Fantasy Football Redraft

Print

Fantasy Football Injuries: Key Updates on Jayden Daniels, Brian Thomas, Tucker Kraft, And More

Nothing can wreck a fantasy season like injuries.

But injuries also present opportunity. We can gain an edge over our competition by having a better understanding of injuries, how long they’ll keep players out, and how they’ll impact performance upon return.

That’s why we’re bringing in Tyler Smola -- a Doctor of Physical Therapy with more than a decade of sports medicine experience -- to break down what these injuries really mean for fantasy managers.

Each week, Tyler will separate rumor from reality, explain timelines, and give you the performance outlook you need to make sharper fantasy decisions.

Fantasy Football Injuries: QBs

Jayden Daniels, Commanders

Injury: Dislocated elbow
Expected Games Missed: 6-Season ending
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low

Daniels suffered an elbow dislocation late in Sunday night’s game. 

An elbow dislocation is a serious injury that often involves torn stabilizing ligaments, cartilage damage, and possible fractures to the humerus, ulna, or radius. The first step will be an MRI to determine the extent of the injury, which will indicate whether surgery is needed to ensure long-term stability of the joint. If the damage isn’t severe, it’s possible Daniels could take a non-surgical recovery path.

This marks Daniels’ third injury of the season, with two of the three involving ligament or stability issues. Is it just bad luck, or is there an underlying stability concern? 

There’s some reason for long-term concern, but none of his injuries this year will impact next season. 

That said, the cumulative effect of these injuries leads me to believe this will mark the end of Daniels’ 2025 campaign.

C.J. Stroud, Texans

Injury: Concussion
Expected Games Missed: 1-2
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium

Stroud was hit hard while sliding to the turf and has been diagnosed with his first concussion. He will now enter the five-step return-to-sport protocol and will likely miss one game.

We expect a greater performance impact at the QB position compared to other skill positions due to the higher cognitive demands. Remember, a concussion is a brain injury.

Fantasy Football Injuries: RBs

Aaron Jones, Vikings

Injury: AC Joint sprain
Expected Games Missed: 0-2
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low- rushing, medium- receiving

News out of Minnesota indicates that it’s likely a grade one AC joint sprain for Jones, meaning he has a chance to play next week. That’s the good news. 

The bad news is that AC joint injuries are particularly concerning for RBs, as they hit the ground more often than most players. The Vikings’ athletic training staff will likely provide Jones with added padding, but if he lands forcefully on the point of his shoulder next week, the injury could worsen and cause him to miss additional time. 

There is minimal impact on rushing ability and a moderate impact on pass-catching, as overhead range of motion can be limited.

Samaje Perine, Bengals

Injury: High-ankle sprain
Expected Games Missed: 2-4
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium

Another common theme this season has been the high-ankle sprain. Perine exited and did not return after being rolled up on – a classic mechanism for this type of injury, as the foot and ankle externally rotate against the lower leg. This motion places stress on the ligaments that connect the distal portions of the tibia and fibula.

As we’ve seen many times this season, high-ankle sprains typically sideline players for 2-4 weeks and can impact change of direction and overall performance upon return.

Perine at least gets a Week 10 bye, but expect him to miss at least one game beyond that.

Fantasy Football Injuries: WRs

Puka Nacua, Rams

Injury: Rib
Expected Games Missed: 0-2
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low

Nacua did not return to his matchup against the Saints after sustaining a rib injury. 

HC Sean McVay stated that Puka “could have come back in the game, but we kind of had command. Felt like it was the smart thing.” 

This likely means Nacua sustained a rib contusion rather than a fracture. That’s great news for his availability next week, as it will primarily be a pain management issue over the next few weeks. 

The biggest concern during this period will be avoiding big hits to the torso, which could hinder recovery.

Brian Thomas Jr, Jaguars

Injury: High-ankle sprain
Expected Games Missed: 1-4
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium

Similar to the Perine situation, Thomas was rolled up on and likely suffered a high-ankle sprain. He attempted to return to the game but exited again shortly after. As of Tuesday morning, there have been no updates out of Jacksonville.

Thomas has now dealt with ankle, shoulder, and wrist injuries as we reach the halfway point of the season. Don’t be surprised if the next team update indicates he could miss multiple weeks.

Matthew Golden, Packers

Injury: Shoulder
Expected Games Missed: 0-1
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low

We have not received specific details on the pathology of Golden’s injury, but there was a positive update out of Green Bay. HC Matt LaFleur stated that the shoulder injury is “not serious” and that Golden is considered “day-to-day.” 

Unless we hear otherwise, we can expect Golden to miss at most one game, with minimal impact on his performance moving forward.

Kayshon Boutte, Patriots

Injury: Hamstring strain
Expected Games Missed: 1-4
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium

HC Mike Vrabel stated that Boutte is “day to day” after leaving the game with a hamstring strain.  

Don’t expect Boutte to be back next week as hamstring strains often cost players a minimum of one game.  There is a high risk of re-injury upon return and expect an impact on sprinting. 

Fantasy Football Injuries: TEs

Tucker Kraft, Packers

Injury: ACL tear
Expected Games Missed: Season-ending
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium-high next season

An MRI on Monday confirmed that Kraft tore his ACL, ending his season. This gives him about 10 months to rehab before the start of next season. 

Gone are the days when elite athletes returned just six months post-op. Research now shows the risk is too high to come back before nine months. Even then, it often takes a full year to regain the strength, power, and control needed to pass return-to-sport testing. 

Expect Kraft to be back next season, but when he returns – and how effective he’ll be – remains to be seen. He should be fully back to 100% by the 2027 season.

What Do These Injuries Mean For Your Fantasy Team?

The smartest managers don’t just track injuries ... they act on them faster than the rest of the league.

Our fantasy football projections update around the clock and feed directly into Team Intel, Free Agent Finder, and the rest of our fully customized tools.

Sync your league now to get your unfair advantage.

Next Up

Fantasy Football League Sync

Next Article  

Tyler Smola, Injury Analyst

Tyler brings over a decade of sports medicine knowledge to Draft Sharks. He will be writing weekly injury analysis articles this season and will bring an expertise in sports medicine, rehabilitation, and sports performance to Draft Sharks.