Quarterbacks
Sam Bradford , ARI – When you see his name in an article like this, your natural reaction is to say, “of course,” and while that’s not out of line, it may actually be a bit of an exaggeration. True, he’s only appeared in all 16 games of a season just twice in his career, but he did appear in 14 games for the Eagles in 2014 and in 15 for the Vikings in 2016. So yes, he’s missed time to injuries, but he’s actually finished as a top-20 quarterback in four of his seven years in the NFL. Now, obviously, that’s not what you look for in a QB1, but if you’re looking for a back-up and your starting quarterback has an early bye week, then Bradford might just be worth a late pick. He’s got a strong pass-catching running back in David Johnson to support him and he’s throwing regularly to Larry Fitzgerald . Could he use more targets? Of course. But they may reveal themselves further into the season and you could do a lot worse than Bradford as your back-up if he stays healthy.
Cam Newton , CAR – There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of concern over Newton’s offseason surgery to repair ligament and cartilage damage in his right knee, so it would appear that he will be 100-percent good-to-go for the start of training camp. Injuries are nothing new for the Panthers quarterback as he’s had his fair share ranging from shoulder problems to concussions to knee and ankle problems. Still, he manages to withstand the bumps and bruises and has been in the top-five of fantasy scoring quarterbacks in five of the last seven years. In fact, he’s been top-two in two of the last three seasons. You never want to be the one left holding the bag when the bottom falls out, but unless we hear some early-camp reports that his knee is a problem, this doesn’t appear to be a year to avoid him.
Aaron Rodgers , GB – The last time Rodgers was rebounding from a season lost to a broken collarbone, he threw for almost 4,400 yards and had a 38:5 TD:INT. Does that give you enough hope for a strong performance this season? Probably. And it should, for the most part. We cannot ignore the fact that he lost his favorite target in Jordy Nelson and wasn’t happy about it, but he does still have a strong rapport with Davante Adams and the team did get him a new red-zone toy in Jimmy Graham . But that’s neither here nor there for the sake of this piece. We’re talking injuries here and given the nature of his, we probably don’t need to worry too much about him being a repeat customer at the triage unit because of it.
Deshaun Watson , HOU – While modern medicine has turned the repair of a torn ACL into a routine procedure, we cannot just dismiss this injury as if it’s no big deal. Based on his ranking and current ADP numbers, no one seems to be scared off, but if you’re one of the many who look to take him in the fifth round as your QB1, you need to make sure you’re properly prepared. He suffered a torn ACL in his right knee last year and back in 2014, he suffered the same injury to his left. Reports of his recovery have all been positive and the Texans are going to have him play the game as he always has, including just as many read-options and designed runs as they’ve done in the past. That’s great news so long as his knees stay intact, but if you draft him, make sure you take a strong option as a back-up to keep yourself protected. We love Watson as a fantasy stud this season, but you always need to prepare for the worst.
Andrew Luck , IND – You would think after all this time we’d finally get a straight story from someone close to the situation, but the reports remain murky at best still. Luck was supposedly seen throwing footballs back in early June but he later told the media he had actually been throwing privately back in May. Then we started getting reports that the footballs he was throwing were not NFL footballs, but ones used in high school – smaller and lighter weight. Colts GM Chris Ballard claims that Luck is expected to be ready at some point during training camp, but how are we supposed to believe anything that comes out of anyone’s mouth on that team? The fantasy community is decisively split with half saying they won’t touch him and the other half saying he’s a must-draft. If you subscribe to the former, then stay the course and let it be someone else’s headache. If it’s the latter, then understand just how much risk is involved. It’s not just his health you need to take into account. You also have to understand that the offensive line is trash (Dan Malin generously ranks then 16th) and if they struggle to protect their quarterback, he’s likely to get banged up once gain. Imagine the two-year struggle in recovery being wiped away completely when a 300-pound defensive lineman drills him into the ground shoulder-first. Simply put, you can’t say he’ll be the same Andrew Luck he once was and given the depth at the position, there are plenty of other options which come with far less risk.
Ryan Tannehill , MIA – After missing the final three games of 2016 with a sprained ACL and MCL, Tannehill suffered the full ACL tear in the pre-season last year and missed the entire season. But he’s back now and he’s already taken part in OTAs without a brace on his knee, so the reports of him being a full-participant for mini and training camp seem like they’ll come to fruition. Now the question remains…do you want him? In leagues of 12 teams or fewer he’s not a QB1 and he’s probably a stretch in 14-team leagues as well.
