Are you ready for some football? It is that time of year when training camps open and fantasy football draft season begins. One of the most important parts of draft preparation is knowing the status of players coming back from significant injuries. These players may fall off other GMs’ radar because they did not accumulate enough statistics to be ranked where they normally are, so they could become huge bargains come draft day.  So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at some key players coming back from injuries that could have a huge impact on your draft strategies.

 

A.J. Green (WR-CIN)

Green missed seven games last year with a toe injury and underwent surgery this past December. He was in the midst of a very productive season before the injury as he was targeted 77 times and caught 46 passes for 694 yards and six touchdowns. It has been reported that he expects to be at full strength by the time training camp begins as he plans on participating in individual drills during the Bengals’ minicamp. Injuries have been a major concern for Green over the past few seasons as he has missed 13 games since 2016. That being said, there is still a lot left in the tank for the veteran who should provide solid value for GMs given that his draft position will likely slip heading into 2019.

 

Travis Kelce (TE-KC)

There is no debate over Travis Kelce being the top fantasy tight end and a legitimate option as a first-round draft pick. He is coming off an elite 2018 season in which he was targeted 150 times and caught 103 passes for 1,336 yards and ten touchdowns in 16 games. He underwent ankle surgery after the season and is fully expected to be 100% for training camp and the regular season. Not surprisingly, he did not participate in the Chiefs’ offseason program and will be held out of the team’s minicamp. GMs have no reason to worry about Kelce as he will continue to be a focal point of their prolific offense with an even bigger role now that Kareem Hunt is gone and Tyreek Hill may be facing a suspension.

 

Sony Michel (RB-NE)

Patriots running back Sony Michel underwent arthroscopic knee surgery during the offseason and is expected to be ready for training camp. He has made great progress in his recovery and, barring any setbacks, should be on the field for preseason workouts. Michel is coming off a solid rookie season in which he ran for 931 yards and six touchdowns. Fantasy GMs need to be cautious about Michel because he does have a significant history of knee injuries and missed three games last year. Michel thrived in the postseason so he will certainly be a factor in New England’s backfield. However, they did draft Damien Harris this past spring and Bill Belichik is known for spreading the workload around in the Patriots’ backfield.  

 

Carson Wentz (QB-PHI)

Carson Wentz is coming off a second consecutive injury-shortened season but the Eagles clearly have confidence in his ability to stay healthy for the long-term as they signed him to a four-year contract extension for $128,000,000. He is returning from a back injury which prevented him from playing in the playoffs this past season, but he appears fully healthy now and participated in the team’s offseason program. Fantasy GMs should be cautious with Wentz because he has already had serious knee and back injuries in his young career. He is still a solid QB1 option with several offensive weapons at his disposal including DeSean Jackson who returns to Philadelphia and should provide a consistent deep threat for Wentz. While there is risk associated with Wentz, the rewards could be high as he was playing at an MVP level in 2017 before he suffered a knee injury. There could be a slight draft day discount for him due to his injury history so GMs should pounce on that before letting him slip too far.

 

Cam Newton (QB-CAR)

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton underwent shoulder surgery this past January. The injury cost him the final two games of the 2018 season in which he threw for 3,395 yards with 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 14 games. He also rushed for 488 yards averaging 4.8 yards per carry along with four touchdowns. Now 30 years old, Newton has always been known for his prolific running ability coinciding with his strong arm. It would not be a surprise if he runs even less now at his age and in order to protect against getting hit on his surgically repaired shoulder. The good news is that Newton is expected to be at full strength for training camp and will have plenty of time to work with newly acquired Chris Hogan along with carryovers D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel.

 

Jordan Reed (TE-WAS)

It would not be a legitimate injury article without Jordan Reed’s presence. The Redskins’ tight end has always been a solid offensive player and a TE1 option in any league format. However, his career has been marred by injuries as he has missed 31 games over the course of his career which began back in 2013. He missed the final three weeks of the 2018 season with a toe injury but is expected to be at 100% for training camp. He did not have a great season last year catching just 54 passes for 558 and only two touchdowns. The Redskins offense has been overhauled again so he should see an uptick in production assuming he can stay on the field. Draft him at your own risk and do not expect him to play in 16 games.

 

Trey Burton (TE-CHI)

GMs had high expectations for Trey Burton heading into 2018 as he was going to be a featured tight end in the Bears’ offense after signing a free agent contract with Chicago. He was targeted 76 times and caught 54 passes for 569 yards and six touchdowns during his inaugural season with the Bears. While these numbers were not terrible, they fell short of what was likely expected from him. Burton underwent an operation for a sports hernia earlier this year and missed the end of Chicago’s offseason training program. He is expected to be ready for training camp barring any setbacks, so GMs should have confidence in drafting him again this year. Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears offense made huge strides in 2018, so there is no reason to think that trend will not continue. Burton is certainly worth drafting as a TE1 with a big upside.

