With the majority of teams across the NFL officially through their first few days of training Camp, it’s a good time to take a look at the Injury status of key fantasy players.
Throughout the season, we’ll post the latest injury updates from the previous weekend to help you make those crucial waiver wire decisions that help you get a leg up on your competition.
With the season still over a month away, we’ll dive into updated injury statuses and make note of any red flags that you should keep an eye on as your draft approaches. Teams are announcing the players who will start camp on the PUP list, making them ineligible to participate in team drills, but for the most part, can be activated at any time. If the player is still on the PUP list by the time the team finalizes their 53 man rosters, that player will have to miss at least the first 4 games of the season.
Kyler Murray (QB) – Arizona Cardinals – Knee (PUP)
A possible late round sleeper pick, Murray currently isn’t expected to participate in any offseason programs and is very unlikely to be ready to go for at least the first several weeks of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered last December. The Cardinals are in a full scale rebuild, but if Murray gets healthy, he may be showcased for a potential future trade and be a decent second half option at quarterback.
J.K. Dobbins (RB) – Baltimore Ravens – Knee (PUP)
Dobbins is a name to watch this offseason. He’s only played 8 games over the past 2 seasons and is starting camp on the PUP list as he continues to recover from Knee surgery. He rarely topped 50% of the team’s offensive snaps last season, but started putting together some impressive performances after shaking off the rust. His ADP right now is around 48, and if he can get some preseason snaps in and starts the season as the team’s RB1, he can legitimately give you RB1 numbers. Not bad for a player you can scoop up in the 4th round.
Rashod Bateman (WR) – Baltimore Ravens – Foot (PUP)
Bateman has been dealing with a foot injury since last season, and still hasn’t been cleared for practice. With a rebuilt wide receiver room, Bateman missing time to gel with Lamar Jackson in Todd Monken’s offense may prove to be detrimental to his season-long outlook. He’ll always have the injury prone label attached to him, and opening camp on the PUP list after originally being expected to be good to go isn’t a great look for the start of his 3rd NFL season.
Nyheim Hines (RB) – Buffalo Bills – Knee (Out For Season)
When the Bills traded for Hines last season, Bills fans had visions of what the elite pass catcher could bring to an already explosive offense. He didn’t quite make the impact many imagined, but there was hope that with a full offseason to learn the offense and gel with Josh Allen, Hines could become a semi-relevant fantasy player. Unfortunately, Hines was hit by a Jet-Ski over the weekend, and will miss the entire season with a major knee injury. With one less body to fight for snaps at the running back position, keep an eye on the camp battle as the club tries to prevent Allen from taking so many big hits while he carries the run game himself.
Joe Burrow (QB) – Cincinnati Bengals – “Calf Injury”
If you haven’t seen the footage yet, Joe Burrow was carted off Thursday afternoon after suffering the dreaded non-contact injury while scrambling out of the pocket. After practice, head coach Zac Taylor described it as a calf injury, and Burrow was wearing a sleeve on his calf due to some tightness from the previous on field session. If it’s just a strain, we can all breath easy – however, if it’s anything serious, the Bengals entire roster takes a huge hit, both in real life and in fantasy. Burrow had just told reporters Wednesday that he was excited to participate in an extended preseason for the 1st time in his career as a pro, after missing 2020 workouts due to Covid, 2021 preseason rehabbing from a torn ACL, and some of the 2022 camp dealing with a ruptured appendix. The Bengals currently have Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning on the depth chart behind Burrow, neither of which will benefit any of Cincinnati’s plethora of fantasy options. I had Burrow ranked as the #4 overall QB, and someone who you could easily pair with either Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins in the draft to form an impressive stack. But they will both drop in value if in fact the injury to Burrow is serious. Definitely a situation to closely monitor as it gets updated.
Joe Burrow has been carted off the field at Bengals practice after suffering a calf injury
(via @KelseyLConway)pic.twitter.com/stbY5p0UaL
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 27, 2023
Chase Claypool (WR) – Chicago Bears – Undisclosed
While I wouldn’t recommend drafting Claypool regardless of his injury status, the 2022 trade acquisition has already missed most of the spring sessions with apparent soft tissue injuries. Claypool is projected to be the WR3 on a team that threw the ball at a historically low rate in 2022, so missing out on an opportunity to win a camp battle doesn’t bode well for the upcoming season. He was recently removed from the PUP list after starting camp on it, but there’s still plenty of mystery surrounding exactly what his injury status is.
Tony Pollard (RB) – Dallas Cowboys – Ankle
Pollard is no longer in a timeshare with Ezekiel Elliot, and is entering camp fully healthy after breaking his fibula last season. He participated in OTA’s in the spring, and the Cowboys are confident enough in his health that they’ve left him off the PUP list. He is currently my 7th ranked RB, but with his health issues hopefully behind him and an increased workload this coming season, he has the potential to crack the top 5.