Jameis Winston , TB – While everyone is focused on the four-game suspension for groping an Uber driver, people seem to be forgetting the shoulder issue that caused Winston to miss three games last year and post his least-productive season as an NFL quarterback. Rumors swirled that the shoulder was more of a problem than Winston let on to his coaches, but there doesn’t seem to be a high level of concern for the injury moving forward. At least, that’s what the general consensus believes, although the comments regarding Winston’s issues with the deep ball persist as even his coach, Dirk Koetter, has pointed it out during the offseason. You’re going to have to take a wait-and-see approach if you’re wondering whether the injury will re-emerge once he starts throwing regularly again, but with the first four weeks off, it seems unlikely that the shoulder will be a major concern.
Running Backs
David Johnson , ARI – It was a huge bummer for Johnson owners when he suffered a broken wrist in Week 1 of last season and missed the entire rest of the year, but it’s not like it was a knee or a leg issue that would hamper his ability to cut-and-run moving forward. Yes, the offensive line in Arizona could use a little help and yes, he is dealing with a brand-new coach and offensive scheme, but from an injury standpoint, there doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about here. Unless the guy has little baby wrists that will snap like twigs when a defender hacks at the ball, Johnson should be just fine and ready to continue as one of the top running backs in the game.
D’Onta Foreman, HOU – The Texans actually placed Foreman on the PUP list here in late-July as the running back is still recovering from the ruptured Achilles he suffered back in Week 11 of last season. We’ve seen this injury take up to a full year to heal for some athletes, so it really makes him a tough guy to draft this season, even for depth purposes. When healthy, he would be your handcuff for Lamar Miller , but with so much uncertainty right now, fantasy owners are going to need to turn elsewhere unless they have an IR spot on the bench they want to use to stash him. Is that recommended? Not really, but you can always hold out hope.
Marlon Mack , IND – Few people realized that Mack played through a torn labrum in his shoulder last year until he underwent offseason surgery to repair the issue. After a somewhat slow recovery, he was recently cleared to begin training camp and will open up as the Colts lead back. You’re going to hear a lot about Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines early as the coaching staff eases Mack in, so that may affect his ADP and how the public views him, but the Colts still believe he can be their guy. Handcuffing him is definitely the wise move, but as long as he remains healthy through camp and isn’t showing any ill-effects of the injury, he should prove to be a productive fantasy asset this season.
.jpg)
Leonard Fournette , JAC – He’s only listed here because nagging foot and ankle issues caused him to miss three games last season and yielded some extra work for T.J. Yeldon and Corey Grant . However, the Jaguars don’t seem to be concerned that these injuries will bother him this year and are even more encouraged by the fact that Fournette walked into camp about 10 pounds lighter than last year and is now sitting at his collegiate weight of roughly 225 pounds. He should be just fine this season and remains a strong late first-round option.
Spencer Ware , KC – He missed the entire 2017 season with a torn PCL and LCL and is still being eased into workouts right now. He was limited to individual drills during June mini-camp and the coaching staff is going to take it slow with him here at the start of training camp as well. He’s still considered the favorite for the No. 2 job behind Kareem Hunt , but he’s going to have to prove himself against the likes of Charcandrick West , Damien Williams and Kerwynn Williams , so be careful with handcuffing during early drafts.
Kareem Hunt , KC – He was actually a late-add to this piece only because he is currently dealing with hamstring issues. He was limited to individual drills during mini-camp and he has yet to be cleared for contact at this time. We fully expect him to be cleared soon and he’ll be the lead back in the Chiefs offense, but we all know how these soft-tissue injuries can linger if he pushes himself too hard, too soon. Just keep a watchful eye, is all we’re saying.
Dalvin Cook , MIN – After suffering a torn ACL in Week 4 of the 2017 season, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of concern regarding Cook’s recovery or outlook for the upcoming season. The Vikings are expected to ease him back in with limited reps, but after watching him work with a knee-brace in mini-camp and drills, the team is ready to watch him participate in full pads during their first full session in training camp. He doesn’t appear to have any limitations, so unless you hear something dramatic, consider him a full-go for this season and feel confident in drafting him in the late-first/early-second round of all drafts.
