Timing is everything with injuries. An injury in the early portions of training camp may not have a carryover effect into the season. The same is true for a serious injury that occurs in the beginning of the year. It clearly stinks to lose a player for the season, but early injuries give fantasy managers time to adjust and the player may be able to rehab in time to return for the subsequent season. Timing is also key on a weekly basis as team's schedules fluctuate throughout the year as games are now played on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday night. As a result, a team's schedule can impact player health. For example, the Chiefs start the year in Brazil on a Friday, play an afternoon game the following Sunday and are on Sunday Night Football in Week 3. Week 5 brings a Monday Night contest followed by another Sunday Night matchup. The rest of the schedule includes another Monday Night game, a Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Cowboys, and another Thursday contest in Week 17. As a result, I'm factoring that into my predraft rankings and may be inclined to invest in a player with a steadier schedule over a comparable Chiefs player. Other teams with erratic schedules include Washington, Dallas, and Philadelphia.
Now let's look at the NFL Injury Report from around the league.
Speaking of timing, minutes after last week's column went live, the Packers revealed their starting quarterback would be undergoing surgery for
Timing is everything with injuries. An injury in the early portions of training camp may not have a carryover effect into the season. The same is true for a serious injury that occurs in the beginning of the year. It clearly stinks to lose a player for the season, but early injuries give fantasy managers time to adjust and the player may be able to rehab in time to return for the subsequent season. Timing is also key on a weekly basis as team's schedules fluctuate throughout the year as games are now played on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday night. As a result, a team's schedule can impact player health. For example, the Chiefs start the year in Brazil on a Friday, play an afternoon game the following Sunday and are on Sunday Night Football in Week 3. Week 5 brings a Monday Night contest followed by another Sunday Night matchup. The rest of the schedule includes another Monday Night game, a Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Cowboys, and another Thursday contest in Week 17. As a result, I'm factoring that into my predraft rankings and may be inclined to invest in a player with a steadier schedule over a comparable Chiefs player. Other teams with erratic schedules include Washington, Dallas, and Philadelphia.
Now let's look at the NFL Injury Report from around the league.
Speaking of timing, minutes after last week's column went live, the Packers revealed their starting quarterback would be undergoing surgery for a ligament injury in this left thumb. Unlike the other four digits, the thumb is made up of three bones, the first metacarpal of the hand and the two phalanges. The first metacarpal and the proximal phalanx form the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) articulation at the base of the thumb. The MCP joint is stabilized by two ligaments, the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and the radial collateral ligament (RCL). These ligaments prevent excessive motion, particularly while gripping or pinching. Specifics regarding what ligament was involved were not revealed but, on the plus side, the injury is on his nonthrowing hand. Love is wearing a soft cast on the injured hand but has already returned to practice, albeit in a limited fashion. The team is optimistic Love will be ready for Week 1 and he continues to trend in the right direction.
The Miami running back is managing an injury the team initially called a "soft tissue lower body" issue. This preliminary description was exceptionally vague, making it difficult to pinpoint how long Achane could be affected. The term soft tissue can be used to describe muscles, tendons, ligaments, and even arteries and veins. Fortunately, the Dolphins provided more insight Monday, listing the injury as a calf injury. The issue is not considered serious, but Achane is likely to be limited for the next week to 10 days. He has time to move past the issue before the start of the regular season, but for now any investment in Achane is a calculated risk.
Turf Burns
Stefon Diggs: The Patriots wide receiver is "ahead of schedule" as he works his way back from last year's ACL tear. The average time lost for NFL receivers to suffer this injury is roughly 11 months, meaning an August return would indeed be slightly ahead to schedule. However, a recent study of NFL receivers showed that a return to play did not translate to a return to performance, with the majority of players seeing a decrease in targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Travis Hunter: The Jaguars have made sure the Dolphins aren't the only Florida team with an ambiguous injury report. Hunter did not play over the weekend thanks to an undisclosed upper-body injury. No word on which part of the upper body is the problem, forcing those interested in drafting Hunter to cross their fingers that it is nothing significant. The team is optimistic about his chances to play in the preseason finale, but that does carry a bit of uncertainty. I'm less concerned about Hunter than I am Achane as upper-body injuries are often easier to manage. Still, specifics on the injury would be appreciated.
Justin Jefferson: Jefferson returned to the practice field after missing time with a hamstring strain. He reported "feeling great" following the session and should continue to see his workload progressively increase as he builds up to the regular season. Giving Jefferson time to return to top speed should benefit him and help reduce the odds of a recurrence. He remains unlikely to play in the preseason finale but maintains his first-round value.
Malik Nabers: The Giants receiver continues to pick up minor injuries. Nabers entered training camp nursing a toe injury and missed additional time with a lingering shoulder issue. Now it is being reported that Nabers was held out of recent practices with a minor back injury. While each of these injuries is being reported as mild, I'm worried about the cumulative effect of the ailments. Nabers should also be at an increased risk for an early-season soft tissue injury as he has been unable to participate in valuable practices and preseason action. He remains a talented fantasy option, but I would feel more comfortable drafting him as my top receiving option if he could have a stretch of sustained health.
Tetairoa McMillan: The rookie receiver did not practice Monday due to a mild hamstring injury. The term minor or mild is often used to describe a low-grade strain. These injuries may receive the least severe classification, but they can still be limiting and easily aggravated. Head coach Dave Canales has already ruled out the majority of Carolina's starters for their final preseason contest, so McMillan will now focus on being ready for Week 1. That's a realistic goal but he will enter the year with an elevated degree of injury risk.
Cleveland QBs: The Browns named Joe Flacco the starter for Week 1 after injuries helped separate the veteran from other possible options. Deshaun Watson is not expected to play in 2025 after tearing his Achilles, while Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel have both been limited by hamstring injuries. Rookie Shedeur Sanders did not play in the team's second preseason contest due to an oblique strain. While Sanders' injury is mild, oblique strains can be limiting for a quarterback, as the muscle group is directly responsible for trunk rotation.
