With rookies already reporting to camp, it’s the right time to check in on the injury situations shaping 2026 fantasy football drafts. Our analysts, including an orthopedic sports surgeon, broke down the recovery timelines, risk factors, and draft-day verdicts for 10 key players working their way back from injury.
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10 Fantasy Football Injury Updates To Know Ahead of NFL Training Camps
Let’s dive into 10 fantasy football injury updates to know ahead of your drafts.
Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
Nabers is currently going as the WR18, 39th overall, a third or fourth round price tag. After a WR6 rookie finish in 2024 and a nine catch, 167 yard, two touchdown effort to open 2025, Nabers suffered a season-ending torn ACL and meniscus. It was reported in May that he also underwent a cleanup procedure this offseason.
The medical read here is that most ACL plus meniscus repairs average about 11 months to return, which would put Nabers close to a September return given his late October surgery. His age, elite athleticism, and top-10 draft pedigree typically predict a faster-than-average recovery. That said, the need for a follow-up cleanup surgery is uncommon, affecting only 1 to 3% of patients, and signals the rehab hasn’t gone perfectly smoothly. Most athletes don’t see their actual return-to-field date pushed back by this, but they often take longer to regain full strength once back. Nabers himself has said he won’t play until he feels close to 100%, which suggests the team could start him on the PUP list or manage his workload early. Even with a clean return, ACL plus meniscus receivers typically need four to six weeks to ramp up target volume.
One analyst is avoiding Nabers at his current third or fourth round cost given all of that uncertainty. Another moved him down to WR22, effectively punting on him as a target this year, citing too many open questions about missed time and workload ramp-up. A third take values him more as a wide receiver three if his price falls beyond the WR24 range, viewing him as a name to pick up cheap rather than pay a premium for.
Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC)
Mahomes is currently the QB13, 97th overall. He was pacing as a top-two fantasy quarterback in 2025 before tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 15. A Sports Illustrated report indicated he’s trending toward a full clearance by the time camp opens.
The medical outlook here is optimistic. Mahomes had surgery the day after his injury in mid-December, and nine months is roughly the average return timeline for a quarterback, which lines up with a Week 1 return. His offseason activities, including golf and dancing, involve rotational movement that would typically expose any residual knee instability, and none has been reported. Quarterbacks generally don’t see a dip in passing production in their first year back from this type of injury, but they do tend to see reduced rushing efficiency and rushing volume for about 12 months, meaning his rushing numbers may not fully normalize until around the playoffs. Mahomes also has a track record of playing through MCL sprains, high ankle sprains, and even a dislocated kneecap, returning from that in as little as two weeks.
One analyst is comfortable taking Mahomes in single-quarterback leagues and pairing him early in the season with a quarterback who has a favorable opening schedule, such as one facing the Saints, Bills, Jets, Panthers, and Cardinals with several games indoors. The other is more hesitant, not because of the injury outlook itself, but due to concerns about his supporting cast aging or coming off injuries, including Travis Kelce getting older and Rashee Rice working back from his own injury.
George Kittle (TE – SF)
Kittle currently sits at TE10, 108th overall. He missed five games last season from a hamstring injury but was pacing as a strong TE1 the rest of the way before tearing his Achilles in the Wild Card game against the Eagles.
Modern Achilles recovery timelines generally fall between five and ten months, and Kittle projects to be right around the eight-month mark for Week 1, giving him a good chance to be active. The bigger concern with Achilles injuries is a typical dip in explosiveness and overall availability, even once a player is technically healthy. The comparison drawn is to NBA star Jayson Tatum’s Achilles recovery, where his shot selection shifted toward more perimeter jump shots and further from the rim, and he wasn’t able to sustain playoff-level intensity for a full series. Kittle graded in the 94th and 98th percentiles in the 40-yard dash and broad jump as an athlete, but he’s also now 32, which could compound the recovery dip. The expectation is a healthy but not peak version of Kittle this season, with a fuller bounce back likely in 2027.
The suggested draft strategy is pairing Kittle with a cheap, upside tight end such as Isaiah Likely, similar to the Mahomes and Jared Goff pairing described above. The deeper a roster’s bench and IR spots, the more sense it makes to take a swing on Kittle given his tight end one talent level even in a down-projection year.
Christian Watson (WR – GB)
Watson is currently the WR27, 57th overall, and enters the season fully healthy for the first time in a while, though he’s missed 20 games across four seasons.
