Just like the Boy Scouts, a fantasy football manager should always be prepared! Injuries are a part of the NFL, which means that they’re a part of fantasy by default.
During the season, the waiver wire is there and ready to help managers work through injuries to their roster. However, it’s incredibly important to have all the facts in front of you as you go into your fantasy football drafts.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled the latest bite-sized injury updates for you to scour as you head into a critical weekend for fantasy football! Let’s dive in.
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Which Players Have Landed on the Most Recent Fantasy Football Injury Report?
Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
Sanders was fantastic during his final season in Philadelphia, but the Eagles chose to allow Sanders to walk in free agency and spend significantly less on the position with D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny.
Miles Sanders is dressed but not playing tonight. pic.twitter.com/Ol2n0G7aj5
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) August 25, 2023
Sanders signed with Carolina this offseason on a four-year deal to be their workhorse back, which has numerous fantasy managers excited for his 2023 outlook. However, before the preseason opener just a couple of weeks ago, Sanders tweaked his groin, and his Week 1 status immediately came into doubt.
His ADP (Average Draft Position) froze as a result, and fantasy managers have been waiting for an update to know whether or not they can comfortably buy into the talented RB in Carolina.
Just a few days ago, Sanders himself stated that he’ll be ready to go for Week 1, and, as a result, fantasy managers who were in on him before should have zero reservations about drafting him this weekend.
Elijah Moore, WR, Cleveland Browns
Moore had a disappointing 2022 campaign, but a fresh start may just be what the doctor ordered for getting back on track from a fantasy standpoint. After being traded from the New York Jets to the Cleveland Browns this offseason, Moore has the potential to bounce back in a big way.
Those thoughts seemed to be on pause just a couple of weeks ago when Moore fell on the football during the Browns’ preseason game against the Commanders and sustained a rib injury. Fantasy managers were left holding their breath that it wasn’t a more serious injury.
Thankfully, Moore has already returned to practice, and he seems set to make an immediate impact this season. There’s a reason why Moore is one of our favorite fantasy sleepers going into 2023!
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Pacheco was a big part of Kansas City’s Super Bowl run in 2022, but he paid the price in the process. The rookie RB certainly got banged up throughout the season, and it led to a shoulder surgery that has left him sidelined for the majority of the offseason.
However, just this past week, Pacheco was able to shed his non-contact jersey, and he seems on track to suit up for Kansas City in Week 1. The second-year RB lands at RB30 in our latest PFN consensus rankings.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Kupp’s a fantasy football superstar, so to see a news report come across our phones a couple of weeks ago that he left practice with an injury wasn’t exactly welcome.
During practice, Kupp suffered a hamstring injury during practice on Aug. 1 and sat out for multiple weeks to let the injury heal. However, just this past week, Kupp reportedly returned to practice and is on track to play for Week 1.
There’s a risk of re-injury this season for a player who’s now over 30 years old, but he’s still a locked-and-loaded first-round selection.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Smith-Njigba is an incredibly talented WR who has the potential to be one of the better WRs in the NFL sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, a wrist injury that required surgery is going to postpone that projected timeline just a bit.
The latest update regarding JSN is that he’s expected to miss 3-4 weeks with his wrist fracture, which means he’s set to miss a couple of games to start his NFL career. In an offense that was already loaded with other talented options above him on the depth chart, this doesn’t help him rise up the depth chart to command more targets.
JSN remains a fine Flex option to target in your drafts that certainly carries upside if something were to happen to DK Metcalf or Tyler Lockett.
Editor’s Note: JSN has avoided the PUP list to begin the season and will start on the active roster. No word yet on whether he’ll be ready for week one, but a good sign that he’ll be back within the first couple of weeks.
Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans
Burks showed some flashes during his rookie campaign, but an underwhelming offensive situation — combined with his own injuries — held him back from truly showing what he can do in 2022.
Fast forward to the 2023 offseason, Burks has looked poised and ready to take advantage of the opportunity in front of him to be a reliable fantasy football option. Unfortunately, on Aug. 16, Burks suffered an LCL sprain during practice, and it was announced that he will miss a few weeks.
With this timeline in place, Burks is in danger of missing the season opener for the Titans. With that being said, it is not likely to bleed too much longer into the NFL season, and he should be available by Week 3 at the latest.
At his current ADP, Burks is a fine option to add as a WR4 on your roster for the upside. You may have to wait just a week or two before he’s fully ready to go.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Taylor’s injury update has less to do with his recovery from his ankle injury and more to do with his surrounding situation. As JT and his agent are currently attempting to negotiate a trade with other NFL teams, fantasy managers are left completely bewildered on how to proceed.
There’s the potential that he lands in a solid situation like Buffalo or Chicago, but there’s also just as likely a chance that he winds up in a committee backfield somewhere else. There’s a wide range of outcomes for Taylor from a fantasy standpoint this season, but they have very little to do with his reported injury.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Walker was absolutely electric on the field last year, and he seemed set to be a top-five option in fantasy drafts for 2023 before the Seahawks drafted Zach Charbonnet in the second round of the NFL Draft.
While Walker still projects to be the lead option in this backfield, a groin injury certainly doesn’t help his case as the NFL season looms.
However, just this past week, fantasy managers got some positive news regarding Walker, as he now appears set to be out there in Week 1 after returning to practice. All concerns that people have about drafting Walker should now be directed at the potential split with Charbonnet in this backfield.
George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
Kittle’s injury has flown a tad under the radar going into fantasy draft weekends, which is odd for a player who has the lengthy injury history that he does. The veteran TE suffered an adductor strain in practice a few weeks ago and has missed a key portion of the offseason.
However, Kittle returned to practice this past week and even suited up for the final preseason matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Aug. 25. All signs point to him being ready to go for Week 1 of the NFL season.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
McLaurin has proven to be one of the best WRs the NFL has to offer, especially when you consider the revolving door of QBs that he’s played with over his short NFL career. While that is set to continue in 2024 with yet another new QB, there’s hope in Washington that Sam Howell can be the long-term answer.
Unfortunately, fantasy managers may have to wait a couple of weeks into the NFL season to find out if McLaurin can produce at a high level with Howell. The talented WR suffered a toe injury during Washington’s preseason game against Baltimore and appears set to miss some time with a turf toe injury.
His Week 1 status is reportedly up in the air, but there haven’t been many other updates past that. Fantasy managers should expect him to miss at least two games, which bumps him down the rankings just slightly.
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos
Jeudy’s been tabbed as a popular breakout candidate yet again this season due to the arrival of Sean Payton and a thinning WR depth chart due to injuries. He has the talent to be a top-tier fantasy asset, but poor QB play has held him back through the first few years of his NFL career.
Unfortunately, fantasy managers are now going to have to wait to see if the former Alabama WR can take a step forward, as he suffered a hamstring injury in practice on Aug. 24. and had to be carted off the field.
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The latest updates surrounding Jeudy have him projected to miss several weeks with this injury, but it is not a season-ending one. This is good news, but it’s very difficult now to project where the Denver WR should go off the board in fantasy drafts.
Russell Wilson to Jerry Jeudy. Touchdown Broncos!
📺: #DENvsAZ on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/bBFpXewtKp pic.twitter.com/BocoJNl520— NFL (@NFL) August 12, 2023
Without much else to go off of, fantasy managers need to bump Jeudy down several rounds from where he was going in ADP. He cannot be relied on as a WR2 or WR3 on your fantasy roster and should only be drafted as a bench option where you don’t need to rely on him to start the season.