21 injuries that will impact fantasy football drafts

The biggest story to rock the fanatsy world this week was the news of ‘s The injury requires surgery and will likely land him on the injured reserve/designated to return list rendering him out until Week 10 (Houston has a Week 9 bye). Foster’s fantasy value for the season is almost completely sapped, depleting the elite fantasy running back pool by one. The will scramble to fill the void left by Foster and the entire Houston offense is likely to suffer from his absence. The Foster news was big, but there are a slew of other injuries to make note of around the NFL. That’s why we’ve compiled this handy list that you can use to ensure you avoid drafting an hobbled player this season. Check back all preseason long as we’ll be updating as more news breaks. Of major concern, WR, PITInjury: ElbowSeverity: ModerateAnalysis: Unfortunate news came out of camp earlier this week as sophomore receiver reportedly to clear up an infection in his elbow. He will be sidelined for about two weeks and will mi s the Game against the on Sunday. Bryant, a , was inching his way up draft boards as his hype train had left the station weeks ago. With Bryant absent, has a chance to cement a consistent role for himself if he can make the most of this opportunity. talked Wheaton up earlier in the week dubbing him a and confirming that he is the team’s No. 2 wideout in two-receiver sets. This camp competition is officially on, once Bryant is healthy enough to return to practice. , WR, ARIInjury: Hand/fingersSeverity: SevereAnalysis: There has been a fair deal of hype surrounding the potential of the ‘ receiving corps this offseason with the return of a healthy . But late Wednesday evening, it was reported that had that required surgery, which the receiver confirmed on social media: Surgery went well as expected. Thanks everyone for the love and support. Michael Floyd (@MichaelMFloyd) , WR, WASInjury: ShoulderSeverity: HighAnalysis: According to NFL Media’s Rand Getlin, will be out for with a separated shoulder. Jackson is the No. 1 wideout in Washington and other than , there isn’t much depth at the position behind him. Hopefully the “few weeks” estimate doesn’t carry into regular season games, but it is something to be cautious of when drafting. I’m told DeSean Jackson is expected to mi s “a few weeks” as a result of the shoulder injury he suffered today (as said). Rand Getlin (@RandGetlin) , WR, BALInjury: KneeSeverity: ModerateAnalysis: The rookie receiver is in a prime situation to become the top target in Baltimore’s offense this season with the lack of depth at his position. Unfortunately, hasn’t practiced in several days as he deals with a knee injury and, according to head coach John Harbaugh the wideout may be out leaving the matter open-ended. Mi sed practice time in training camp can be extremely detrimental for any rookie looking to develop his pro skills and catch up to the speed of the NFL game. At his current Round 11 ADP in NFL.com leagues, Perriman comes as a bargain with a ton of potential, but if this knee becomes a long-term i sue it could hamper his early season production. Minor tweaks, RB, GBInjury: FootSeverity: LowAnalysis: One of fantasy’s elite running backs, , had to leave a practice se sion earlier this week with foot sorene s. coach Mike McCarthy , but it’s something worth bookmarking in case it becomes a lingering i sue. In Lacy’s stead, received all of the first team reps, solidifying his role as the clear-cut handcuff in the Green Bay backfield. Any fantasy owners who draft Lacy, who is locked in as a top-five running back this season, would be remi s to not target Starks later in drafts for insurance. , RB, BUFInjury: ToeSeverity: LowAnalysis: Shady in training camp due to what was referred to as a “minor toe injury.” McCoy on Thursday, so it doesn’t seem like anything that would be worth fantasy fans panicking over, but it is worth noting since toe injuries can be of the lingering nature. In McCoy’s stead, veteran received first team reps in practice and will likely serve as Shady’s handcuff during the season. We feel much better about McCoy’s fantasy status now that he is back at full strength in practice. , WR, CHIInjury: ShoulderSeverity: LowAnalysis: The ‘ No. 1 receiver apparently suffered a shoulder injury in training camp practice. said he was the same day that he was injured but was seen in practice without