Fantasy Football Injuries: Return Timelines for Justin Jefferson, Breece Hall & More
Nothing can wreck a fantasy season like injuries.
But injuries also present opportunity. You can gain an edge over your 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 have 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.
Tyler separates reality from rumor, explains timelines, and gives you the performance outlook you need to make sharper decisions.
Here's what you need to know about the key fantasy football injuries coming out of Week 3 ...
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Our exclusive Injury Predictor uses the internet's most comprehensive injury database and advanced machine learning to compute injury-risk ratings for every fantasy-relevant NFL player.
Fantasy Football Injuries: QBs
Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers
- Injury: Dislocated thumb (throwing hand)
- Expected weeks missed: 3-6
Outlook: Mayfield was in excruciating pain when he dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand.
The big question has now been answered via MRI. Joint dislocations can cause full tears to the ligaments that stabilize the joint. With the thumb, the most important and most likely ligament to tear is the UCL. If it’s fully torn, surgery would be on the table. Mayfield avoided that outcome, though, and a return within the next month is possible.
Still, there’s obvious concern for his performance when he returns. Grip strength will be a clear issue, which can greatly impact his ability to push the ball downfield.
He will also be at greater risk for a second thumb dislocation.
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Need a replacement for Mayfield? Check the Free Agent Finder.
Fantasy Football Injuries: RBs
De’Von Achane, Dolphins
- Injury: ACL tear
- Expected weeks missed: Season-ending
Outlook: A strange-looking play turned into a worst-case scenario. Achane suffered an ACL tear, and his season is over.
It’s at least an early-season tear, which gives Achane a great chance to be ready for Week 1 next season. ACL reconstruction rehab is typically 9-12 months, meaning he will likely be limited during OTAs and work his way toward full contact throughout training camp. As we saw with Malik Nabers this offseason, though, setbacks can happen.
Even if Achane is back full-go for Week 1, expect a production dip. He will also be at a higher risk of a secondary ACL tear in either knee moving forward.
Breece Hall, Jets
- Injury: Quad (strain?)
- Expected weeks missed: 2-4
Outlook: The Jets stated Monday that Hall is week-to-week with a quad injury, but received “good news” from the MRI.
This likely means he sustained a low-grade quad strain and will likely miss a couple of games. Watch for an update later in the week on how Hall is progressing toward a chance to get back on the field Week 5 or 6.
This is another situation with a high risk of re-injury upon return.
Travis Etienne, Saints
- Injury: Hamstring Strain
- Expected weeks missed: 2-4
Outlook: Etienne was limited throughout the week with a hamstring injury and suffered an apparent setback in the Raiders game.
This should not come as a big surprise, as we have talked many times about how easily hamstring injuries can recur. Unless we hear that the hamstring strain is minor, expect Etienne to miss multiple weeks.
He will continue to have an elevated risk of re-injury until he gets through multiple weeks without any issues.
Fantasy Football Injuries: WRs
Justin Jefferson, Vikings
- Injury: High-ankle sprain
- Expected weeks missed: 1-4
Outlook: We’re assuming a high-ankle sprain here. A low-ankle sprain would make a return this coming week almost certain.
Reports indicate that Jefferson almost re-entered the Buccaneers game, and the eye test told us a similar story, as he was attempting to cut and had no real limp.
In general, we expect high-ankle sprains to cause players to miss several weeks, but this situation may be the outlier. Don’t be surprised if Jefferson makes it back on the field this week or the following. Watch for practice participation this week.
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See where Jefferson sits in the updated Rest-of-Season rankings.
Jalen Coker, Panthers
- Injury: Quad strain
- Expected weeks missed: 0-2
Outlook: We’re putting Coker at 0-2 weeks because reports quickly deemed the quad strain minor (Grade 1).
There’s still a chance that Coker misses more time, especially if he suffers a setback during practice or his first game back.
Quad strains often cause difficulty with acceleration and deceleration and will likely result in some production dip in his first game back. Keep a close eye on his practice participation throughout the week.
Coker is another good example of one injury leading to another. He entered the game with an ankle injury and left with a quad injury. We see this often, as altered running mechanics can place excessive stress on the wrong structure in the body.
Mike Evans, 49ers
- Injury: Rib (oblique strain or contusion)
- Expected weeks missed: 1-4
Outlook: We predicted last week that we would see Evans in this article again this year.
Evans reportedly avoided a major injury and has been diagnosed with a rib strain. This means he’s likely dealing with an oblique strain.
The oblique muscles run diagonally across the abdomen. They help stabilize the spine and rotate the torso.
Like all other strains, the severity or grade of the injury is important. This is something that would cause pain or limitation any time Evans rotates or twists his upper body. Naturally, it would also be painful if he takes a direct hit to the injured area.
We have seen Evans play through many injuries, so we shouldn’t be too shocked if he tries to get out there this coming week, though missing a game or two looks more likely.
Jalen McMillan, Buccaneers
- Injury: PCL tear
- Expected weeks missed: 6-10
Outlook: An MRI Monday confirmed McMillan suffered a PCL tear during Week 3. The Bucs quickly gave him a 6-8 week timeline, but it’s possible that extends longer.
McMillan will go the rehab route and likely avoid surgery. As we have seen with several PCL injuries over the past year, though, there will be a high risk of irritation or secondary injuries upon his return.
Fantasy Football Injuries: TEs
Terrance Ferguson, Rams
Injury: Medial ankle sprain
Expected weeks missed: 1-4
Outlook: Ferguson suffered a medial ankle sprain and is expected to miss Week 4 at a minimum.
Medial ankle sprains are generally more limiting than the more common lower ankle sprain, the lateral ankle sprain. They’re also much more likely to have a high-ankle sprain component.
Expect Ferguson to miss a couple of games.
What Do These Injuries Mean For Your Fantasy Team?
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