In the latest episode of the NFL Fantasy LIVE podcast the gang discuss which sophomore RBs and QBs will slump or surge, the most valuable late-round QBs, and early mock draft trends. Don't forget to subscribe and listen in HERE!
Plenty of fantasy football players, both big names and sleepers, are nursing or recovering from injuries this offseason. We're here to keep you informed so you don't call the wrong name on draft day. Bookmark this page and check back frequently to get the latest info on all of the relevant fantasy football injuries.
Offseason Fantasy Injury Tracker
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, NYG
Injury: Hamstring
Severity: Moderate
Analysis: NFL Media's Kimberly Jones reported that Beckham could sit out until training camp as a precautionary measure as he deals with a left hamstring issue (a right hammy ailment cost him the first four games of 2014). Beckham should be fine (he was last year), but lingering hamstring injuries are no joke and can sap players of their explosiveness. Keep an eye on OBJ's health as the season approaches.
Joique Bell, RB, DET
Injury: Knee, Achilles
Severity: Moderate
Analysis: Bell has yet to see the field during OTAs while recovering from knee and Achilles injuries, which has caused the Lions' offensive coordinator to raise concerns about his conditioning. Bell still figures to be the lead dog in this backfield if healthy, but he'll need to hit the ground running in training camp. The talented Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick are waiting in the wings, ready to take on more touches.
Kelvin Benjamin, WR, CAR
Injury: Hamstring
Severity: Moderate
Analysis: Benjamin had dealt with a nagging hamstring injury since May, but returned to practice at the end of last week. Now, he has suffered a hamstring strain on the other leg and sat out practice again. Hopefully this one is minor like the first one, but two hamstring injuries in the offseason could be cause for concern. Benjamin will look to build upon a stellar rookie season (1,008 yards, nine touchdowns) as a WR2 for 2015, but a lingering hamstring ailment could derail that quest. (Updated 6/17)
Sam Bradford, QB, PHI
Injury: Knee
Severity: Moderate
Analysis: Bradford is recovering from his second ACL tear in as many seasons, to the same knee no less. While he still has yet to participate in 11-on-11 drills, Bradford is confident that he'll be good to go by the start of training camp. He may offer sleeper value as a QB2 in Chip Kelly's offense. (Updated: 6/16)
Derek Carr, QB, OAK
Injury: Hand
Severity: Low
Analysis: Carr didn't throw any passes during offseason activities until Wednesday (6/9), and he apparently looked pretty darn good. The Raiders haven't disclosed any info on Carr's hand, other than it won't require surgery. Carr throwing again is good news for the value of Amari Cooper, who NFL Media's Bucky Brooks believes could be in for a huge rookie season.
Victor Cruz, WR, NYG
Injury: Knee
Severity: High
Analysis: Cruz tore his patellar tendon in 2014, one of the most serious injuries an NFL player can suffer, and claims to be about 80 percent back to full health. Cruz has been limited (naturally) in offseason workouts to just running routes. He might not see the field until Week 1 (or later) as the Giants take a cautious approach. His status must be watched closely before drafting.
Tyler Eifert, TE, CIN
Injury:Elbow, Shoulder
Severity: Low
Analysis: Eifert lost virtually the entire 2014 season when he dislocated his elbow in the season opener. Now, with Jermaine Gresham out of the way, he could be in line for a breakout season with the Bengals. He claims he is 100 percent, but the Bengals have taken a cautious approach. We expect him to be ready to rock once training camps open.
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, TEN
Injury: Hamstring
Severity: Low
Analysis: The talented young wideout strained his hamstring during rookie mini camp for the Titans. He reportedly got some work in during team minicamp in mid-June which is a good sign but hamstring injuries are fickle beasts, so those hoping to take a late-round flier on DGB will want to watch his health come July/August. He'll need to shine during training camp to earn more playing time. (Updated: 6/16)
Todd Gurley, RB, STL
Injury: Knee
Severity: Moderate
Analysis: Gurley is working relentlessly to get into shape for the start of the season, but head coach Jeff Fisher admits he thinks Gurley is "frustrated." Gurley's injury is one of the most important to watch the rest of the offseason, as his fantasy upside could be big if healthy.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, HOU
Injury: Wrist
Severity: Low
Analysis: Hopkins had surgery in February to repair a torn ligament in his wrist, but should be good to go come training camp in July. Hopkins had a breakout sophomore season in 2014 and could vault into WR1 status with Andre Johnson now in Indianapolis.