pads on the following day. It was reported as a sprained AC joint, but fortunately it is . Let’s hope Jeffery, who is arguably a top-10 fantasy receiver this season, can get back to action sooner rather than later. , WR, NEInjury: AnkleSeverity: LowAnalysis: A report from training camp confirm that toward the end of a practice se sion last weekend. Fortunately it seems like just a minor i sue as Edelman donned full pads a few days later but remained limited as a precaution. This is one to monitor as preseason games approach, since Edelman will remain one of the most targeted receivers. But knowing the way New England likes to keep injury information under wraps, we may not know more about his status until something is witne sed by beat reporters on the scene. Recovery updates, RB, STLInjury: Knee/torn ACLSeverity: ModerateAnalysis: At this point, one can expect a weekly update on ‘s ACL rehab. The latest word from coach Jeff Fisher is that the team plans to take a approach with the talented Gurley. Fisher said that the Georgia product is making progre s, but he can’t say if there will be any preseason snaps in store for the rookie just yet. So just a week after the fantasy world rejoiced about Gurley avoiding the PUP list to start camp, it’s a situation that still requires close monitoring. Right now, it doesn’t seem like Gurley will be a factor in fantasy early in the season, so draft accordingly. Also, this week that is still around. Mason is getting overlooked in drafts due to Gurley hype, so if you have an opportunity to steal him later in your draft, pull the trigger. If you’re looking for additional analysis on the subject, our staff weighed in on in an instant debate earlier in the week. , QB, PHIInjury: Knee/torn ACLSeverity: LowAnalysis: was cleared for 11-on-11 drills and has according to coach Chip Kelly. Bradford is one of our this preseason and could be a sneaky valuable steal on draft day, as long as he remains healthy. , RB, DETInjury: Knee, AchillesSeverity: ModerateAnalysis: The No. 1 running back remains on the PUP list in camp, and therefore has yet to practice. A recent report by claimed that Bell will likely suit up for the preseason games, the first of which is on August 13th against the . While that is a good sign, we cannot be certain that he’s 100 percent healthy until we see him get some practice reps in camp. Rookie remains a late-round target with loads of upside in fantasy drafts. If Bell does have to mi s any regular season action, we could see Abdullah joined by an a sorted committee of , and undrafted rookie . For now though, the remain confident about Bell’s status for the season opener, so fantasy owners should be as well. , WR, CHIInjury: ShinSeverity: HighAnalysis: First-round pick may mi s the first six weeks of the season as he recovers from a shin injury that has kept him sidelined since OTAs back in June. early Thursday, the rookie “may not be back anytime soon. Actually a real chance right now that he will not be ready, will remain on PUP list when the season starts.” The West Virginia product has a Round 8 ADP in NFL.com fantasy drafts, but that number is sure to slip, especially if he remains sidelined into the preseason. If White does indeed sit out for the fist half of the fantasy regular season, veteran could be featured in the ‘ pa sing attack. White’s injury also leaves the door open for third-year receiver to emerge as a viable fantasy option as he could end up as the team’s No. 2 opposite . fans will want to pay close attention to Chicago’s pa sing corps once preseson games are underway. , WR, MIAInjury: FootSeverity: ModerateAnalysis: Miami’s first round draft pick remains sidelined as he rehabs from foot surgery. Wide receiver began camp on the PUP list after going under the knife just two months ago. The original timetable for Parker’s return was Week 1 of the regular season, but Maimi head coach Joe Philbin said Tuesday that he is If the Louisville product mi ses most or all of the preseason it would be tough to recommend him as a fantasy option especially with the depth at wide receiver. , , and are all in the mix for targets. Hamstrung, RB, DALInjury: HamstringSeverity: LowAnalysis: Dallas running back mi sed a significant chunk of OTAs, has yet to practice in training camp and remains on the PUP list with a hamstring injury. But owner Jerry Jones doesn’t seem concerned about the veteran’s status for the team’s season