Injuries are the single biggest wildcard in 2026 fantasy football drafts, and this offseason handed managers more uncertainty than usual. Patrick Mahomes is rehabbing a torn ACL. Malik Nabers underwent a secondary procedure on her knee and is behind schedule. Tyreek Hill remains unsigned after a catastrophic multi-ligament injury. Before you lock in a single pick, you need a clear-eyed read on which players are genuinely on track, which ones carry hidden risk, and which ones should be avoided entirely at their current average draft position. This 2026 NFL offseason injury report breaks down every major health situation by position, from quarterbacks to tight ends, with current recovery timelines, fantasy impact assessments, and draft strategy guidance. Pair this report with Fantasy Alarm's 2026 fantasy football rankings and projections to see exactly how each injury situation is being priced into the market, and use League Sync to identify which injured players are already on your roster so you can plan around them before draft day arrives.

2026 Fantasy Football QB Injury Report

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

The biggest injury story of the 2026 offseason belongs to Mahomes, who tore his ACL and LCL in a Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The good news is that Kansas City reports he is well ahead of schedule in his recovery, and the organization showed its confidence by signing him to a reworked extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history at over $60 million per year. Reports out of minicamp indicate he is doing light work on the field, and optimism remains high for a Week 1 return. Still, proceed with measured expectations. The scramble ability and magic-act improvisation that make Mahomes a fantasy cornerstone are not things you can replicate in unpadded OTA sessions. A rusher with the same injury profile would not be expected back until mid-to-late season. QBs get there faster, but do not fully write off a slow start.

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Daniels dealt with a string of ailments throughout 2025, the most serious being a dislocated left elbow suffered in November that ended his season. The encouraging note is that no ligament damage was found and no surgery was required. He is expected to be healthy for the start of training camp, though new offensive coordinator David Blough's scheme will require an adjustment period. Daniels said in June that he still has "a long way to go" in mastering the schematic changes. His durability profile, given his slender build and the punishment he absorbed across his first two NFL seasons, remains a legitimate concern over a full 17-game slate.

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Nix underwent ankle surgery to repair a fracture sustained in the playoffs and has been working his way back all offseason. The news coming out of Denver is encouraging: at mandatory minicamp in June, Nix suggested he could be "full-go right now if they wanted me to." The Broncos are managing him sensibly, but he is on pace to be full speed for training camp. His rushing output will likely take a modest step back early in the season as a precaution, but his improved receiving corps gives him a viable path to a mid-range QB2 finish with QB1 upside as the year progresses.

Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

The 2025 No. 1 overall pick enters his second NFL season recovering from a Grade 3 AC joint sprain to his throwing shoulder. Ward has been progressing through a managed throwing program since March and is fully on track for training camp. With Brian Daboll now running the offense and new No. 1 receiver Carnell Tate in the fold, Ward has a legitimately improved situation. Unless something changes this summer, he should be under center in Week 1.

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Jones is coming off a Week 14 Achilles rupture, and the standard nine-month recovery window puts his timeline right at the edge of the season opener. Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen has a capable fallback in the building, and Jones' fantasy ceiling depends on him being healthy enough to sustain a full workload in the passing game and on the ground. Achilles' repairs are notoriously stiff long after physical clearance, and his production will be compromised for the bulk of the year at minimum. He is a risky streaming option at best who needs monitoring throughout the summer before drafters commit to him.

Michael Penix, Atlanta Falcons

A partial ACL tear in Week 11 put Penix in a difficult spot entering an offseason competition with newly signed Tua Tagovailoa. At mandatory minicamp in June, Penix said the expectation is to participate in 11-on-11 drills during training camp once he receives clearance from team doctors. Unless Tua's concussion history surfaces again, Penix is likely backing up in 2026 rather than starting. He is not a standard-league fantasy asset at this point.

Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

Watson's situation borders on Shakespearean at this point. He ruptured his Achilles in October 2024, required a second surgery in January 2025 after a setback during recovery, and missed the entire 2025 season on top of a 2023 campaign lost to shoulder surgery. Cleveland restructured his contract again in March 2026, and Watson is battling Shedeur Sanders for the starting job. Watson himself has said his plan is to be the Browns' QB1, noting he has not been healthy since 2023. He is undraftable in standard fantasy formats unless the summer brings dramatically positive news and a confirmed starting role.

