It’s never too early to check in on player injury statuses ahead of the 2022 season, and our news desk has you covered. Let’s take a look at the latest injury news and notes around the NFL.
Get the FantasyPros News App for iOS and Android now 
Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.
DeVonta Smith dealing with groin injury
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is dealing with a groin injury and will not practice Thursday according to The Athletic’s Zach Berman. (Source: Zach Berman on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Smith’s groin injury will be monitored daily but is not believed to be serious. Smith was present and engaged at practice but was held out due to an abundance of caution this early. Currently, the team is confident he should be ready for next week’s first preseason game against the New York Jets. Smith heads into this regular season looking to build on his rookie season where he finished with 64 receptions for 916 yards and five touchdowns as an underutilized weapon in a run-first offense. If Smith can take the next step this season and take advantage of defenses scheming to focus more on new teammate AJ Brown, Smith has a chance to be as much of a sleeper as a player less than two years removed from a Heisman Trophy can be.
Dalvin Cook (hand) practices fully on Wednesday
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook participated fully in Wednesday afternoon’s padded practice. (Source: Kevin Seifert on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: There had been some concern regarding a hand injury that limited him in Tuesday’s sessions, but he practiced without issue yesterday. The story remains the same for the 27-year-old back. If he can stay healthy, he could be in the top 5 running backs in the league. It is encouraging for fantasy managers that he was able to return to full participation quickly and continues to have a top 10 ADP.
Matthew Stafford dealing with a tendon issue in his throwing elbow
Matthew Stafford is reportedly dealing with a tendon issue in his throwing elbow that’ll limit his throwing in practice. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Rapoport said the injury is described as “bad tendinitis.” He added that Stafford had a procedure on the elbow in the offseason, but it was not surgery. We have seen Stafford play through injuries throughout his career, so there is no need to worry too much yet but it will be worth monitoring throughout the rest of training camp, preseason and into the regular season.
Trey McBride misses practice with back soreness
Cardinals rookie TE Trey McBride has missed the past couple practices because of back soreness. (Source: Josh Weinfuss on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: McBride, who was a second-round pick for the Cardinals this year, has missed the last couple of practices because of lingering back soreness. It doesn’t project to be serious, and the team just wants him to be 100% for their preseason games. For fantasy purposes, McBride could be worth a late pick at the end of bestball drafts.
While the redraft season is still a few months away, you can draft anytime by participating in best ball leagues! We have you covered with our best ball content, rankings, average draft position (ADP), and mock draft simulator.
2022 Consensus Best Ball Rankings
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