Carlos Hyde, RB, SF
Injury: Leg
Severity: Low
Analysis: Hyde missed a few practices earlier in the month with a leg injury, but did see the field in some team drills before mini camp closed down for the Niners. His injury is not considered serious and he should open up training camp as the team's No. 1 back. Bush should see passing down work, but Hyde will be on the RB2/RB3 radar in 2015.
Mark Ingram, RB, NO
Injury: Foot/Ankle
Severity: Low
Analysis: A breakout fantasy star from a season ago, Ingram has missed a decent chunk of OTAs dealing with a minor foot/ankle issue that head coach Sean Payton says is nothing serious. Ingram is on the high-end of the RB2 radar for 2015, assuming this ailment isn't doesn't linger (although all signs point to no).
Marvin Jones, WR, CIN
Injury: Foot/ankle/hamstring
Severity: Low
Analysis: Jones didn't play a snap last year and was officially placed on IR in October after suffering a foot/ankle injury during the preseason. The good news is he participated in 11-on-11 drills during the Bengals' OTAs in early June even though he was dealing with a hamstring issue (which seems to be a widespread ailment this time of year). Cincinnati will reportedly bring Jones along slowly during minicamp, but he should be the team's No. 2 receiver at the start of the season and will have some late round value with upside opposite A.J. Green come draft day. (Updated: 6/16)
Brandon LaFell, WR, NE
Injury: Foot
Severity: Low
Analysis: LaFell did not participate in the Patriots' OTAs in June and was reportedly spotted in a walking boot on his left foot. He finished the 2014 season as a top 25 fantasy wideout, but with the depth at the WR position in fantasy this year, he may be overlooked in a lot of drafts. The injury isn't a huge concern this early in the summer, and knowing the Patriots we may never exactly what the details are unless it carries into the regular season. (Updated: 6/15)
Marqise Lee, WR, JAC
Injury: Knee
Severity: Low
Analysis: After struggling as a rookie, Lee's sophomore season is not off to a great start. He banged up his knee in OTAs and will be held out of minicamp, but should be ready by training camp according to head coach Gus Bradley. Lee needs time on the field to progress, so fantasy enthusiasts should hope Bradley's words ring true so he can get some valuable reps during training camp. (Updated: 6/16)
Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA
Injury: Back
Severity: Low
Analysis: Beast Mode suffers from compressed cartilage in his back, a chronic condition that caused him problems in 2014 (except when it came to scoring fantasy points). As per usual, Lynch has yet to appear at Seattle's offseason workouts, so we don't know how well his back is feeling just yet. Odds are once training camp rolls around Lynch will be ready to roll again.
Jordy Nelson, WR, GB
Injury: Hip
Severity: Low
Analysis: Nelson posted career-best numbers a season ago, but admitted that an injured hip dogged him down the stretch, which led to a minor offseason surgery to "get some things cleaned up." Nelson has missed OTAs thus far, but fantasy enthusiasts shouldn't be concerned. Aaron Rodgers and Nelson possess a mind-meld strong enough to overcome a few missed reps. Nelson should be fine for camp and still figures to be one of the first WRs drafted.
Carson Palmer, QB, ARI
Injury: Knee
Severity: Moderate
Analysis: The team has been working Palmer back slowly, given that he's 35 years old and has now torn the same ACL twice. Palmer has looked good in limited drills so far, though. The team's fantasy future will hinge on Palmer's health in 2015 -- they scored as many points in the six games he started in 2014 as in the 10 games he missed.
