NFL cutdown day is always a notable moment for fantasy football managers, but less for the cuts themselves and more for the other roster moves that take place. Arguably the biggest of those are the transactions that see NFL players placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list to start the upcoming season.
With some big names being placed on the PUP list this year, let’s examine the fantasy impact of those moves, including the likes of Jonathon Brooks, Nick Chubb, and T.J. Hockenson.
Fantasy Football Impact of Players on the PUP List
Before we dive into the individual analysis of each player, it’s worth refreshing the rules on what a player starting the year on the reserve/PUP list means in practicality.
You may have seen Brooks listed on the PUP list all offseason, but that was the preseason version of the list — when a player can be activated at any time. However, it’s only valid until the end of the preseason.
The reserve/PUP list means that a player doesn’t count as being part of the 53-man roster, which is important on cutdown day, but it had stricter rules than the preseason version. Being placed on the reserve/PUP list ensures that a player must miss a minimum of four games before being eligible to return.
From a fantasy perspective, that means you won’t have those players in your lineup until at least Week 5 (or Week 6 if the team has a Week 5 bye). However, it does also open up the opportunity to stash a player in your IR (injured reserve) spot, which opens up another roster spot for you to use in those first four weeks.
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
Despite the optimism from the Carolina Panthers that Brooks would be targeting a Week 3 or Week 4 return, they’ve decided to place him on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list. While not exactly the PUP list, it is the same thing in theory in that it means Brooks will miss at least four weeks.
In many ways, this actually makes things easier for fantasy managers because chances are Brooks wouldn’t receive many touches in Week 3 or 4 if active. However, you would have had to carry him in an active roster spot for all four of those weeks if you drafted him.
Chances are that Brooks won’t return to a full role in Week 5, but hopefully, it will only be a short ramp-up period. He may not be usable in fantasy until Week 7 or 8, but that was likely to be the case anyway. This way, he only has to count against your active roster for two or three weeks rather than six or seven.
It’s tough to decipher what this news may do for Brooks’ fantasy value. Many fantasy managers will naturally push him down draft boards. However, savvy fantasy managers will likely keep him at his current spot, knowing they can stash him on their IR and potentially get an RB2 down the stretch.
What this news will likely do is elevate Chuba Hubbard’s value. Assuming health, fantasy managers now know that they will have at least four weeks of Hubbard as a starter. That makes him more valuable than the potential two weeks as the starter, followed by an undetermined number of weeks working alongside Brooks.
Don’t be surprised if Hubbard’s value jumps up three or four rounds in drafts this week compared to last.
Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
It had been pretty widely accepted that Chubb was set to start his season on the reserve/PUP list in 2024. That has now been confirmed, but it should have minimal impact on fantasy managers in practical terms.
The biggest benefit is that once the official transaction is processed, Chubb should be eligible for your IR spot if you have already drafted. Elsewhere, the analysis on him doesn’t change massively from what you’ve been seeing all summer.
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Chubb is a potential league-winner in the second half of the season, but you may not get much from him before Week 9 and potentially not until Week 11 when the Browns come off their bye week.
This has limited impact on the value of Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong Jr., or D’Onta Foreman, simply because it’s not any major change from what we expected. Ford should be the starter for the first 4-6 weeks, with his value dropping off from Week 5 as Chubb starts to work back in. Things could be messy for a month or so as Chubb works in and Ford works out of the starting role.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings
Much like the Chubb news, it’s not unexpected that Hockenson will start the season on PUP, but it does make for some tough choices.
Tight end is a tough position to invest in at the best of times, and Hockenson complicates that. If you draft him, you need a fill-in for at least four weeks. But what is the best way to do that?
Do you stream a tight end each week and ride that roller coaster? Do you pair Hockenson with a player like Dallas Goedert and invest twice in the position in a similar region of the draft? There is no ideal option, and that’s the headache here.
Hockenson could be a good insurance policy if you draft a Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews — an older player or one with some health issues. You can stash Hockenson on your IR and then have him in your pocket as an option when he returns if one of them gets injured. Alternatively, you could use him as a trade chip to upgrade at another position when he returns.
The problem is that we have no idea what the Vikings’ offense will look like with Sam Darnold under center. There may not be significant fantasy value to be found with Hockenson, in which case you potentially wasted the capital and the IR spot waiting for his return.
Of the names in this article so far, Hockenson is the riskiest IR stash while on the PUP list.
Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints
Technically, Kendre Miller is not on the PUP list because he has practiced this season, so he is not eligible. However, he falls into the category of potential IR stashes for fantasy managers. Miller was expected to open the season as the primary backup to Alvin Kamara, a role that could also carry goal-line and short-yardage duties.
However, it now seems that Jamaal Williams will have that backup RB role and everything that comes with it. Miller could reclaim that role when he is back, but there is now a chance that he could be released at some point this season. However, there is still a case to be made for stashing Miller because he could be a handcuff to Kamara in a potentially profitable role.
If anything, being put on the IR makes Miller easier to stash because he can be put into an IR spot by fantasy managers. That is arguably an easier way to hold him on your roster than in a bench spot. If you do not have any other IR candidates when you get to the last round of fantasy drafts, then Miller could make sense as a short-term stash-and-hold type of player.
Miller may not end up having significant value this year, but the IR spot gives you a free swing.
Keaton Mitchell, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Mitchell tore his ACL in Week 15 of last season, so he’s been on the PUP list all offseason, and he will remain there as the regular season begins. That means he will miss the first four games of the regular season (at least).
While Mitchell can theoretically be activated in Week 5, the timing of his injury makes that unlikely. The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec recently reported that Mitchell is not expected back until the second half of the season.
Incoming star running back Derrick Henry will handle the bulk of the Ravens’ carries in 2024. He’s led the NFL in attempts in four of the past five years, which might not leave much work for fellow Ravens RBs Justice Hill, Rasheen Ali, or Keaton once he returns.
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Mitchell could be an intriguing stash for the fantasy playoffs. We know he is an explosive runner who can make plays for fantasy managers. However, it will take him some time to get up to speed. There is every chance that we will not see him having a sizeable workload until Week 13 or Week 14.
The danger with stashing Mitchell is that if he has a setback, the Ravens may just shut him down for 2024 and lean on those other backs if they remain healthy. He is definitely worth a stash but could be a player you drop if you have a lot of other injury issues, as the payoff will be late and might not happen at all.
Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Ricky Pearsall has been placed on the NFI list after being shot during a robbery attempt over the weekend. Miraculously, Pearsall was released from the hospital the following day and was back at the team facilities on Tuesday. He is officially ruled out for the first four weeks with being placed on the NFI list, but
John Lynch told reporters that the expectation is that he will play at some point this year. If you have an IR spot, Persall is a solid option to stash. If Brandon Aiyuk were to get hurt, Pearsall could see somewhere in the 5-10 targets per game region later in the year, which would be a valuable role for fantasy purposes.
Among the options here, Pearsall only ranks above Mitchell in terms of value as a stash. The RB position is generally more beneficial to stash, and that puts him behind Brooks, Chubb, and fractionally after Miller. Additionally, given the potential impact at a weak tight end position, T.J. Hockenson is also a better stash.
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