We are now entering the peak part of fantasy football draft season, and during this stretch, knowledge is power, especially when it comes to injuries. With several running backs dealing with injuries during this time, here are the latest RB updates that we know on all of the names that are currently being considered in fantasy drafts.
Christian McCaffrey Injury Update
It’s not ideal that we even have to consider a Christian McCaffrey injury situation, but this calf injury doesn’t seem to be a major concern.
It’s been two weeks since San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that McCaffrey had a calf strain and likely wouldn’t participate in the preseason. However, there was never any major concern that he would miss time once the regular season begins.
McCaffrey was seen working on the sideline last Thursday, including running some half-speed routes. His activity level appeared to have increased, and a return seems to be getting closer. However, the 49ers are unlikely to rush the veteran RB back into action, given that he doesn’t need a huge amount of practice reps.
If that’s the case, there’s no major reason for fantasy managers to be concerned.
Jahmyr Gibbs Injury Update
It’s been a scary time for Jahmyr Gibbs’ fantasy managers after the Detroit Lions’ RB left practice with a hamstring injury last Monday. Last Wednesday, head coach Dan Campbell quelled major fears when he told 97.1 The Ticket Detroit that he thought Gibbs would be fine and said, “I think we’ll be good.”
On Tuesday morning, Campbell told reporters that Gibbs was “trending the right way” and that the back could return to practice either Sunday or next week.
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At this stage, seeing Gibbs on the practice field is the final thing we need to confirm that he’ll be fine. The Lions may just be playing it overly cautiously, but getting him back on the field would be a nice confirmation of his recovery.
Based on what we’re hearing from Detroit, there is no real reason to downgrade Gibbs. Hamstring injuries can be tricky in terms of their re-injury rate, but there should be enough gap from the original injury to the Lions’ Week 1 game in order for Gibbs to make a full recovery.
Nick Chubb Injury Update
The fantasy world is holding its collective breath as we await Nick Chubb’s return from his ACL tear last year. While we haven’t received an official update from the team, Chubb spoke to Aditi Kinkhabwala during the team’s preseason game this past weekend.
🚨SPOTTED: a smiley @NickChubb on the sideline 😄 pic.twitter.com/td4ltT3Dzp
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 17, 2024
“I’m feeling good. I’m just happy to be with the team and get back on the sidelines with the guys,” Chubb said. “I feel good. Every day, I come work out, I move around. I feel a lot better.”
We still don’t have a definitive timeline for Chubb, who remained on the active/physically unable to perform list during the preseason. It appears that his return for Week 1 will be somewhat touch and go.
We haven’t received any indication that Chubb may start the season on the reserve/PUP list, which would require him to miss a minimum of four games. Still, it’s not out of the question.
For now, fantasy managers should continue selecting Chubb at his current cost. When he does return, the expectation is that he’ll be among the top 24 running backs and, potentially, right back as a top-12 option.
Chubb is currently being selected as the RB32 on average, which presents the potential for fantastic upside when he returns to the field.
Alvin Kamara Injury Update
Alvin Kamara was dealing with back tightness last week, which ultimately resulted in him missing the New Orleans Saints’ second preseason game. If Kamara had been in line to participate at all, it likely would have only played a small role, so the fact he missed the game doesn’t raise any major concerns.
It also wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s held out of the final preseason game. At this stage, we have no indication that there will be any impact on the regular season.
Back injuries can be tricky, but there is plenty of time for Kamara to recover. With little in the way of major competition in this Saints’ backfield, he remains an intriguing fantasy option entering the 2024 season.
Chuba Hubbard Injury Update
Chuba Hubbard suffered a minor scare last week when he appeared to suffer a knee injury. The Carolina Panthers never expressed major concern about this, but they did send Hubbard for tests.
Despite the tests showing that it wasn’t a significant injury, the team decided to hold Hubbard out of the last preseason game to give him time to recover.
Hubbard’s return to practice on Tuesday is a great sign for his potential Week 1 availability. In all likelihood, he’ll have little to no role in the final preseason game, but not for any reason that should concern fantasy managers.
If anything, Hubbard’s limited role or no role at all should be seen as a positive sign that he is set to be the Panthers’ starter in Week 1.