DeVante Parker, WR, MIA
Injury: Foot
Severity: Moderate
Analysis: Parker missed part of his final season of college due to a foot injury, and now he has had offseason surgery on the same foot (to replace the screw from the first surgery). Parker should be back by Week 1, but his status will very much be worth watching. He was turning heads with his ability in OTAs before this popped up, and he'll have deep sleeper appeal if healthy.
Dennis Pitta, TE, BAL
Injury: Hip
Severity: High
Analysis: Pitta has had surgery on the same hip in each of the last two years, and has only just now started catching passes in inidividual drills in OTAs. He's a likely candidate to start the season on the PUP list, paving the way for Crockett Gillmore or Maxx Williams to rise up in the Ravens' offense.
Brian Quick, WR, STL
Injury: Shoulder
Severity: Moderate
Analysis: Quick was coming into his own in 2014 before suffering a dislocated shoulder and torn rotator cuff. The injury was quite serious, and he has still yet to return to contact drills. If Quick can recover fully for 2015, he'll have deep sleeper value with a more consistent quarterback (Nick Foles) now under center.
Jordan Reed, TE, WAS
Injury: Knee
Severity: Moderate
Analysis: Despite his obvious talent, Reed has been known in recent seasons less for his ability and more for his lack of availability. The tight end missed the second round of Washington's OTAs after a knee procedure. The team expects him to be ready for training camp, but it's yet another worry for a player who has struggled with injury.
Paul Richardson, WR, SEA
Injury: Knee
Severity: High
Analysis: Richardson tore his ACL in the divisional round of the playoffs last season, and currently is a longshot to be ready for Week 1. Head coach Pete Carroll is optimistic, but odds are Richardson will end up on the PUP list, making him a potential waiver-wire target later in the season.
Stevan Ridley, RB, NYJ
Injury: Knee
Severity: Moderate
Analysis: Ridley has been limited to positional drills so far in offseason work, seeing as he is still only seven months removed from surgery to repair his torn ACL and LCL. The Jets say their trade for Zac Stacy has nothing to do with Ridley's health, but it is still unclear if he'll be ready for training camp. (Updated: 6/15)
Allen Robinson, WR, JAX
Injury: Foot
Severity: Moderate
Analysis: Robinson was running routes and taking team reps during the Jaguars OTAs in early June and is slated to increase his activity during minicamp. The second-year wideout missed the last six games of his rookie year after suffering a stress fracture in his foot, but all reports regarding his rehab have been extremely positive so far. Robinson is a break out candidate this year -- especially if he enters the season at full health. (Updated: 6/15)
Jaelen Strong, WR, HOU
Injury: Hamstring
Severity: Low
Analysis: After missing some time during the Texans first session of OTAs with a hamstring injury, the third-round Arizona State product returned to practice during the first day of mandatory minicamp in mid-June. It's a good sign that the rookie is back on the field as he should have every chance at winning a starting spot as the Texans No. 2 receiver (Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts are his competition), giving him some deep sleeper value. We should get a good look at Strong's progress during the upcoming season of "Hard Knocks" premiering August 1, on HBO. (Updated: 6/16)
Sammy Watkins, WR, BUF
Injury: Hip
Severity: Low
Analysis: Watkins needed surgery to repair a slightly torn labrum in his hip. He reportedly participated in 11-on-11 drills on Tuesday and interestingly was involved in a screen play. It's a good sign for Watkins' rehab but it'd be wise to keep a close eye on him once training camp gets underway. The real concern with Watkins' fantasy value is the wealth of pass-catchers and run-first approach now taking over the Buffalo offense. (Updated: 6/16)
Terrance Williams, WR, DAL
Injury: Elbow
Severity: Low
Analysis: The Cowboyshad a scare on the last day of minicamp when Williams suffered an elbow injury during a competitive drill just a few minutes before the team wrapped up workouts. Fortunately X-rays came back negative and it's being called a "bruise" for now. With training camp several weeks away, Williams should have enough time to recover, so we're not too concerned. (Updated: 6/19)
