Five Key Injuries Fantasy Managers Need to Monitor

In addition to learning how long these players will be out, it’s important to know which backups are getting valuable reps in their place.

Split-second decisions will define your draft and perhaps your entire fantasy football season.

It’s difficult to gather the requisite information on a player’s injury status during the 60 seconds that you’re on the clock. So when you enter your draft and see a “Q” next to a highly drafted player, it’s best that you have a feel for their situation ahead of time. Jonathan Taylor’s status might simply read “Questionable — Ankle,” but I promise you there’s a whole lot more to unpack there.

As preseason continues, here are a few key injury (and in some cases, contract and suspension) situations that managers must monitor as we embark on draft season.

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Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts

Indianapolis’ All-Pro running back returned to training camp earlier this week after he spent the previous week rehabilitating away from the team. However, Taylor left again Wednesday to tend to a personal matter — his absence was excused by the club.

It’s been a busy few weeks for the 2021 rushing leader, who is on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list due to an ankle injury. Taylor is also in the midst of a contract standoff with the Colts that led to his July 31 trade request. Owner Jim Irsay said the team has no intention to trade Taylor, who’s heading into the final year of his rookie deal.

Running back depth is a point of concern as Zack Moss is sidelined with a broken arm that could force him to miss the start of the regular season. Third-year pro Deon Jackson is next up on the depth chart, though fifth-round rookie Evan Hull got the start in the team’s first preseason game. Indianapolis brought in free agent Kareem Hunt for a visit last week and made him an offer but the two parties did not come to an agreement.

Jackson, Hull and Moss are all free in drafts and Taylor’s average draft position is steadily declining.

The player who stands to lose the most from Taylor’s absence is rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was named the Week 1 starter. They profiled as a fearsome backfield duo but defenses can devote more attention to slowing down the dual-threat rookie signal-caller if Taylor isn’t active.

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Breece Hall, RB, Jets

New York’s running back room became very interesting this week. In short succession, the team signed free agent Dalvin Cook and activated Hall off the PUP list. Cook (shoulder) was seen working away from the team at Thursday’s practice while Hall (knee) was back in action in 11-on-11 drills.

Hall tore his ACL in October of his rookie season, so this is a quick recovery for the second-year pro. ESPN reported this week that the Jets intend to limit Hall’s workload early on and employ Cook as the team’s featured back. Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight and fifth-round rookie Israel Abanikanda slot in behind Hall and Cook on the depth chart.

Hall said he expects to be ready for the team’s Sep. 11 season opener against the Bills but didn’t go as far as guaranteeing a return. His average draft position is trending downward while Cook’s is on the rise.

Cook’s arrival certainly downgrades Hall’s ceiling and Hall’s presence also limits Cook’s potential to replicate what he did in Minnesota. Throw in the fact that both players are working their way back from injuries and New York’s offensive line is among the worst in the league and this backfield battle becomes an extremely difficult situation to parse.

Miles Sanders, RB, Panthers

Sanders, who Carolina signed to a sizable contract in the offseason, is dealing with a groin injury that kept him out of the preseason opener, ruled him out for Saturday’s game against the Giants and could sideline him for the entire preseason. The former Pro Bowler just enjoyed his healthiest season since 2019, but he missed four games in 2019 and five in 2020.

The Panthers trotted out Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear and Spencer Brown in their first preseason game. Hubbard has the most experience of the group, having started 12 games across two seasons. The former fourth-round pick led the team in rushing as a rookie, though he finished with just 612 yards. Blackshear and Brown both went undrafted and recorded just a few carries in 2022.

Sanders’s average draft position has taken a bit of a hit lately but not nearly enough to drive up demand for Hubbard.

Head coach Frank Reich expressed some optimism about Sanders’ progress this week. The best case for Carolina — and No. 1 pick Bryce Young — is that the veteran is lined up in the backfield alongside its rookie quarterback when the season starts Sep. 10 in Atlanta.

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Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, WRs, Lions

Detroit’s top two pass catchers are both currently sidelined. Though St. Brown’s ankle injury should only keep him out until next week, Williams’ hamstring is expected to keep him out for the rest of preseason. That means the next time he takes the field won’t be until Week 7, after he serves his six-game suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy.

The Lions are fortunate that the injury to St. Brown, their leading receiver two years running, does not appear to be serious. Williams, on the other hand, is not so lucky. The former first-round pick made his NFL debut in Week 13 last year due to his ACL recovery and now another injury and a suspension to boot will delay the start of his sophomore season.

His absence in camp and beyond could allow another pass catcher to emerge as a viable fantasy target and establish a connection with quarterback Jared Goff. After St. Brown, Kalif Raymond is the team’s top returning receiver and Josh Reynolds is next. In three-receiver sets, either Raymond or Reynolds will be on the field in Williams’ place along with St. Brown and veteran Marvin Jones.

Perhaps rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, who’s already drawn rave reviews, is the one who capitalizes on their absence and earns more targets. Of Detroit’s pass-catchers, he has the highest average draft position after St. Brown and Williams.