 

 

 

2026 Fantasy Football RB Injury Report

Cam Skattebo, New York Giants

Skattebo suffered one of the most brutal lower-body injuries of the 2025 season: a compound ankle fracture, dislocation, and deltoid ligament tear that ended his year in October. Despite the severity, he was present for voluntary workouts in April and has been progressing steadily. The latest June update indicates his recovery is moving in a positive direction, and he carries a legitimate chance to be ready for Week 1. New head coach John Harbaugh's Baltimore Ravens consistently ranked among the league's top rushing offenses, which is a real boost for the scheme. That said, Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary are both on the roster, and Harbaugh's history of rotating backs means the workload split will need to be monitored throughout camp. The injury caveats and a likely reduced early-season role push him toward a high-upside, elevated-risk RB2 profile rather than a locked-in RB1.

Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns

Judkins fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle in late December. Cleveland is taking the appropriate approach by managing his summer workload while ramping him up for training camp. All current indications point to a Week 1 return with no reported setbacks. Keep an eye on his role clarity in a Browns backfield that will likely be shaped by the outcome of the Watson-Sanders quarterback competition.

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks

Charbonnet tore his ACL in January, and head coach Mike Macdonald has been transparent that the back will miss significant time but will not miss the entire year. The standard nine-month ACL recovery timeline projects Charbonnet for an October or November return. Seattle moved on from Kenneth Walker following his Super Bowl performance and invested the No. 32 overall pick in Jadarian Price while adding Emanuel Wilson in free agency. Charbonnet is a late-round stash at this stage of the offseason, a player worth targeting in the final rounds with an eye toward a second-half pickup if his recovery stays on track.

James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

Conner had foot surgery in September 2025, missed the bulk of the season, and was back for Arizona's spring offseason program in April. He is expected to be ready for camp, but entering his age-31 season, his every-down role is no longer guaranteed. Third overall pick Jeremiyah Love looms as a direct threat to Conner's workload, and free-agent addition Tyler Allgeier gives the Cardinals a capable backup. Conner can produce when healthy but carries more competition risk than at any point in his career.

Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers

Brooks tore his ACL for the first time in 2023, worked back to participate in 2024, then retore the same knee in December 2024. Carolina placed him on PUP in May 2025, costing him the entire 2025 season. Suffering two ACL tears to the same knee in roughly 13 months is a devastating blow to any athlete's trajectory. The Panthers have cleared him and he should be physically available in 2026, but the burst and explosion needed to function as a featured back are legitimate unknowns. He is a dart throw in deep formats, not a player to build around.

Najee Harris, Free Agent

Harris suffered an early-season Achilles tear in 2025 and remained unsigned heading into June 2026. Even if he lands a roster spot, backs returning from Achilles repairs typically deal with reduced explosiveness for at least a season, and Harris was never an explosion-based back to begin with. He is a waiver wire option at best and only worth considering if he signs somewhere with a clear path to carries.

2026 Fantasy Football WR Injury Report

Malik Nabers, New York Giants

The most scrutinized receiver recovery of the offseason has taken some turbulence. Nabers tore his ACL with cartilage damage in Week 4 of 2025, underwent an additional procedure in April related to the ACL and meniscus, and has drawn concern from reports indicating he was not moving well at a celebrity event in June. Giants GM Joe Schoen publicly stated he believes Nabers will be fine for the Week 1 opener against Dallas, but the secondary procedure and visible mobility concerns have dropped his ADP considerably heading into drafts. Given his talent, his true value likely sits in the first two rounds, and if he shows well in training camp that will be an immediate signal to move up. But as of now, this is a live concern, not just offseason noise.

Garrett Wilson, New York Jets

Wilson hyperextended his knee in October, returned, then reaggravated it and landed on injured reserve in November. He has been working back throughout the spring and appears on track for both camp and Week 1 unless he suffers a setback. Jets receiver rooms historically create chaos, but Wilson's volume floor remains high regardless of what is happening around him.

