🚑 13 Injury Situations to Know About

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TGIF — Thank Goodness for Fantasy Football

Today in 5 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

• Players with unexpected injuries 🤕 

• Recovery news for guys hurt in ‘22 ❤️‍🩹

• How it all impacts your draft board 🎯 

• The latest from around the NFL 🏈 

Javonte Williams (DEN), ADP 94.1, RB29:

Williams has been off the field since Week 4 of ‘22.

He’s been present at OTAs but has been working out in a limited capacity.

He claims that "everything is going good."

(according to Rotoballer).

Signs point to a Week 1 availability, but the Broncos might bring him along slowly due to his injury and the presence of Samaje Perine.

The upside is there on Williams, but be aware of the risk and follow the updates before drafting.

Juju Smith-Schuster (NE), ADP 103.5, WR50:

The fact that Juju is still dealing with a 2022 knee injury seems to be news to the Patriots, who brought him in to replace Jakobi Meyers.

This is a concern, according to @MikeGiardi, who also cited concern with Smith-Schuster’s learning curve regarding the Patriots’ playbook.

If the injury is a serious concern, the Patriots may get more aggressive with signing DeAndre Hopkins.

It’s also a good idea to monitor what’s going on with DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, and Kendrick Bourne as the offseason continues.

Brock Purdy (SF), ADP 186, QB25:

The recovery from the UCL surgery is on-track, as Purdy resumed throwing drills the other day, 12 weeks post-operation.

According to @injury_fantasy, he should be ready to throw at full speed by late July.

The concern is that he may miss some important reps in the QB battle with Trey Lance, so monitor his progress before making a draft decision.

You can probably draft him super late anyway.

Jonathan Taylor (IND), ADP 16.8, RB4:

Taylor has missed the Colts’ offseason program due to ankle surgery that limited him to 11 games in '22.

He is aiming to be ready for training camp.

With a rookie QB, the Colts have a higher chance of relying heavily on that running game.

Keep an eye on it, but for now he’s still worth the early draft pick.

In fact, I’d consider taking a look at PrizePicks' season prop on Taylor, set at 1,175.5 yards.

Breece Hall (NYJ), ADP 31.1, RB11:

As excited as we fantasy managers and fans tend to be about Breece, there’s less optimism among the Jets’ beat writers at the moment (The Athletic).

However, Coach Robert Saleh remains "very optimistic" about his return.

Breece could be eased into the lineup slowly at the start of the season, which could hurt his ADP, but the upside is worth it.

Draft away.

John Metchie III (HOU), ADP 175.8, WR77:

Metchie might be forgotten because he sat out his rookie year with leukemia.

The word is that he’s beat the cancer and is back with the Texans, although he missed OTAs with a minor hamstring injury.

Pending what happens during training camp, Metchie has a chance to compete with Nico Collins for top Houston wideout.

It’s a good dice roll late in drafts.

Dawson Knox (BUF), ADP 177.5, TE22:

Knox collided with a teammate during practice and did not practice the following day.

The Bills canceled Thursday's session, and the media focus was on the Stefon Diggs situation.

As for Knox, stay tuned for updates on his condition, which may impact his fantasy outlook.

For now, I’d leave him off my draft board.

J.K. Dobbins (BAL), ADP 56.8, RB18:

Is this a “here we go again” kind of scenario?

Dobbins missed the first day of minicamp practice with a reportedly minor injury situation (@jamisonhensley)

If you weren’t already, watch out for Gus Edwards.

He’d be the one in line for increased opportunities if Dobbins is sidelined.

Zach Ertz (ARI), ADP 215.1, TE35:

Ertz tore his ACL/MCL on November 13th and his timeline to return to the field is currently unknown.

(CBS Sports)

Ertz was the fantasy TE6 in PPG with 11.6 in ‘22.

However, there’s a lot of question about his age and durability at this point in his career. You can stash him at this ADP, but temper those expectations.

Darnell Mooney (CHI), ADP 125, WR57:

Mooney suffered a season-ending ankle injury last November, but he's on track to return for training camp, according to Head Coach Matt Eberflus.

Chase Claypool is also dealing with lingering issues.

D.J. Moore has been working the reps at practice and building a rapport with Justin Fields.

Mooney’s injury situation could help determine the efficiency of this offense.

Tony Pollard (DAL), ADP 22.6, RB7:

No news is good news from Dallas.

A fractured fibula sounds terrible for a RB, but as of now he's expected to return to his leading role.

He practiced during OTAs, indicating a clean bill of health going into the season.

Feel confident drafting him in round 2. He’s got the backfield all to himself.

Jimmy Garoppolo (LV), ADP 212, QB31:

Jimmy G is dealing with a lingering foot injury and subsequent surgery, keeping him from practicing.

The foot impacted his contract signing, and prompted some to wonder if the team and the QB were on the same page.

Josh McDaniels, for what it’s worth, seems all in.

He may not be the ideal fantasy quarterback option even when he’s healthy. With a new team, consider him as a late-round backup choice.

Russell Gage (TB), ADP 215.7, WR110:

Gage sat out the first couple of workouts for the Bucs, but did some agility work on day 3.

The prognosis is currently unknown to the public, but I’m not sure it matters.

With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin ahead of him in the pecking order, Gage's fantasy upside may be limited, healthy or not.

😱 Surprising WR impresses Josh Allen at Bills workouts

✍️ Is D’Andre Hopkins Ready to Sign After Patriots Visit?

😇 Saints Sign Veteran for Extra Depth

💸 This Raven’s Absence from Minicamp Contract-Related

⏱ Patriots Make Push for DeAndre Hopkins After Visit

💪 Bengals’ D Gets a Lift: CB Expected to Be Ready for Week 1

🤷‍♂️ QB? TE? WR? He’ll take the role!

🐏 Rams' Wideout Sidelined at Minicamp!

💤 Lions Sign TE Sleeper Up For the Challenge

👀 Bears Eyeing Top Edge Defender in Free Agency

Have a touchdown-filled weekend, fantasy footballers!

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