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The 2024 NFL season is just ahead, and unfortunately, there are already several key fantasy football injuries to monitor. Our preseason injury updates and reports as of Tuesday, August 20, 2024, will give you the latest updates on key guys.
With preseason action almost in the rear-view mirror, let's take a look at injured players Christian McCaffrey, Justin Herbert, Davante Adams, Jaylen Warren, Curtis Samuel, Ricky Pearsall, and more.
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Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Christian McCaffrey Injury Update
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) did an extensive workout on a side field at training camp on Thursday and appears to be getting close to a return to practice. It's great news for the consensus No. 1 overall fantasy pick and NFL's reigning rushing leader. McCaffrey is recovering from a calf strain that he suffered earlier this month and is not going to play at all in the preseason as a result.
#49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (calf) did an extensive workout on the side field during today's practice. Appears to be getting close to a return to practice.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) August 15, 2024
But as long as the 28-year-old All-Pro is on track to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener on Monday night against the New York Jets on Sept. 9, he'll remain the consensus No. 1 overall fantasy selection in upcoming drafts. As of right now, the 49ers don't seem worried that CMC will miss the start of the regular season, but we'll continue to keep a close eye on his progress.
Justin Herbert Injury Update
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (foot) practiced at training camp on Monday for the first time since July, when he was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. Herbert was placed in a walking boot at the end of July but ditched the boot last Thursday.
He was seen making stationary throws before Saturday's preseason contest against the Los Angeles Rams and has now taken the next step in returning to practice. The 26-year-old will now have two weeks worth of practices before the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders.
Justin Herbert practicing for the first time since July pic.twitter.com/HGYmytzg3x
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) August 19, 2024
Pain tolerance will probably be an issue for Herbert along the way and even potentially into the regular season, but the Chargers have never seemed too worried about him missing time to begin the year. In more of a run-first offense under the new coaching staff and no longer without his top weapons in Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, and Mike Williams, Herbert's fantasy stock has fallen to QB2 status.
Davante Adams Injury Update
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (undisclosed) didn't suit up for Saturday's preseason clash with the Cowboys. However, it appears Adams' injury isn't severe. "The other night when we had the practice here at the stadium, he had an awkward movement where he just got sore," head coach Antonio Pierce said in an interview with ESPN. "He missed practice on Thursday. And like I said, if a guy's not 100 percent healthy, I wasn't going to risk it. It's not worth it. He'll be back to practice come Tuesday."
"...I wasn't going to risk it. It's not worth it. He'll be back to practice come Tuesday." (end)
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) August 18, 2024
The 31-year-old eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the fourth consecutive season in 2023-24. Yet, he caught just eight touchdowns, his fewest since 2019. But if Adams can get some stability from quarterback Gardner Minshew II, who was announced as the Week 1 starter on Sunday, he could return to the Pro Bowl conversation. With that said, fantasy managers should still view him as a top wideout, assuming he's healthy.
Jaylen Warren Injury Update
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (hamstring) may miss "a few weeks," according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The 25-year-old exited Saturday's preseason battle with the Buffalo Bills with a hamstring injury and was ruled out shortly after.
Warren finished last season by running for 764 yards and four touchdowns off 149 carries, adding 61 catches for 370 yards. Of course, this isn't the kind of update fantasy managers had hoped for heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
#Steelers RB Jaylen Warren, who left Saturday’s preseason game with a hamstring injury, could miss “a few weeks,” a source confirms.
Warren’s status for Pittsburgh’s Week 1 game vs the #Falcons is currently unclear. pic.twitter.com/1eQhibZaX4
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 19, 2024
Fortunately, Warren has time to recover before the Steelers begin the season versus the Atlanta Falcons. If he doesn't suit up for that one, Najee Harris would presumably see more touches, with Cordarrelle Patterson expected to provide relief.
Curtis Samuel Injury Update
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel (toe) is considered week-to-week as he deals with turf toe, according to head coach Sean McDermott. This is unfortunate for Samuel and the team, especially since Marquez Valdes-Scantling is also week-to-week with a neck injury.
Bills players now out multiple weeks, per HC Sean McDermott:
🏈QB Mitch Trubisky (knee)
🏈WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (neck)
🏈TE Quintin Morris (shoulder)Players considered week to week:
🏈S Damar Hamlin (hamstring)
🏈Curtis Samuel (turf toe)— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 19, 2024
It's never a good sign for a player to pick up preseason injuries, but at least Samuel's injury is manageable, and he could still play in Week 1. Given all the new faces in Buffalo and injuries already starting to pile up, it could take time for the passing game led by Josh Allen to get going in 2024.
Still, Samuel remains an intriguing late-round sleeper in fantasy football, while teammates Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir could benefit from his absence this preseason.
DeAndre Hopkins Injury Update
Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said that wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (knee) should be back soon and is expected to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener. Hopkins suffered a strained knee early in training camp at the start of August and was expected to be out for four to six weeks. It appears that the 32-year-old veteran pass-catcher is making good progress, though, and should be ready to go in early September.
Brian Callahan said DeAndre Hopkins should be back soon. The #Titans expect to have him back for the season opener.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) August 18, 2024
However, Hopkins' fantasy stock is down because of all the missed time in camp and due to the offseason addition of Calvin Ridley, who will no doubt take valuable targets away. The Titans offense should be much more pass-happy under Callahan, but Hopkins is going to need to be far more efficient deep down the field to pay off for fantasy managers. He's become more of a high-end WR4/flex target in fantasy.