The medical view here is fairly optimistic. Watson’s recurring hamstring strains were tied to a biomechanical asymmetry that was identified and corrected roughly two years ago, making that history less predictive going forward. His ACL tear was described as a clean tear, which typically doesn’t cause ongoing problems, and most players actually see their biggest jump in performance in year two after an ACL tear. With a full offseason to build on that, there isn’t a strong medical reason to view him as a bigger risk than any other player, while acknowledging that most players miss some time at some point in a season.
The skepticism instead comes from usage. Watson has never caught more than roughly 43 passes in a season and has never reached 50, playing in a run-first offense. The talent and ceiling are viewed as real, with a comparison made to the type of breakout season Alec Pierce had, but that hasn’t shown up consistently yet. One analyst remains a lower ranker on Watson as a result, preferring safer receiver options in the first six or seven rounds. The counterpoint is that Green Bay’s receiver room has thinned out behind him, and Watson was pacing as the WR19 at 13.2 points per game when healthy last season, which points toward a real breakout opportunity if the offense leans into targeting him more.
Chris Godwin (WR – TB)
Godwin is currently the WR36, 86th overall, entering a season healthy after missing 30 games across nine seasons, including a fractured ankle in 2024 that delayed the start of his 2025 season.
The data suggests he should look better than he did last year, and he actually finished last season strong, ranking as the WR21 over his final five to six games. Both analysts are in on Godwin. The additional context in his favor includes Mike Evans no longer on the roster, fellow receiver Emeka Egbuka appearing to hit a rookie wall late last season, and reports that Godwin could be viewed as this team’s true number one receiver.
On Egbuka specifically, there’s a data point worth noting: he battled a hamstring issue around Week 6 that likely lingered longer than reported, and that decline tracked closely with a run of injuries to quarterback Baker Mayfield that started in Week 2 and compounded around Weeks 7 and 13. That combination suggests Egbuka’s early-season form, rather than his late-season dip, may be the more reliable baseline for 2026 projections.
Zach Charbonnet (RB – SEA)
Charbonnet is currently the RB44, 132nd overall, coming off a torn ACL with surgery on February 20th.
The medical read here is a clear fade. A Week 1 return would only be about eight months post-surgery, and most players aren’t back that quickly. A more realistic return window is October or November, and even then, a performance dip is likely. Seattle’s own offseason investment in the backfield further points toward a slow-played return, with an effective version of Charbonnet more likely to show up in late November or December.
Both analysts are out. One doesn’t want to roster a player who may not be usable until close to Thanksgiving, and points instead to the team’s other backfield investment as the more attractive redraft option this year.
Tucker Kraft (TE – GB)
Kraft is currently the TE5, 66th overall, coming off a torn ACL suffered in Week 9 last season, a rising price tag for a player working back from a significant injury.
The expectation is that Kraft plays Week 1. Tight ends recovering from this type of injury typically take about four to six weeks, with an average closer to four, to ramp back up to a normal workload. Kraft is considered a young player entering his athletic peak, testing in the 95th percentile at the position, and the expectation is a strong season overall, with his best stretch likely coming in the second half once he’s fully ramped up. Both analysts are in on Kraft at his current cost, with one ranking him right in line with his current TE5 consensus.
Bucky Irving (RB – TB)
Irving is currently the RB21, 54th overall. He underwent offseason surgery to repair a lingering shoulder issue and also dealt with foot and ankle injuries that cost him seven games last season.
The shoulder injury, suffered in Week 5, appears to explain most of his decline. Comparing his first four weeks of the season to the rest of the year, Irving saw roughly 70% drop-offs in targets, yards after contact, and receiving yards, while his rushing production held relatively steady. That split lines up with what would be expected from a shoulder injury specifically limiting receiving work. Labrum surgery generally projects a return to pre-injury performance, with a recurrence rate of around 15%, which isn’t considered especially high.
Both analysts are in on Irving. One notes a personal history of underestimating him dating back to the draft process, when he was viewed as too small and too slow, only for him to outperform those concerns on the field, including last year when the team didn’t ease him back in and instead handed him the lead role right away.
Cam Skattebo (RB – NYG)
Skattebo is currently the RB19, 50th overall, coming off a right ankle dislocation, fractured tibia, and ruptured deltoid ligament suffered in Week 8 last year. He’s already been seen doing backflips at charity softball games this offseason.