Darren Sproles , PHI – He’s 35-years old and suffered both a broken wrist and a torn ACL during Week 3 of the 2017 season. Do we really want to put our trust in him? No. Not only is he undersized and way past his prime, he’s also playing behind both Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement in the backfield. He’s even competing for touches with Wendell Smallwood and Donnell Pumphrey right now. Will his reputation maybe get him a few more touches than he really deserves at this stage of his career? Probably. But Father Time catches up to everyone and while early reports have him looking spry in camp, he is insanely risky to own.
Chris Thompson , WAS – He suffered a broken fibula back in Week 10 of last season and is already considered a limited participant early on, but fantasy owners should be encouraged by the fact that he was not placed on the PUP list to open camp. He’s actually trying to be smart about his recovery process as he’s now eight weeks in to a recovery that was originally estimated at four-to-six weeks. According to reports, had it been in-season and he was pushing to come back, he would already be ready, but he wanted to take it slow to ensure that the knee was fully healed before he put it to the test of camp. Look for him to continue taking it slow with his focus being on Week 1 and expect to see some limited work during the preseason as he gears up for the regular season. He is fully expected to be on the field for the season-opener and will be the Redskins’ third-down back.
Wide Receivers
Kelvin Benjamin , BUF – We saw so much promise in him during his rookie campaign, but injuries continue to put a damper on his upside. The most recent issue, his knee, caused him problems while his time with the Panthers was winding down and it spilled into his time spent with the Bills last year after the trade. Reports during OTAs seemed positive enough as he was described as both “leaner and stronger,” but we need to see what he looks like in full pads while getting jacked up on the line by defensive backs. He’s struggled against physical coverage and he has trouble getting separation. Whether it was the injury or him holding back because of injury concern is not yet known, but we should be able to make an assessment early in camp. He’s not exactly our dream target, though, as his injury history and his sketchy quarterback situation in Buffalo aren’t shining all that bright of an outlook on him right now.
Allen Robinson , CHI – The new No. 1 for Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears is working his way back from a torn ACL, but he’s already been cleared for full practice at camp. The team is going to ease him in early on, so don’t be concerned if he sits out a day or two during the first couple of weeks and only sees limited action during preseason games. His coaches have full confidence in him and he should be viewed as a solid early-round target in all drafts.
Randall Cobb , GB – Roughly six weeks ago, the veteran Packers receiver underwent surgery to clean out some cartilage from his ankle, but the team is downplaying the procedure as well as the reports of Cobb being spotted in a walking boot just one month ago. From everything we are hearing, the team is just being cautious with him as he was already taking first-team reps when camp opened. From a football standpoint, it should be interesting to see exactly how Cobb is used now that Jordy Nelson is gone, but from an injury standpoint, it looks like everything should be fine.
DeVante Parker , MIA – On top of being one of the biggest busts of the 2014 draft, Parker is already disappointing people with his lackluster performance early in camp. There are questions as to whether or not it could be related to his lingering ankle issues which cost him three games last season, so make sure you keep that in mind when looking at him in drafts. While the team claims he is healthy, the mention of the injury means either they’re looking for excuses or he really isn’t back to full-strength. Either way, we believe he should be avoided.
Julian Edelman , NE – So tough to deal with a player like Edelman right now. On top of him returning from a torn ACL he suffered last season, we also know he’s been tagged with a four-game suspension for PEDs use. Right off the bat you lose him for the first four games of the season but then that should also put the question in your mind as to whether the PEDs use was because he was struggling to recover from his knee injury or if this was something more long-term for him. The fact that he plays for the Patriots and is a favorite of Tom Brady ’s means he’ll always garner a higher draft slot than you’d like, so you’re going to have to watch him real closely during camp to see if the knee is 100-percent and he is worthy of being taken where his current 75.71 ADP has him slotted. Consider it cautious optimism for now.
Odell Beckham , NYG – If there was any concern regarding Beckham’s recovery from the broken ankle he suffered in Week 5 of last year, you can apparently put it to bed after he was a full-participant in last Thursday’s practice. While you may see him held back every so often, it is strictly the coaches and training staff keeping him fresh and protected from any unnecessary wear-and-tear. So from an injury standpoint, there should be no worry, but, of course, he’s still a bit of a head-case and lacks the maturity you’d like to see in a No. 1 play-maker.