Ricky Pearsall Injury Update
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Sunday night that he's "hoping" that rookie first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (shoulder) will return to training camp practice this week and also get some reps in Friday's preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Niners surprisingly took Pearsall at the end of the first round of April's NFL draft, but he began training camp on the Non-Football Injury list with a hamstring issue and has been missing valuable reps of late with a nagging shoulder ailment.
Kyle Shanahan said last night he's "hoping" that two seldom-seen rookies, Ricky Pearsall (shoulder) and Isaac Guerendo (hamstring), will return to practice this week and get some snaps in Friday's preseason finale in Las Vegas.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 19, 2024
The good news is the 23-year-old could get back on the field this week. Pearsall will probably only be worth a draft selection in redraft leagues if the Niners trade Brandon Aiyuk before the start of the regular season, but that is looking increasingly unlikely. If Aiyuk sticks around in 2024, Pearsall will be battling Jauan Jennings for targets as the team's WR3 in his rookie campaign.
Mike Williams Injury Update
New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams (knee) told Jets reporters that he expects to take team reps in training camp practice next week. Williams didn't take too long to come off the Physically Unable to Perform list in camp this summer, but he has yet to mix in with the rest of the team on the practice field as he recovers from a torn left ACL that he suffered in Week 3 of 2023 with the Los Angeles Chargers.
WR Mike Williams tells @nyjets reporters that he expects to take team reps in practice next week.
— Eric Allen (@eallenjets) August 19, 2024
With time running out before the start of the 2024 regular season, though, it's possible that Williams won't be given a full workload if he's active for the Week 1 opener in early September.
Because of his recovery from ACL and the fact he might not be ready to go early on, Williams' price will be reduced on draft day in fantasy. But when healthy, he's fully expected to be the No. 2 wideout behind Garrett Wilson and could be a nice value pick for fantasy managers as a big-play threat.
Matthew Stafford Injury Update
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (hamstring) is dressed and going through individual drills for the start of the team's training camp practice on Monday. Stafford had to leave a join practice early against the Dallas Cowboys last week due to hamstring tightness and didn't practice the rest of the week or play in Saturday's preseason contest against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Matthew Stafford (hamstring) is dressed and going through individual drills at the start of Rams practice today
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) August 19, 2024
Head coach Sean McVay had already said he wasn't worried about Stafford missing the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions, and his return to practice this week all but confirms that.
In addition to Stafford, offensive guard Jonah Jackson (shoulder) returned to practice on Monday after dealing with a bruised scapula. The 36-year-old Stafford isn't going to play in the preseason finale this weekend against the Houston Texans on Aug. 24, but he should be fine for Week 1 against Detroit, where he'll be a midrange QB2 for fantasy.
Brandin Cooks Injury Update
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) worked with the rehab group off to the side during training camp practice on Monday. Cooks has been held out of practice and the team's second preseason game on Saturday since injuring his knee at practice last Thursday, but the 30-year-old veteran's injury isn't believed to be too serious.
However, with CeeDee Lamb, the team's No. 1 wideout, still holding out due to a contract dispute, quarterback Dak Prescott's top receiving targets in practice are now Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Cropper and Jalen Brooks.
DeMarvion Overshown (hip) and Brandin Cooks (knee) all with the rehab group today. #DallasCowboys
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisDC) August 19, 2024
Before Cooks' knee injury, he was developing great chemistry with Prescott, and he could bounce back in 2024 with Michael Gallup no longer around after putting up a 54-657-8 line in 16 regular-season games last year. Cooks probably isn't a 1,000-yard receiver anymore, but he could have some use as a WR4/flex in the right matchups for fantasy managers.
Odell Beckham Jr. Injury Update
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (undisclosed) has not practiced with the team this offseason due to an undisclosed injury, and head coach Mike McDaniel said he will remain out of action this week.
The veteran and former Super Bowl Champion is missing valuable preseason repetitions with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but the organization might be holding him out as a precaution, given his lengthy injury history.
If Beckham is ready to go for Week 1, he's an interesting late-round best-ball option, but it would be a surprise if he's a weekly contributor in traditional fantasy football lineups.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle have a tight grip on the No. 1 and No. 2 wide receiver roles, and rookie Malik Washington could make an impact right away. Beckham has not posted more than 600 receiving yards in a season since 2019, so he can be ignored in most formats. (NFL.com)
Jordan Mason Injury Update
San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason (hip) didn't play in the team's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Afterward, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Mason was dealing with hip soreness, so they went in the direction of being cautious.
RB Jordan Mason did not play due to hip soreness, coach Kyle Shanahan said.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) August 19, 2024
The 25-year-old has been making a lot of waves in training camp so far and could be playing his way into a bigger backup role. Missing this game doesn't seem to move him back in the depth chart, but Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell are quite entrenched in the top two spots at running back. Mason's health will be something to monitor during the new week of practice.
DJ Chark Injury Update
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver DJ Chark came up limping after the opening play of 11-on-11 work at training camp practice on Monday and was grabbing at his left hip flexor. It's something to watch for the rest of the practice week and heading into the team's preseason finale this Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys.
In his first year in LA, the 27-year-old is expected to help replace receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams alongside Joshua Palmer and rookie second-rounder Ladd McConkey in starting three-wide sets.
DJ Chark came up limping after opening play of 11 on 11. Was grabbing at his left hip flexor.
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) August 19, 2024
Chark is no stranger to injuries -- he missed 22 games from 2020 to 2022 -- and if he's forced to miss time entering the start of the 2024 regular season, it will open up playing time for former first-rounder Quentin Johnston. Chark should be better than he was in 2023 in a bad Panthers offense if he can stay healthy this year, but he should be left to the waiver wire to begin the year in 12-team leagues.
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