Injury Updates in Fantasy Football You Need to Know

Cole VanWiechen

Jul 11- 10 min read

Injury Updates in Fantasy Football You Need to Know

As the 2022 Fantasy Football season inches closer, it is time to take an updated look at some injured players. These can be players who are coming off injuries and are practicing like Michael Thomas, or players who are currently injured and not practicing with their team. Injury updates in fantasy football are crucial as players going into the regular season injury designations become must avoid players in your drafts.

Last season there were a few players who came into the season with injury designations. Some of those players got healthy and performed quite well like Dak Prescott, and D’Andre Swift while some underperformed or barely even played, looking at you Michael Thomas.

J.K. Dobbins (RB) – Baltimore Ravens

J.K Dobbins is reportedly behind on his ACL recovery, and John Harbaugh has said that he does not expect him to be ready for training camp. Multiple beat reporters for the Ravens have suggested that Dobbins ACL tear was much worse than originally reported. There is no defined timetable for Dobbins return, but it is expected he will miss the preseason games, and the Ravens are hopeful he will be healthy by the start of the regular season.

🚨It is highly unlikely that JK Dobbins plays during the preseason, as he continues to recover from last season’s ACL injury.

Again, this is a very talented player who I am avoiding in ALL drafts this year.

— Joe Beldner (@JoeBeldner) July 2, 2022

If he does miss time Gus Edwards will be thrust into the RB1 role for the Ravens, and I think he could be a steal at his current ADP of 176. Edwards is also coming off an ACL tear, but since no one knows the extent of either player’s injuries Edwards may be the value play in the 14th round. Dobbins has a current ADP of 46 which is around round four. I am not confident in drafting Dobbins this season, as the reports of his injury just keep getting worse and no one knows the full extent of it. You can find where Dobbins ranks among the top RBs in our running back rankings.

Michael Gallup (WR) – Dallas Cowboys

Michael Gallup tore his ACL in week 17 last season, but he is apparently progressing very well. He will not be ready by the start of next season and is expected to miss at least six weeks. That is October at the earliest, and more likely November. When healthy, Gallup has sky-high potential as the WR2 in a Cowboys offense that had the sixth most passing attempts last season.

Rookie WR Jalen Tolbert, and TE Dalton Schultz who had 104 targets last season will drastically benefit from Gallup being out. Gallup is someone I am not drafting until the last or second last rounds as he will be missing almost half the season, but has the potential to be a Flex/WR3.

Michael Thomas (WR) – New Orleans Saints

Michael Thomas is starting to practice for the Saints again which is a very positive sign for his fantasy value. He has not had a healthy season since 2019 when he broke the NFL reception record (149) and finished as the WR1 by over 4 fantasy points a game. in 2020, when he was healthy in weeks 11-14 he commanded a staggering 33% target share and averaged an elite 2.86 yards per route run. There is no set timetable for Thomas return, and I’m not sure the Saints themselves even know when he will be back on the field.

INJURY UPDATE: @Saints WR Michael Thomas (ankle) resumes ‘route running’ pic.twitter.com/Wbrp8fySmN

— The Fantasy Source 🔮🏈 (@FantasySource_) July 2, 2022

Should he miss time Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry’s fantasy values will spike up. Thomas is a guy I am very comfortable drafting in round seven because if he is able to stay healthy this season he has all the potential in the world to be a top 5 WR. Find our 2022 Fantasy Football wide receiver rankings here.

Chris Godwin (WR) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Chris Godwin is expected to miss at least the first six weeks of the season. This is a guy who had 1,103 receiving yards last season on 98 receptions and 127 targets. If he does miss an extended period of time, fellow WR Russell Gage will benefit massively. Gage is currently going as the WR45 but should perform like a top 30 WR until Godwin is healthy. Godwin is currently being selected before guys like Amari Cooper, Darnell Mooney, and Courtland Sutton, but those are players I would much rather have for a full season rather than Godwin for half.

James Robinson (RB) – Jacksonville Jaguars

James Robinson suffered an Achilles injury in week 16 and then had surgery in late December. Experts expect him to be active by opening day but only around 60% healed. He is also not expected to be 100% healed until at least November.

#Jaguars confirm that RB James Robinson tore his Achilles and his season is over. A tough, tough injury this late in the year.

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 26, 2021

This should cement Travis Etienne as the Jags RB1 even though he is coming off an injury of his own. James Robinson is currently being drafted as the RB37 going in round nine. He is someone who I am avoiding in most of my drafts, but if he falls to the tenth or eleventh round I could see myself taking him.

Robert Woods (WR) – Tennessee Titans

Robert Woods tore his ACL back in November during a week 9 game against the Tennessee Titans. Sources inside the Titans have said he is looking towards a 10-12 month recovery as he is over 30 years of age. This means the best case for Woods is that he is healthy by week one, and the worst case is that he misses 6-8 weeks. If he does miss a significant period of time I think Treylon Burk’s fantasy value will go up drastically.

Woods current value is around rounds eight and nine, and I am all on in on him there. Reports are that Burks is struggling in training camp and that Woods should be the WR1 whenever he is healthy and could see over 100 targets this season.