The expectation is that he plays Week 1 with no limitations. Big ankle fractures and dislocations like this do typically carry about a 12-month dip in efficiency, but his short-yardage role is expected to hold up regardless, which still carries real fantasy value, particularly if it keeps quarterback Jaxson Dart out of unnecessary contact. His peak level of performance likely doesn’t show up until closer to late October. It’s also worth noting he was an underrated receiving option in his rookie profile, a role that should carry over and add to his floor.
Both analysts are in, with rankings between RB19 and RB23 depending on the analyst, both in the same overall tier. On the broader question of whether smaller running backs like Skattebo and Irving carry more long-term injury risk, the medical view is that there isn’t strong data to support that as a size-driven trend. Players who have carried a similar frame their whole careers, such as Devin Achane, have held up fine as workhorses. The bigger red flag is a smaller, thinner overall frame rather than height or listed weight specifically.
Jonathon Brooks (RB – CAR)
Brooks is currently the RB43, 130th overall. He tore his ACL in college in late November 2024, and the initial surgery reportedly didn’t take, requiring a second surgery before he ever played an NFL snap.
Roughly half of players who suffer a repeat ACL tear don’t return to their pre-injury level. Brooks’ true pre-injury level is hard to pin down since he barely played, but he was highly touted and productive both in college and entering the league, which supports a high ceiling if he does get back to that form. The factors that most often predict players not returning to form, being a late-round pick or a lower-level athlete, don’t apply here, and his young age also works in his favor. The one area of real concern is Dynasty value, since a second ACL tear tends to cause accumulating damage to the meniscus and cartilage that protect long-term knee health and production.
The verdict is a reasonable swing to take in redraft leagues, with both analysts moving him up into the low-to-mid 40s overall in their personal rankings, while being far more hesitant to invest in him for Dynasty formats.
FAQ: 2026 Fantasy Football Injury Updates
Will Malik Nabers play Week 1 in 2026?
It’s uncertain. Most data suggests he’s leaning toward missing Week 1 given his ACL and meniscus repair, and the fact that he needed a rare follow-up cleanup procedure this offseason. Even if he does play, ACL plus meniscus receivers typically need four to six weeks to ramp up target volume, so he may not look like himself early in the season.
Is Patrick Mahomes expected to be ready for Week 1 after his ACL and MCL injury?
Yes. Mahomes had surgery the day after his injury in mid-December, and a nine-month average recovery timeline for quarterbacks lines up with a Week 1 return. His offseason activity, including golf and dancing, hasn’t shown signs of lingering knee instability.
How will George Kittle‘s Achilles injury affect his 2026 production?
Kittle is expected to play Week 1, but Achilles injuries commonly cause a dip in explosiveness and overall availability even once a player is cleared. A stronger, fuller version of Kittle is more likely in 2027, with this season projected as good but not peak production.
Is Christian Watson a safe pick in 2026 after his injury history?
Medically, yes. His recurring hamstring issues were traced to a biomechanical asymmetry that’s since been corrected, and his ACL tear was a clean tear that shouldn’t cause ongoing problems. The bigger question for his fantasy value is offensive usage, since he’s never caught more than roughly 43 passes in a season.
Is Zach Charbonnet worth drafting after his ACL tear?
No, based on the recovery timeline. A Week 1 return would only be about eight months post-surgery, and a more realistic return is October or November, with a performance dip even after he’s back on the field.
When will Tucker Kraft be back to full strength after his ACL tear?
He’s expected to play Week 1, with tight ends typically needing about four to six weeks to ramp back up to a normal workload. His best stretch of the season is projected to come in the second half once he’s fully ramped up.
Will Cam Skattebo be limited to start the 2026 season after his ankle injury?
He’s expected to play Week 1 with no limitations, though major ankle fractures and dislocations typically carry about a 12-month dip in efficiency. His short-yardage and receiving role is expected to hold up regardless, with peak performance more likely by late October.
Is Jonathon Brooks worth drafting after multiple ACL surgeries?
He’s viewed as a reasonable swing in redraft leagues. His draft pedigree and college production suggest a high ceiling if he returns to form, and the factors that typically predict a player not recovering fully don’t apply to him. The bigger concern is long-term Dynasty value, given the added risk to knee health from a second ACL tear.
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