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts

Pierce underwent ankle cleanup surgery in April and faces a three-month recovery that was expected to hold him out of most summer activities. He is being monitored for a potential return during the early portion of training camp in July, and his regular-season status appears unaffected. Pierce led the NFL in yards per reception for the second straight year in 2025. If Daniel Jones misses time or is replaced, it would hurt Pierce's production, as his deep-ball game is dependent on a capable arm at quarterback. Pierce himself is trending toward Week 1 availability, but the QB situation in Indianapolis adds a layer of risk worth pricing in.

Tank Dell, Houston Texans

Dell has the most serious receiver injury situation on this list. He dislocated his knee and tore multiple ligaments including the ACL on Dec. 21, 2024, required multiple surgeries, and missed the entire 2025 season. Houston has been deliberately vague about his timeline heading into 2026. Dell himself has said publicly that he feels "back," but the Texans have not provided any firm target date and continue to treat his rehab as a long-range process. Until Houston gives a concrete update during training camp, Dell cannot be drafted with any confidence about his Week 1 status.

Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans

Ridley fractured his fibula and suffered a high-ankle sprain in a Week 11 contest in 2025. He enters his age-32 season on schedule for the opener, and Tennessee restructured his contract to retain him in the offense with Cam Ward. He is a low-cost WR3/4 with some upside in the right matchups but carries the durability questions that come with any 32-year-old receiver returning from a lower-leg fracture.

Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints

Olave is dealing with a blood clot situation that emerged this offseason. As of June, reports indicate he is progressing well and participated in OTAs and minicamp activity. Blood clots are serious and warrant monitoring, but Olave's training camp performance will be the key indicator of how his fantasy value should be calibrated heading into the season. He is currently going off boards around WR11 in half-PPR drafts, a risk-aware price that accounts for the uncertainty.

Tyreek Hill, Free Agent

There is no sugarcoating this one. Hill suffered a dislocated knee and tore multiple ligaments in September 2025, required an additional surgery this offseason, and enters June 2026 still unsigned and facing the most daunting recovery timeline of his career. He is 32 years old. Even if a team assumes the risk and signs him, the expectation should be at minimum a PUP designation to open the year and a miss of the first four weeks. At full health, the Cheetah's value is tied entirely to speed, which is the exact commodity that knee injuries steal. Do not draft him. If he signs somewhere during camp, evaluate at that point.

 

 

 

2026 Fantasy Football TE Injury Report

Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

Bowers played through a PCL injury and bone bruise in his left knee for the bulk of the 2025 season before the Raiders shut him down in December to protect him for 2026. All offseason reports have been clean and positive. Barring a setback, Bowers should be ready for Week 1 and is firmly in the discussion for the top overall tight end in fantasy drafts. The Raiders' offensive context remains murky, but Bowers generates targets regardless of scheme.

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Kittle suffered an Achilles injury late in the 2025 season, and general manager John Lynch has said he is hopeful Kittle will be ready for Week 1. The conservative expectation, however, is that he opens the year on the Reserve/PUP list and misses the first four games. Kittle will be 33 in October and is returning from one of the most taxing soft-tissue injuries an athlete can sustain. If you draft him, do so at a price that reflects a probable early absence, not a best-case scenario. He is a fringe TE1 for the full season with the upside of a true difference-maker in the second half.

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers

Kraft tore his ACL in early November 2025. There is enough time on the recovery clock to expect him on the field for Week 1. He has shown a knack for the end zone even when targets are limited, and his fantasy floor will be muted compared to his 2025 trajectory. That said, he is a usable TE1 in a Jordan Love-led offense that lost Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks this offseason, creating a larger share of the target tree for those who remain.

Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

LaPorta landed on injured reserve in November after a herniated disc in his back worsened. Dan Campbell said at mandatory minicamp in June that LaPorta was a partial participant and is trending in the right direction, with clearance for training camp potentially coming in July. Back injuries are inherently tricky from a durability standpoint, and Campbell will handle him carefully throughout the summer. The expectation is a Week 1 return, but this requires close monitoring as camp approaches.

David Njoku, Los Angeles Chargers

Njoku suffered a minor knee sprain and missed the final month of the 2025 season before hitting free agency and signing with the Chargers. He is healthy and joined Los Angeles' new-look offense this spring. The Chargers now have a crowded skill position group under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, which limits Njoku's ceiling compared to what he had in Cleveland. He profiles as a streaming-level TE2 in a pass-heavy scheme that should keep him involved in the short and intermediate game.