Fantasy Football Injuries: Players to TRUST & AVOID (2026)
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this video and kept the full transcript here for context.
46 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Aug 22, 2026
Published
Sat, August 22, 2026
40
Player insights
38
Players mentioned
Topics
D'Andre SwiftJonathon BrooksAlec PierceAlvin KamaraAmon-Ra St. BrownAudric EstimeBraelon AllenBreece HallChris OlaveChristian McCaffreyChuba HubbardD.J. MooreD'Onta ForemanDaniel Jones
Player analysis
Player insights
Alec Pierce
NegativeInjury33:57
Jeremiah Love expresses concern regarding Alec Pierce's recovery from an ankle injury, noting visible limping and left calf atrophy in recent footage. Even if active for Week 1, Pierce carries a high compensation-based reinjury risk for the first half of the season. Additionally, Love projects regression for Pierce due to his reliance on vertical routes and the quarterback's inability to effectively throw deep while managing an Achilles injury.
Insight pageAlvin Kamara
NegativeInjury38:33
Jeremiah Love projects a 4-6 week recovery timeline for Alvin Kamara's MCL injury, noting that even upon return, he expects a 20-30% production dip, particularly in the receiving game. Kamara is expected to miss time early in the season, impacting the Saints' backfield rotation.
Insight pageAmon-Ra St. Brown
PositiveValue26:52
Jeremiah Love identifies Amon-Ra St. Brown as one of the few players he has absolutely no reservations about drafting at his current cost.
Insight pageAudric Estime
NegativeInjury39:23
Jeremiah Love reports that Audric Estime is dealing with an ankle injury and is expected to miss a couple of weeks, despite being viewed as the best running back three option.
Insight pageBraelon Allen
NegativeUsage10:16
Jeremiah Love suggests that Breece Hall's injury opens the door for Braelon Allen to see increased work. Allen looked great in preseason Week 1, and there is a risk that the Jets move toward a timeshare to slow-play Hall's return, leading to an elevated outlook for Allen.
Insight pageBreece Hall
NegativeInjury8:42
Jeremiah Love is not concerned about Breece Hall's availability for Week 1, noting that multiple sources confirm the groin injury is mild. While groin injuries typically require 2-3 weeks for recovery with a 10-15% re-injury risk, the current timeline suggests Hall will be ready for the season opener.
Insight pageChris Olave
PositiveProjection41:05
Chris Olave receives a fantasy value bump because Jordan Tyson's two-month injury absence removes a significant target competitor from the Saints' offense.
Insight pageChristian McCaffrey
NegativeInjury26:11
Jeremiah Love expresses significant concern regarding Christian McCaffrey's 'tightness' injury, speculating it could be a recurring calf issue the team is downplaying. Love highlights the risk of high-volume running backs coming off 400+ touch seasons and notes that the 49ers' injury reporting has been cryptic, leading to fears of a repeat of the 2024 situation where he missed time unexpectedly. Despite these concerns, Love notes McCaffrey remains insulated by his receiving work.
Insight pageChuba Hubbard
NegativeUsage15:58
Jeremiah Love expects Chuba Hubbard's efficiency to be hampered by a grade-two hamstring injury, similar to how a calf strain zapped his explosiveness last season. While Hubbard might retain goal-line work early in the season, Love views him as a fade compared to Jonathan Brooks, noting that Hubbard's potential goal-line role could lower Brooks's fantasy ceiling if Hubbard remains active.
Insight pageD.J. Moore
NegativeValue6:57
Jeff Mueller used DJ Moore as a benchmark for his previous ranking of Amecha Ibuka, noting that Ibuka was previously drafted ahead of Moore before the injury downgrade.
Insight pageD'Andre Swift
NegativeValue18:19
Swift has settled into a fifth-round ADP range. While he is a structurally solid pick in a high-scoring offense, he is unlikely to reach top-five RB status, though a backend RB1 finish is possible with early-season scoring boosts.
Insight pageNegativeValue18:19
Jeremiah Love notes that DeAndre Swift has settled into a fifth-round ADP range. While Swift is a structurally solid pick in a high-scoring offense, he is unlikely to reach top-five RB status, though a backend RB1 finish is possible with early-season scoring boosts.
Insight pageD'Onta Foreman
NegativeInjury39:46
Jeremiah Love notes that D'Onta Foreman is returning from a hamstring injury and carries reinjury risk, making him an unreliable option for the Saints' backfield.
Insight pageDaniel Jones
NegativeInjury36:36
Jeremiah Love reports that Daniel Jones is dealing with a right Achilles injury and has admitted he is not 100% healthy. This injury is expected to cause a deficit in velocity and accuracy on intermediate to deep throws, which will negatively impact the team's passing game.
Insight pageDe'Von Achane
NegativeProjection27:00
Jeremiah Love acknowledges that while Devon Achane carries more risk than some, he possesses the upside of Christian McCaffrey, specifically noting his receiving potential. Additionally, Achane receives a fantasy value bump due to the target vacuum created by Jordan Tyson's two-month injury absence.
