As the NFL season progresses, fantasy football managers should be scouting the waiver wire for injured players who could provide significant value later in the season.
With injuries mounting across the league, several high-upside players sit on waivers in many leagues. Here are a handful of players worth considering as long-term stashes, depending on your roster construction and available IR spots.
For a full report on all players on IR, check out the IR Injury Report. This article differs in that it focuses on players who might be dropped and whether you should stash them.
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Estimated Return: Week 14
Amazingly, Joe Burrow returned to practice ahead of Week 11. Initially, the expectation was his turf toe injury would sideline him until at least Weeks 15-16, if he was able to get back on the field at all. The Cincinnati Bengals QB is exceeding all recovery timeline expectations by targeting a Week 13-14 return.
Now, to be clear, there is no guarantee Burrow plays at all. If the Bengals lose their next three, they will be 3-9 heading into the projected return date. Of course, Burrow wants to play no matter the circumstances. He wants to be out there with his team and we should absolutely respect him for that. But the Bengals’ goal is to win a Super Bowl. Putting their franchise quarterback at risk unnecessarily in a lost season would not make much sense.
If Burrow is still out there in your league, he is worth a speculative add. Just know that his return is not a foregone conclusion.
Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Estimated Return: Week 13
Omarion Hampton is on IR with a sprained ankle. He tried to return to the game after injuring it, which suggested the injury wasn’t too serious. As it turned out, it was. Hampton is now out until at least Week 13.
Initially we quickly got a report that Hampton is expected to be ready to return when first eligible. However, afterwards, we got a second report that indicated Hampton is not going to be ready right away.
Given that the Los Angeles Chargers have a Week 12 bye, it always made sense for him to return in Week 13. Last week, head coach Jim Harbaugh said Hampton won’t return until at least after the bye.
While Hampton is out, the Chargers are going to ride with Kimani Vidal as their main back. With Vidal performing well, it now seems less likely they will be incentivized to trade for another back, even with Hassan Haskins injured as well. Regardless, Hampton will reclaim the feature back role upon his return.
If your team is in a good position and a heavy favorite to make the playoffs, it is not a bad idea to see if you can poach Hampton from his manager for 50 cents on the dollar.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Estimated Return: Week 15+
Brandon Aiyuk remains on the PUP list recovering from torn ACL and MCL injuries suffered in Week 7 of last season. Before the season, Head Coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned Week 6 as a potential return date for the veteran receiver.
Two weeks ago, we got a report that the San Francisco 49ers might open Aiyuk’s three-week window to return ahead of Week 9. That clearly did not happen. At this point, it’s going to be a weekly question as to when it happens.
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We can say with absolute certainty that Aiyuk is not going to play the first week he returns to practice. That means if Aiyuk is designated to return in Week 11, the earliest he might play is Week 12, but more likely Week 13. Each successive week pushes the timeline back.
With the 49ers having a Week 14 bye, it stands to reason Aiyuk won’t return until at least Week 15.
At this point, there’s not much upside in stashing Aiyuk anymore. Even if he does play in Week 15, you’re not starting him. Therefore, the earliest you might be able to use him is in Week 16, and would you really trust him in the fantasy semifinal?
The prospect of Aiyuk contributing anything this season is becoming increasingly dim.
Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Estimated Return: 2026
The New York Jets placed Garrett Wilson on IR ahead of their Week 11 game against the New England Patriots. The timing of the move was important so that game counted toward the mandatory four that Wilson has to miss.
Although Wilson is eligible to return in Week 15, I am officially predicting we do not see him again this year. What would be the point?
The Jets’ season is over. They are not making the playoffs. Wilson obviously wants to play, but why push him to take the field for the final 3-4 weeks of a lost season?
There’s also no guarantee Wilson is ready to return when first eligible. In a best case scenario, fantasy managers will get to put Wilson back in lineups for the first week of the fantasy playoffs. Do you even want him there? Will you be able to trust him?
The scenarios in which Wilson is someone fantasy managers are confidently starting again this season are not very likely. As a result, there’s little reason to continue stashing Wilson.
Joe Mixon, RB, Houston Texans
Estimated Return: 2026
Joe Mixon remains on the NFI list with a mysterious foot/ankle injury he sustained during offseason workouts away from the team facility. While he’s eligible to return at any point, the lack of progress updates and concerning comments from coaches and the general manager suggest he is not close to a return.
If he does return healthy, Mixon would immediately reclaim his workhorse role, given the lack of quality alternatives in the Houston Texans’ backfield.
Mixon represents the most speculative of these stashes. The most likely scenario this season is that he doesn’t play at all, making him only worthwhile for managers with abundant roster flexibility.
Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Estimated Return: Weeks 13-14
Trey Benson got to experience one week as the Arizona Cardinals’ lead back before going down with an injury of his own. Benson suffered a meniscus injury that landed him on IR, guaranteeing at least a four-game absence. The more realistic expectation is around six games.
Since the injury occurred in Week 4, the expectation based on the timeline was that he would be back around Weeks 10 or 11. Obviously, that did not happen.
With that said, it won’t matter how effective Emari Demercado and Bam Knight are; Benson will get his job back as soon as he returns. We still don’t know exactly what the upside is, but if Knight can be an RB2, so can Benson. He is absolutely worth stashing if you can afford to do so.
Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers
Estimated Return: Weeks 13-15
Jayden Reed underwent surgery earlier this season to repair his broken collarbone, which he suffered against Washington in Week 2. Given that he was forced on the shelf for roughly two months, he had his Jones fracture fixed as well. The timeline for return potentially brings him back in November.
While Reed has shown explosive potential with three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, he’s not an every-week fantasy starter caliber player, making him a speculative stash at best.
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The Packers are pretty deep at receiver with Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, and Matthew Golden. Fantasy managers should not burn a valuable roster spot on Reed unless they have an open IR spot.