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Fantasy Football Injuries: Xavier Worthy, George Kittle, and Much 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

Brock Purdy, 49ers

Injury: Left Shoulder, Toe
Expected Games Missed: 0-4
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium

Purdy made it through the opener, but HC Kyle Shanahan revealed Monday that he suffered left shoulder and toe injuries. Reports indicate the toe is more significant. Turf toe? Not sure.

Expect mobility to be limited. Purdy's shoulder injury is to his non-throwing side, which makes it much less significant. It would take a severe injury to the non-throwing arm to keep an NFL QB off the field.

Fantasy Football Injuries: RBs

Will Shipley, Eagles

We don’t yet know whether Shipley suffered a rib fracture or a bone bruise. If it’s the latter, it becomes a pain management issue. He can likely play as tolerated, with extra padding and medication.

Rib fractures typically only cost players a few games, after which it’s also a matter of managing pain. We’ll need to wait for more specific details about the injury.

Fantasy Football Injuries: WRs

Xavier Worthy, Chiefs

Injury: Dislocated Shoulder
Expected Games Missed: 2-6 (non-surgical), up to 16 if surgery is required
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium

Worthy dislocated his shoulder Friday night in Brazil. The severity of a shoulder dislocation depends on the damage done when the humeral head exits (and re-enters) the glenoid socket. This can affect ligaments, the joint capsule, bony surfaces, and most often the labrum.

Athletes often return wearing a Sully brace, which limits shoulder mobility to help prevent another dislocation. Worthy’s options are surgery if the labrum damage is significant, or playing through the injury with a brace and reduced mobility. Early reports indicate Worthy has (at least for now) chosen the rehab route and will attempt to return this season. 

Drake London, Falcons

Injury: Shoulder Sprain (likely AC joint)
Expected Games Missed: 0-2
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low-Medium

The Falcons labeled London’s injury a shoulder sprain, which could suggest an AC joint injury. These sprains are graded from 1-3, with Grade 1 being a stretched ligament and Grade 3 a full rupture.

Positive signs out of Atlanta likely point to a Grade 1 sprain. However, there’s a risk: If London lands hard on the point of his shoulder again, the injury could quickly worsen.

Jauan Jennings, 49ers

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

Jennings exited the game in the second half and didn’t return. As of Monday night, Jennings needed further evaluation via a CT scan after his MRI did not show a soft tissue injury. San Francisco is likely still attempting to determine the pathology causing his pain.

Jayden Reed, Packers

Injury: Foot
Expected Games Missed: 0
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low

In the preseason injury update, I noted we were assuming reports of a Jones fracture were accurate. Either the initial report was wrong, or Reed is a unicorn-level healer.

In any case, it now appears safe to assume Reed doesn’t have a Jones fracture, significantly lowering his risk moving forward. Hopefully, the Packers will eventually clarify the specifics.

Fantasy Football Injuries: TEs

Brock Bowers, Raiders

Injury: Knee (contusion or MCL sprain)
Expected Games Missed: 0-2
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low

All reports, including from Bowers himself, indicate he avoided major injury. He stated he was “fine” and wanted to return to the game.

We should soon find out whether it’s a contusion or a low-grade MCL sprain. Either way, there are currently no significant concerns for the rest of the season.

George Kittle, 49ers

Injury: Hamstring Strain
Expected Games Missed: 2-6
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium

Kittle exited the Week 1 game with a hamstring strain. He missed two games with the same injury in 2024: one in September, one in November.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports it'll likely be 3-5 weeks. That said, the risk of re-injury is high even upon return.

Injury Predictor lists Kittle as “Very High Risk,” so don’t be surprised if he reappears in this report later this season.

Evan Engram, Broncos

Injury: Calf Strain
Expected Games Missed: 0-4
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low-Medium

Engram left the opener in the second half with a calf strain. So far, no specifics have surfaced regarding severity. His practice participation will be key in determining his Week 2 availability. Don’t be surprised if this ends up being a multi-game absence. 

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.

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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.