Quincy Enunwa , NYJ – There are a lot of people in the fantasy industry who are promoting Enunwa as a late-round sleeper as he appears to be fully recovered from the bulging disc in his neck that cost him the entire 2017 season. Is it possible that he is? Sure. Anything is possible. But barring any legal issues, Robby Anderson still seems to be the lead-dog on this sled while Jermaine Kearse seemed to really garner Josh McCown ’s attention over the final few weeks of last year. But that’s not what we’re looking at here. We’re looking at health and, frankly, neck injuries should always be closely watched. If he’s undergone extensive enough work to fix the disc issue, then great, but just as we’ve seen with players with back problems, these tend to flare up continuously. The ADP is low enough to warrant taking a chance on him, but we’re not getting our hopes up that he’ll be anything more than a bye-week fill-in or option for best-ball drafts.
Pierre Garcon , SF – Despite reports that Garcon has been healthy all spring and has had time to build a strong rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo , it seems a bit off-putting that no one is concerned with the potential of a recurring neck issue for the 31-year old wideout. He suffered a non-displaced neck fracture that forced him to miss the entire second half of the season last year and everyone seems to think all is well. There is definite hesitation here as neck injuries are one of the most dangerous in football and can very easily happen again. You can expect the 49ers and the team beat writers to avoid reminding you that it happened, but that’s why you read Fantasy Alarm anyway.
Marquise Goodwin , SF – There was no injury for Goodwin last year, but we feel it’s worth mentioning that he was held out of June mini-camp due to a back problem. The team is calling it soreness and that him sitting was strictly a precautionary move, but back injuries don’t just disappear unless there’s a specific treatment plan followed. It shouldn’t affect his draft value right now, but it is definitely something to think about during camp.
Brandon Marshall , SEA – It is astounding that we’re even still talking about this guy, but the Seahawks, for whatever reason, still believe he can be a contributor on offense. Marshall has season-ending ankle surgery in October of last year and then also had toe surgery sometime after that. And now, he’s missed practices early on in camp due to a hamstring injury. He is not worthy of your attention in fantasy and there’s a strong chance he doesn’t even break camp with the team. The Seahawks signed him, but there’s only $90,000 in guaranteed money here. A bit disgusting that a football team can happily eat $90K if they want to, but nevertheless, his contract won’t secure him a roster spot at all.
Tight Ends
Greg Olsen , CAR – He may have missed nine games last season due to a broken foot, but the Panthers happily gave him a two-year extension worth $8.55M annually and could escalate to as high as $20.1M in total. That should tell you all you need to know about Olsen’s recovery and the current condition of his foot. The team isn’t throwing around that kind of money if he wasn’t healthy. Consider Olsen still a top-five tight end and expect him to go somewhere in the fifth round like his 64.10 ADP indicates.
Tyler Eifert , CIN – Back surgery in October has had Eifert on the shelf for quite some time and only just this week (July 30) did he pass his physical and receive clearance for full-practice. Between his knee injuries and his back problems, he’s now played on just 24 of a possible 64 games over the last four seasons and he’s been a mammoth bust in three of those last four years. If you feel the need to draft him, you MUST handcuff him to Tyler Kroft or simply grab yourself another low-end option in your draft. When healthy, he can be a fantastic red zone target, but since he never is…healthy, that is… we don’t recommend you waste your time or the draft pick.
Rob Gronkowski , NE – He’s the No. 1 tight end in the game when he’s healthy, but Gronk is the king of missing time as he hasn’t appeared in all 16 games of a season since 2011. Yes, he appeared in 15 games in both 2014 and 2015, but if you invest the high draft pick in him, you’re taking an enormous risk. Some people like to live on the edge and Gronk has done some great things in his career, so it simply comes down to your desire for risk/reward. Expect him to get hurt again and mis time, but obviously hope for the best.
Vance McDonald , PIT – The 28-year old tight end has yet to appear in all 16 games of a season during his five-year professional career, and now he’s already missing practices due to a foot injury the Steelers are keeping relatively close to the vest. There is definite potential to be had here, but considering how much he struggles with the daily bumps and bruises, it seems unlikely that he will be able to appear in every game for your fantasy team.
Jordan Reed , WAS – Come on. The dude is made of glass. Everything said about Eifert and Gronk here can be attributed to Reed. When healthy he’s a great option. When healthy. And that’s not too often at all.