opener against the in September. “I’m thankful it’s happening right now,” . “The plan for these guys is to be out there against the … everything I see, he should be ready,” the owner added. McFadden’s status is concerning from a fantasy perspective as he’s been notoriously fragile throughout his career. While McFadden is sidelined, has a window of opportunity to prove that he’s capable of being Dallas’ starting running back. fans would love nothing more than for a leader to emerge in a featured role here, but from camp keep pushing the notion that a frustrating running back committee will be in place once the season is underway. When McFadden is healthy and practicing again, the Dallas backfield situation will only grow murkier than it already is. | , RBs, ATLInjury: HamstringSeverity: LowAnalysis: Atlanta is looking to revamp its run game this season after a 2014 campaign in which the team ranked in the bottom half of the league in terms of rushing production. Enter rookie , a favorite among fantasy enthusiasts to usurp the starting role over incumbent . Alas, Coleman this week which will keep him sidelined for an unknown amount of time. Adding to the chaos in the Atlanta backfield, Freeman and will also mi s some time. It’s unfortunate news, as Freeman was apparently impre sing thus far in camp. is next in line for reps with Coleman and Freeman out, followed by and undrafted rookie out of Oregon State (brother of Devner defender ). According to , Ward has shown that “he can be a versatile a set if needed” and “looks like a potential steal,” so his progre s is something to keep tabs on while the starters are out. Dan Quinn said Devonta Freeman had a strained hamstring vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) | , RBs, CLEInjury: Calf | HamstringSeverity: ModerateAnalysis: The backfield was as two of the team’s top three backs suffered injuries during Cleveland’s first padded practice. (calf) and rookie (hamstring) are both slated to mi s some practice time. While West’s injury isn’t severe, there have been whispers that the sophomore back is “on thin ice” as far as making Cleveland’s final roster due to maturity i sues. Johnson’s hamstring injury is more cause for concern as the young Miami product has a history with similar ailments. We’re taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the backfield for fantasy purposes, but as it stands now, is the safest draft pick mainly because he’s the only healthy runner in Cleveland. Honorable mentions, RB, BUFInjury: CalfSeverity: HighAnalysis: Anthony “Boobie” Dixon was steeped in a camp battle for backup duty in the backfield behind and . That is until he pulled a calf earlier in the week. It’s an injury that coach Rex Ryan said is and could cause Dixon to be out for up to a month. Dixon’s injury leaves room for and to compete for the No. 3 role. For fantasy purposes though, none of Buffalo’s backups will have much value unle s McCoy or Jackson have to mi s playing time, so don’t go rushing out to draft any of the aforementioned alternates. , WR, NYJInjury: RibsSeverity: SevereAnalysis: The upgraded at wide receiver this offseason with the acquisition of . Gang Green also selected Ohio St. product in the second round of the draft, a wideout who was battling for the No. 3 receiver spot with . But Smith in practice late last week which will keep him out for four to six weeks according to reports. While he may be healthy enough to play at some point early on in the regular season, it will be difficult for him to make an impact as he’s mi sing camp and preseason reps. Smith is not a factor in fantasy drafts. , WR, CLEInjury: HamstringSeverity: LowAnalysis: Although it’s a longshot for the former quarterback transitioning to wide receiver to bring any value to the table in fantasy this season, his hamstring injury is worth noting. He reportedly the hamstring earlier this week which led to mi sed practice time. As noted by our cohort Kevin Patra, mi sing practice time for a player learning a new position is never a good thing. Again, Pryor is a far cry from landing on the fantasy radar, so don’t lose sleep over this one. Matt Franciscovich is an a sociate fantasy editor at NFL.com. His nickname around the NFL Media office is Franchise, and he’s totally cool with it. If you’re looking to kill some more time, be sure to check out his and follow him Tavis Lee Jersey on Twitter for fantasy advice all season long __.