 

Tyler Eifert (TE-CIN)

The fact that Tyler Eifert is fully participating in offseason workouts and training programs is remarkable considering how gruesome his injury was last year. We all remember the visual of him breaking his ankle and questioned whether he would ever play again. Now we know he is essentially recovered and will be ready for Week 1 when he is expected to assume a bigger role in the Bengals’ new offense. Eifert has always been an injury risk so GMs should only treat him as a TE2 at best. He will need to prove he is healthy and can stay healthy because his track record is not very reassuring. He played in 15 games during his rookie season in 2013 and 13 games in 2015. Other than that, he has missed at least half of his team’s games in every other season of his career.

 

Phillip Lindsay (RB-DEN)

One of the biggest surprises of 2018 was the emergence of rookie running back Phillip Lindsay. He was not projected to get too many opportunities heading into the season, but he took advantage of injuries and inconsistent performances by other Denver running backs to amass 1,037 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He also caught 35 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown as well. He is still recovering from offseason wrist surgery and is expected to be ready for training camp. Lindsay will be competing with Royce Freeman for carries this year but all indications are that Lindsay will be the primary running back assuming he can stay healthy and avoid any regression. He will be a solid low-end RB1/high-end RB2 option and his draft value will be dependent on whether other GMs are hesitant to commit to him due to the wrist injury.

 

Marvin Jones (WR-DET)

Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones only played in nine games last year before succumbing to a season-ending knee injury. He is recovering from surgery and missed Detroit’s offseason program, but he is hopeful to be ready for training camp. Jones was not overly productive in the games he did play last year as he was limited to 35 receptions for 508 yards and five touchdowns. It appears that Kenny Golladay has assumed the role of the team’s number one receiver and Detroit also brought in new additions Danny Amendola and T.J. Hockenson. This means that Matthew Stafford could be less reliant on Jones which diminishes his fantasy value.

 

Emmanuel Sanders (WR-DEN)

Veteran wide receiver Emmanual Sanders suffered a torn Achilles last year and underwent season-ending surgery. He has been working extremely hard to come back from that at 32-years old which adds to the challenge in and of itself. Sanders has been one of the best pass-catchers over the last several years and is poised to be Denver’s number one receiver once he is ready to return. He will be crucial for Joe Flacco’s transition to the Broncos’ offense which has been in turmoil over the past couple seasons. Sanders caught 78 passes for 868 yards and four touchdowns last year making him still a valuable WR3/4 in PPR leagues.

 

Will Fuller (WR-HOU)

There are few other players who epitomize high risk/high reward more than Will Fuller. The Texans wide receiver has demonstrated the ability to be a high-end fantasy player but he just cannot stay on the field. He has missed over half of Houston’s games over the past two seasons with a variety of leg injuries making him completely unreliable from a fantasy perspective. Fuller put up big numbers last year in the seven games he played including 45 targets while catching 32 passes for 503 yards and four touchdowns in seven games. Fuller showed he has great chemistry with DeShaun Watson and benefits from lining up opposite of DeAndre Hopkins. He tore his ACL last October and has been working his way back ever since. The former first round draft pick is expected to be ready for Week 1 and could provide great draft value if GMs let him slip late enough due to concerns about his health.

 

Cooper Kupp (WR-LAR)

The Rams prolific passing offense in 2018 certainly took a turn for the worse when Cooper Kupp was out of the lineup. He tore his ACL in Week 10 and subsequently underwent season-ending surgery. Quarterback Jared Goff saw a decrease of 73 yards and 0.3 touchdowns per game in the eight contests that Kupp missed. He is expected to participate in training camp, but his reps will likely be limited. The Rams will also likely consider holding him out of preseason games in order to prevent any unnecessary setbacks. Kupp will be a valuable fantasy asset coming off a half season in which he caught 40 passes for 566 yards and six touchdowns as Goff’s third option behind Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods.

 

Jimmy Garoppolo (QB-SF)

The 49ers were decimated by injuries in 2018 including quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who went down in Week 3 with a season-ending knee injury. He underwent surgery and is now working his way back in order to be ready for Week 1 of the 2019 season. He has not participated in full-team drills yet but this is the expected course of action for the young quarterback as the 49ers want to be extra cautious to prevent any setbacks. Garoppolo played fairly well before the injury throwing for 718 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He is fully expected to be ready for training camp and has a lot of upside heading into 2019 as San Francisco could be a team on the rise if they can stay healthy.

 

Jerick McKinnon (RB-SF)

Fantasy GMs were immediately cursed last year when Jerick McKinnon suffered a torn ACL at the end of preseason and missed the entire year. He was expected to thrive in San Francisco’s backfield, but we never saw what he could do. Instead, GMs relied upon the likes of Matt Breida and Raheem Moster until they sustained injuries of their own. Now all of these running backs are expected to be healthy and compete for playing time along with free agent acquisition Tevin Coleman. While it is good news that McKinnon is healthy, the fact remains that he is in the middle of a crowded backfield where no one appears likely to dominate the workload more than another. This makes evaluating McKinnon’s draft value very tricky so GMs will have to do their best to get as many 49er handcuffs as possible.