With all of the hype for Avengers: Doomsday, it takes me back to the Infinity Saga movies. We’re going to see a lot of old friends come back to the big screen. They’ve already revealed most of them (much to my chagrin). But it reminds me of the final credit from Captain America: The First Avenger.
“Captain America will return in The Avengers.”
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Since then, the idea that we’d see our favorite characters back (at least in some fashion) made us look forward to the next installment even more. The positive injury reports have had the same effect on fantasy football managers. Our guys who got nicked up in camp or preseason (or well before that) are (hopefully) making their way back to the field in time for Week 1.
Let’s walk through the list and check on their status.
Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
I would expect nothing less than cautious optimism from HC Andy Reid when discussing the health of his franchise QB.
However, let’s remember a couple of things. First, we should all be able to agree that the Chiefs offense was on a downward trend even prior to Patrick Mahomes’ knee injury. Yes, they still had top-10 marks in most passing efficiency metrics, but it’s not the same lofty position they’ve held in years past. Plus, Mahomes has been an annoyance to defenses as a runner.
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Last year’s QB2 (in PPG) has added an average of 3.3 FPPG via scrambles (and a designed rush or two). And over a third (38.4%) have resulted in first downs. If we lose that, along with the continuation of a stale offense, having the Chiefs’ QB1 on your roster doesn’t have the same appeal.
Advice: Draft at cost (QB14); expect a slow start
Editor’s Note: Daniel Jones (Achilles) is another quarterback of note returning from an injury. We haven’t heard anything on the news front that puts doubt in Jones being out there Week 1, but regardless, we’re more worried about his weapons for fantasy, as Jones is likely a quarterback streamer at best in shallow and medium leagues.
Running Backs
Josh Jacobs, Packers
The Packers’ RB1 returned to practice after sitting the last two weeks with a groin injury. However, another issue looms larger over his Week 1 availability.
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Josh Jacobs’ case has been open since May, and drafters used the “no news is good news” logic train to fuel his third-round ADP. Well, now we have more information. And it’s time to adjust.
Before you say, “Just don’t draft Jacobs, ezpz,” let’s think about his profile. Of his 232 carries last season, 203 came on early downs. Woody Marks, Kimani Vidal and Tyrone Tracy had higher snap rates in obvious passing situations. Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle and Isiah Pacheco ran more routes. But nobody saw more goal-line work than the former Raider.
I’m using these names to highlight the fragility of Jacobs’ workload. Over a third of his half-PPR point total came from TDs. He’s also battled lower-body injuries in consecutive years and is now 28 years old (past his prime). Even without the suspension, his cost warranted a market correction.
Advice: Jacobs moves to a mid-tier RB3 with risk.
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Ashton Jeanty, Raiders
Unfortunately, teams don’t have to provide us with updates during the preseason. So, we look to our injury experts for insight.
The consensus is that Ashton Jeanty’s ankle injury won’t be a long-term issue. Even better, despite the Mike Washington Jr. excitement, the Arkansas product didn’t enter the league with a high-end receiving skill set. His 5.5% target rate falls well behind Jeanty’s from ’25 (14.0%). Without somebody to challenge his full workload, Jeanty should still be in RB1 consideration.
Advice: If Jeanty falls in drafts, buy the dip.
Jeremiyah Love, Cardinals
I don’t really need to say anything here. The man from CNN in the tweed suit has the Jeremiyah Love situation covered.
At least Love is doing drills (albeit in street clothes) compared to Jeanty’s level of activity. Anyway, I’m more worried about the guys that’ll be in front of Arizona’s RB1. Their rookie guard will miss the entire season. And the other two have been out of multiple practices. Projections already point to the Cardinals as one of the weakest teams in the league. I’d have concerns buying into that type of ecosystem even if Love was healthy.
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Advice: Love’s offensive environment should be the reason to fade him, not his injury.
Kenneth Walker III, Chiefs
I heard “Kenneth Walker,” “foot” and “not expected to practice” before breaking out into a cold sweat. But we may have dodged a bullet (for now).
HC Andy Reid noted Walker’s shoe was the culprit for his absence. Let’s keep in mind that Walker had been dealing with foot soreness during camp — an ailment he dealt with when he was with Seattle. In either case, all’s clear for the time being.
Advice: Draft him as you normally would.
TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots
Again, more positive news on the injury front.
However, TreVeyon Henderson’s weekly projectable touch share is the part in question. Rhamondre Stevenson has been the star of the Patriots’ backfield in camp. Stevenson already had the early-down role, but reports of him working on his receiving acumen edge him closer to a bell-cow-type back. As such, the ambiguity and injury will likely pull Henderson’s ADP down.
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Advice: If you view Henderson as an upside play, an injury discount only helps you.
Breece Hall, Jets
Hall has been out since mid-August after sustaining a non-contact groin strain during practice. But his Week 1 status looks to be intact.
