suggest a drop-off in performance in the first year back, at least. Even if he does return to his prior level, do not expect him to hit the ground running. It will likely take at least a few weeks for him to gain confidence in his knee again.

Alec Pierce, WR (IND)

Injury: Ankle

Projected Return: Week 1

I previously faded Alec Pierce due to several question marks surrounding the rehab of his ankle, but he has since answered those questions. Alec Pierce was a full participant in practice last week and is expected to play in Week 1. I expect a slower first few weeks as his ankle is likely still undergoing fibrocartilage remodeling (following his surgery), along with slight residual calf atrophy and proprioceptive deficits. His performance should continue to ramp up as the season continues.

George Kittle, TE (SF)

Injury: Achilles

Projected Return: Week 1

George Kittle has made it to Australia and is ready to play in Week 1. He underwent a modern Achilles repair utilizing the SpeedBridge approach, allowing much faster recovery times. Some athletes returned in as little as six months with this approach, while Week 1 will be about eight months post-op for Kittle. Even if Kittle does take a step back physically in early parts of the season, I think he can rely more on his elite experience and route-running intelligence rather than his athleticism to gain fantasy points.

Sam LaPorta, TE (DET)

Injury: Back/Hip

Projected Return: Week 1

Laporta suffered a herniated disc after taking some hits in Week 10 of last year, ultimately undergoing a lumbar microdiscectomy in November 2025. By Week 1, Laporta will be ten months post-op, which is plenty of time to rehab from this injury. He should be able to absorb contact well at this point and be full-go for Week 1.

More recently, Laporta suffered a hip muscle bruise, or a contusion. This is a short-term issue, and shouldn’t impact his performance when he returns.

Tucker Kraft, TE (GB)

Injury: Knee

Projected Return: Week 1

Tucker Kraft is coming off an ACL injury that typically causes a performance dip in the first year back for tight ends. However, elite physical outliers can break the mold. Tucker Kraft, 6’ 5”, 259 lbs, 9.68 RAS score, has established previous production and rare freak athleticism. Kraft will be 10 months post-op in Week 1 and is reportedly expected to play, which is a great sign considering the Green Bay Packers are typically conservative following major injuries.

Patrick Mahomes, QB (KC)

Injury: Knee

Projected Return: Week 1

One of the all-time greats in the NFL is expected to start Week 1, with little doubt since he returned to practice in late July. While I have referenced performance dips in the first season back from an ACL injury, it is difficult to apply this data to the unique quarterback position. Additionally, Patrick Mahomes is an elite passer. The last time an elite passer returned from an injury like this was Joe Burrow in 2021, earning Comeback Player of the Year and taking the Bengals to the Super Bowl.

Breece Hall, RB (NYJ)

Injury: Groin

Projected Return: Week 1

A minor groin strain kept Breece Hall out of practice for a couple of weeks. As I have mentioned previously regarding muscle strains, he will be at an elevated risk of re-injury for the first portion of the season. He is expected to play in Week 1.

Zach Charbonnet, RB (SEA)

Injury: Knee

Projected Return: Week 5-11

The Seattle Seahawks are pushing Zach Charbonnet with an “aggressive” rehab timeline. He has started the season on the PUP, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the NFL season. There is extensive research showing increased risk or re-injury when returning before nine months, which would be Week 11 for Charbonnet. However, there is recent research that suggests as long as the patient has minimal symptoms and near-symmetrical strength and power between legs, an earlier return does not increase injury risk. However, it remains to be seen if Charbonnet can meet those goals, which is why I am giving such a wide timetable for a projected return.

There is also a historical major performance dip at least the first year back following ACL surgery. If he does return as early as Week 5, there will also be a ramping-up period.

Tank Dell, WR (HOU)

Injury: Knee

Projected Return: Week 10-14

Tank Dell suffered a dislocated left knee, torn ACL, MCL, LCL, and meniscus damage in December 2024. The Houston Texans placed him on Injured Reserve recently, meaning he will miss at least the first four games.

Nothing is certain in terms of return to performance for Dell. 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. Which is why I am estimating a later-season return. When he does return, expect a slow ramp-up, likely returning to full form in 2027.

Jordyn Tyson, WR (NO)

Injury: Hamstring

Projected Return: Week 7-9

Jordyn Tyson is the prime example of how recurrent muscle strains can actually be. He was nursing a hamstring injury throughout the offseason, only to re-injure it last month. As I mentioned several times throughout this article, reinjury following a muscle strain stays elevated for up to 15 weeks when returning to competitive play. When Tyson does eventually return, he will still be at elevated risk for likely the rest of the fantasy season.

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 in which he addresses any muscle strength asymmetries.

2026 NFL Injury Tracker - Preseason

Player	Injury	Concern	Estimated Return
Emeka Egbuka	Toe Sprain/Turf Toe	Mild	Week 1-2
TreVeyon Henderson	Unspecified Ankle	Mild-Moderate	Week 2+
Christian McCaffrey	General Soreness	Mild	Week 1
Ashton Jeanty	Lateral Ankle Sprain	Mild	Week 1
Jeremiyah Love	High Ankle Sprain	Mild to Moderate	Week 1
Jonathon Brooks	General Soreness, ACL	Moderate	Week 1
D'Andre Swift	Cramp	Mild	Week 1
Kyle Monangai	Knee Bone Bruise	Moderate	Week 1
Rome Odunze	Unspecified Leg	Mild	Week 1
Ja'Marr Chase	Knee Bone Bruise	Mild to Moderate	Week 1
Tee Higgins	Heel Contusion	Mild to Moderate	Week 1
Puka Nacua	Psoas Soreness	Moderate	Week 1
Luther Burden	Groin Strain	Moderate	Week 1
Zay Flowers	Unspecified	Mild	Week 1
Mike Evans	Groin Strain	Moderate to High	Week 1
Malik Nabers	ACL and Meniscus	Moderate	Week 1-3
Alec Pierce	Post Ankle Surgery	Moderate	Week 1
George Kittle	Achilles Tear	Moderate	Week 1
Sam LaPorta	Back/Hip	Mild	Week 1
Tucker Kraft	ACL	Moderate	Week 1
Patrick Mahomes	ACL	Mild to Moderate	Week 1
Breece Hall	Groin Strain	Moderate	Week 1
Zach Charbonnet	ACL	High	Week 5-11
Tank Dell	Multi-ligament knee + dislocation	High	Week 10-14
Jordyn Tyson	Hamstring	High	Week 7-9