Jaylen Warren Injury Update
A soft-tissue injury in Week 2 of the NFL preseason is not ideal at all for Jaylen Warren. The initial report is that Warren could be in line to miss multiple weeks, making him touch-and-go for the opening week.
The Steelers won’t want to rush Warren back, as soft-tissue injuries have a relatively high re-injury rate. Therefore, we may see them take a cautious approach.
The good news is that this injury is only likely to cost Warren a week or two in the regular season. His ADP could see a small dip due to the uncertainty, which isn’t a bad thing for fantasy managers.
Warren is set to be in a timeshare with Najee Harris, which caps his potential upside. If he misses some time, that could also allow Cordarrelle Patterson to stake a claim for snaps.
Jonathon Brooks Injury Update
We have a pretty solid timeframe for Jonathon Brooks’ potential NFL return after tearing his ACL in college last year.
Any optimism that Brooks could see some time in the preseason was dispelled at the start of August when head coach Dave Canales told reporters that the rookie would likely not be back until the regular season.
Based on that last update from Canales, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect to see Brooks until Week 3 or Week 4 at the earliest. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if Carolina chooses to place Brooks on the reserve/PUP list to start the season, lining him up for a potential Week 5 return.
The issue whenever Brooks returns is how much ramp-up time the Panthers would want to give him. Assuming Hubbard is healthy and Miles Sanders makes the roster, Carolina may decide to play it safe with Brooks for a few more weeks after he’s eligible to return.
Zach Charbonnet Injury Update
We saw Zach Charbonnet miss the most recent preseason game with what has been described as tightness.
The issue doesn’t appear to be anything major, and Charbonnet should be back sooner rather than later. This injury is unlikely to impact his fantasy value.
Marshawn Lloyd Injury Update
The situation surrounding Marshawn Lloyd is somewhat frustrating.
Lloyd hurt his hamstring during the first preseason game. He first missed practice a week ago, and head coach Matt LaFleur declined to give a timetable for his return. We now haven’t heard an update in a week, so it will be intriguing to see when Lloyd can return to the field.
We also learned that Lloyd suffered a hamstring injury earlier in camp, so there does appear to be a recurring soft-tissue concern.
Lloyd looked poised to challenge AJ Dillon for the RB2 role behind Josh Jacobs this season. Unfortunately, he’s missed a considerable amount of practice, which could limit his touches early in the season once he’s healthy.
Lloyd is still an intriguing upside RB late in drafts, especially with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. However, it would be a dart throw at this point and one that might not see a return in the first few weeks.
Lloyd would essentially occupy the last roster spot on a standard-size roster, meaning he would likely be the first player you looked to drop for a waiver wire add.
Kendre Miller Injury Update
It has been a frustrating preseason for Kendre Miller, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. The young running back has missed both preseason games and a lot of practice.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen has talked about it being tough for Miller to make the team if he’s not practicing, which raises serious red flags.
The hope was that Miller might be able to steal the No. 2 spot from Jamaal Williams, but that now seems unlikely entering the season. Based on Allen’s words, Miller is closer to being cut than he is to seeing regular game-day snaps.
At this point, it’s hard to make any case for drafting Miller outside of a last-round flyer. Even then, there might be more enticing options available.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. Injury Update
Tyrone Tracy Jr. gave everyone a major scare when he was taken from the field wearing an air cast on his ankle. The worst was feared for the rookie after the non-contact injury, but it appears the New York Giants’ medical staff was just being overly cautious.
Tracy is expected to be back on the practice field a week after the injury, indicating he’ll be available when the season starts in a couple of weeks.
Tracy had been gathering steam as an intriguing rookie for fantasy purposes this year. He is in competition with Eric Gray for the No. 2 role behind Devin Singletary, and many felt he was ahead before the injury.
Ideally, Tracy will be able to suit up this week in the preseason finale in order to stake that claim. Either way, he’s an intriguing handcuff option as a late-round draft pick in fantasy drafts.
Keaton Mitchell Injury Update
There has been relatively little update on Keaton Mitchell since the Baltimore Ravens placed him on the active/PUP list back in July. The young RB is working his way back from an ACL tear, so the timeframe is somewhat fluid.
If the team believes he’s ready before the season, Mitchell can be activated at any time. Alternatively, he could move to the reserve/PUP list ahead of Week 1, forcing him to miss the first quarter of the season.