Javonte Williams (RB) – Denver Broncos – Knee
The Broncos announced on Monday that they won’t be placing Javonte Williams on the PUP list, and they fully expect him to be ready for week 1 after suffering a season ending ACL/LCL tear in week 4 last year. It’s a remarkable recovery, and getting in a full camp is crucial for the explosive back to have a strong start to the season. He’ll be rocketing up draft boards despite the team signing Samaje Perine in the offseason as he looks to take the lion’s share of snaps in new head coach Sean Payton’s offense.
Jonathan Taylor (RB) – Indianapolis Colts – Ankle (PUP)
Taylor was a surprise addition to the PUP list on Tuesday after GM Chris Ballard gave no indication that he was a candidate for the list earlier in the week. Taylor, who missed the final 3 games of the season, had arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle and was expected to be ready for the start of training camp. Taylor has been frustrated with his contract situation, and the prevailing thought was that if he were to miss time at camp it would be due to a hold-out, not injury. This could be a “nothing to see here” roster move, but worth noting as camp gets going.
Kadarius Toney (WR) – Kansas City Chiefs – Knee
While Toney has yet to consistently produce at the NFL level, he was quietly a draft expert favorite for a breakout season in Kansas City. The 3rd year pro suffered a non-contact knee injury while fielding punts prior to last Sunday’s practice, putting his week 1 availability in doubt. Mahomes tends to spread the ball around to his receivers not named Kelce, so relying on Toney was a gamble even before the injury.
Slot Receivers – New York Giants – PUP
The Giants have a strange collection of slot receivers on the roster, and 3 of them are starting camp on the PUP list. Sterling Shepard (knee) has reportedly looked good during spring workouts, and may be a candidate to come off the PUP list quickly as he recovers from major surgery for a torn ACL. Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) also suffered a torn ACL last season after showing flashes of talent that made him a 2nd round pick in 2022. There isn’t much chatter about his recovery, and he will struggle to find playing time in the slot without winning camp battles against the veteran slot receivers on the depth chart. Jamison Crowder (calf) joins the PUP list after seemingly injuring his calf sometime between spring sessions and now. Crowder broke his ankle in week 4 of last year and missed the remainder of the season. He only signed a 1 year deal with the Giants, and probably won’t be much of a factor in fantasy this year even if he is healthy.
Garrett Wilson (WR) – New York Jets – Left Practice (ankle)
Sounds like it’s nothing but a minor tweak, but certainly worth noting that Wilson left Thursday’s practice after twisting his ankle. He did jog off to the sideline before heading into the locker room, but something too keep an eye on as the promising young receiver looks to build a rapport with his new quarterback.
Breece Hall (RB) – New York Jets – Knee (PUP)
Hall broke out in a big way in the first half of the 2022 season before tearing his ACL and missing the remainder of the year. With Rodgers now in New York, Hall has a chance to increase his reception rate if he comes back to full health. The Jets have yet to sign a workhouse back, which leads me to believe that they’re expecting Hall to be ready to go within the first couple weeks of the season. If Hall had finished the season healthy there’s no doubt he would be a 1st round pick in fantasy drafts this season. As it stands now, Hall’s current ADP is in the early 20’s and is currently my 11th ranked RB. He will rocket up draft boards if his injury status clears up before the season. That being said, keep an eye on Dalvin Cook as he’s reportedly on his way to New York this weekend for a visit with the team. His addition to the backfield would obviously cut into Hall’s workload and reduce his fantasy ceiling.
Randall Cobb (WR) – New York Jets – Ankle (PUP)
A favorite of Rodgers, Jets free agent receiver Cobb is currently rehabbing from ankle surgery. When healthy, Cobb will step in as his security blanket in the slot, but should only be considered in the deepest of leagues. The Jets have a deep receiver room, and the soon to be 33 year old hasn’t played a full season since 2015.
C.J. Uzomah (TE) – New York Jets – Leg (PUP)
The ex-Bengals tight end twisted his leg in OTA’s, but isn’t expected to miss any games. Ty Conklin is still in New York, but if Uzomah can build some rapport with Rogers he has the skill set to be worth a final round flier if you are desperate for help at the position.
Brock Purdy (QB) – San Francisco 49ers – Elbow
Purdy avoided the PUP list and is eligible to practice from the start of camp after UCL surgery in March. This is a quicker timeline than originally predicted, giving Purdy the chance to battle with Sam Darnold and Trey Lance to win the starting job after performing well at the end of last season. Kyle Shanahan always brings an explosive offense, and while none of the quarterbacks can be considered elite, it’s worth keeping an eye on who is in line to start in week 1.
Dolphins DEF, Jalen Ramsey (Knee)
While not exactly a major fantasy implication (unless you’re playing in an all IDP league), Jalen Ramsey will be undergoing meniscus surgery which will sideline him for at least 6-8 weeks. Team doctors haven’t put a time table on his recovery as of yet, as they won’t know the full extent of the injury until they begin the procedure, so there’s an outside chance this could be a season ender according to Ian Rapoport. That being said, the Dolphins appear optimistic that they could get their star DB back in the early goings of the 2023 campaign.
-Devon Gallant
Twitter: @DevGallant
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
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