Moving at half to three-quarter speed, some lateral movement. Both are good signs. The bonus is hearing Hall’s OC telling fantasy managers all they need to know about what to expect:
Before the offense cratered in 2025, Hall’s target rates were 14%, 17% and 14% over the last three seasons. Coupled with his top-10 goal-line rate, Hall has more outs than the aforementioned Jacobs. Hall should firmly be in RB2 consideration.
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Advice: Take any discounted ADP that you can.
Kyle Monangai, Bears
So, I have a couple of thoughts about Kyle Monangai.
A Week 1 absence from Monangai won’t be a surprise. Let’s even say it extends into Week 2. The correlative response will be a rise in D’Andre Swift’s ADP (47.2). But I’m not so sure.
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Rush Share (2025): 53% (Swift), 38%
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Goal-line Share: 57%, 40%
We’ve been annoyed with HC Ben Johnson’s RB splits for years. And Swift had the RB1 job in Philadelphia for one (1) year, and the Eagles jettisoned him right after.
I’m not downplaying Swift. If anything, I’m highlighting that, once healthy, Monangai’s contextual usage should be something we have on our benches.
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Advice: Monangai should be an RB4 with upside.
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Wide Receivers
Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals
I don’t ask for a lot. I’m a simple man. Just give me a full season for the Bengals starters, resulting in a Super Bowl championship. That’s all.
Ja’Marr Chase was still chirping at the defense well after hyperextending his knee. He spoke to the media twice (one was a pre-scheduled interview) once practice concluded. There have been no reports of a brace or crutches. It’s not like he’d be playing at this stage of the preseason anyway. Unless we hear different, our WR1 is will be on the field in Week 1.
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Advice: If you want to swap Chase for Nacua, fine. Otherwise, proceed as normal.
Malik Nabers, Giants
The drumbeat for a Malik Nabers’ Week 1 debut gets louder every day.
HC John Harbaugh has ramped up Nabers’ involvement at the right pace. No setbacks. Limited contact. All with the intent of getting the WR1 back to game speed by September. And since he’s shed the no-contact jersey, we can start to look at where he belongs in the WR pecking order.
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Target Rate: 36% (2024), 29% (2025)
A top-10 rank is in order for the number of opportunities Nabers has earned in the past. Drafters are catching up to the positive news. Expect a continued slide forward in ADP before opening kickoff.
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Advice: Draft him at cost.
Mike Evans, 49ers
Two quad injuries. A groin strain. One looming electrical substation.
The plan is for Mike Evans to still play in Week 1 despite the litany of ailments the 33-year-old WR has sustained since joining the 49ers. In short, drafting Evans is an all-or-nothing play.
On the one hand, Demarcus Robinson and KhaDarel Hodge are the best options to operate on the perimeter. Essentially, that makes Evans the Brandon Aiyuk replacement. On the flip side, the potential for multiple zeros should Evans miss time continues to increase. At best, drafters should make contingency plans should they want to buy into the former Buccaneer.
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Advice: For the risk-averse gamers, consider Evans a low-end WR3.
Emeka Egbuka, Buccaneers
Good news first:
The worry is Emeka Egbuka’s injury mechanism. To be clear, a stable toe sprain is a better diagnosis than turf toe. However, the chance for re-aggravation remains. In his rookie season, only Evans had a higher aDOT than Egbuka. Given his penchant for explosive plays, any nagging pain due to the toe injury will bring down his ceiling outlook.
Advice: Unless we hear of a setback, keep Egbuka in the low-end WR2 ranks.
Luther Burden III, Bears
Our king has returned.
Early returns on Luther Burden III’s groin injury hinted that his status for Week 1 was still intact. Practice involvement nearly three weeks later is a good sign that the initial reports were right. But videos of Burden cutting on a dime should reinforce our confidence in his availability to start the season.
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Advice: If he’s still below his early-August ADP, snatch him up.
Tight End
George Kittle
Salute to modern sports medicine. Either that, or George Kittle has Wolverine’s healing factor.
There are multiple hurdles a player has to clear before they can come off the PUP list. And after injuries to Evans, muscle tightness for Christian McCaffrey and Ricky Pearsall going on IR, we shouldn’t view a team decision like this as a routine move.
Advice: Kittle should round out the top 8 of TEs.
Tucker Kraft, Packers
So, first, we heard from Tucker Kraft himself about how we should view his usage heading into 2026:
Honestly, Kraft’s comments were reasonable. Green Bay has taken the more conservative route in injury situations in the past. Kraft’s big-play ability is something the team will need with the departure of Romeo Doubs. A ramp-up makes sense. But then the Packers did this:
Jonnu Smith was still running half of the routes and sitting on an 11% target rate in 2025 with the Steelers. I’m not expecting the 31-year-old TE to become the Packers’ top option. But he earned enough to pull away from our preferred targets in fantasy drafts in ’25. And with an unknown timeline for Kraft getting back to full involvement, his value during the early (and middle?) part of the season is now in question.
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Advice: Kraft falls to the back end of the second tier of TEs.