Insight pageDeVonta Smith
NegativeValue6:53
Jeff Mueller used DeVonta Smith as a benchmark for his previous ranking of Amecha Ibuka, noting that Ibuka was previously drafted closer to Smith's range before the injury downgrade.
Insight pageDontayvion Wicks
PositiveBreakout13:20
Dontayvion Wicks is gaining positive buzz following strong practice performances, including dominant one-on-one drills against defensive backs. Jeremiah Love highlights Wicks as a player moving up in stock while others in the receiving corps deal with injury uncertainty.
Insight pageGarrett Wilson
NegativeInjury4:18
Jeremiah Love expresses concern regarding Garrett Wilson's turf toe, noting it likely requires a 3-6 week recovery and may be a grade two injury given the surgical consult. Love anticipates a potential Week 1 absence or limited effectiveness, expecting a production dip for 3-4 games upon return due to the mechanical impact of turf toe on route running and acceleration, alongside risks of compensation injuries and Wilson's history of hamstring issues.
Insight pageGeorge Kittle
NegativeInjury27:17
George Kittle is trending positively in his recovery, with no indication of a long-term absence. His surgery did not require bone drilling, reducing concerns about lost explosiveness, and he is expected to be 8 months post-op by Week 1. Jeremiah Love also cites Kittle's media session regarding the importance of building symmetry and maintaining less than a 10% deficit side-to-side to avoid reinjury as a benchmark for players returning from injury.
Insight pageIsaiah Likely
PositiveUsage30:54
Jeremiah Love notes that Isaiah Likely faces mixed usage due to the team rotating in another tight end, making a high-volume season of 110-120 targets unlikely; his realistic target ceiling is capped at approximately 90.
Insight pageJake Tonges
PositiveValue27:48
Jeremiah Love recommends drafting Jake Tonges as a contingency plan whenever drafting George Kittle, particularly in tight end premium formats.
Insight pageJaxon Smith-Njigba
NegativeValue6:56
Jeremiah Love notes that Jaxon Smith-Njigba's ADP has shifted, with drafters moving away from the 2-3 turn toward the 3-4 turn. While acknowledging his massive upside and toughness, Love warns that Smith-Njigba is unlikely to reach 'Puka' Nacua-level production this year and highlights the high opportunity cost of drafting him alongside other quality wide receivers in the third round.
Insight pageJaylen Waddle
NegativeValue6:56
Jeff Mueller used Jaylen Waddle as a benchmark for his previous ranking of Amecha Ibuka, noting that Ibuka was previously drafted ahead of Waddle before the injury downgrade.
Insight pageJeremiyah Love
NegativeValue0:24
Jeff Mueller views Jeremiah Love as a massive value in the third round, noting that the high ankle sprain is not a long-term concern and surgery was never on the table. While running backs typically see a 15-25% production dip after such injuries, Love's strong receiving skill set should limit that dip to around 10%. Mueller projects Love to be an RB14 or better from weeks 4 through 17.
Insight pageJonathon Brooks
NegativeProjection15:58
Jeremiah Love is bullish on Jonathan Brooks, noting he has surpassed Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart. While Love expresses concern over the Carolina offensive line and Brooks' rising ADP, he prefers Brooks for his receiving skill set and explosive potential in the screen game compared to Hubbard. However, his fantasy ceiling is capped by the concern that Hubbard may command goal-line touches if active early in the season.
Insight pageNegativeRole15:58
Jeremiah Love is bullish on Jonathan Brooks, noting he has surpassed Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart and offers a receiving skill set Hubbard lacks. However, Love expresses concern over the Carolina offensive line and Brooks's rising ADP, noting that if Hubbard is active early in the season, he may command goal-line touches that cap Brooks's fantasy ceiling.
Insight pageJordyn Tyson
NegativeInjury41:06
Jordan Tyson is expected to miss two months with a hamstring injury. Jeremiah Love expresses significant concern regarding his recurring soft-tissue issues, noting he has been injured four times since October 2025 and may not return until week nine.
Insight pageJosh Downs
PositiveUsage37:01
Jeremiah Love maintains a positive view on Josh Downs, noting that the quarterback's Achilles injury may force the offense toward lower ADOT targets, which would specifically benefit Downs' role.
Insight pageJuwan Johnson
PositiveProjection41:05
Juwan Johnson receives a fantasy value bump due to the target vacuum created by Jordan Tyson's two-month injury absence.
Insight pageKeenan Allen
PositiveUsage33:24
Jeremiah Love projects Keenan Allen to command a 20% target share in the Colts' offense, citing a strong rapport between Allen and head coach Shane Steichen. Allen is expected to operate in the Michael Pittman role, which may benefit from lower ADOT, easier-to-complete targets given the quarterback's current injury limitations.
Insight pageKendre Miller
NegativeInjury39:32
Jeremiah Love notes that Kendre Miller is returning from ACL reconstruction and dealing with back discomfort, carrying significant reinjury risk that makes him unreliable for week one.
Insight pageKyle Monangai
NegativeInjury18:25
Manangai's ADP has dipped from round nine to rounds 10-11 due to a knee hyperextension. The injury is a bone bruise without ligament or meniscus damage; while his return is pain-dependent, he is expected to be full-go with low reinjury risk once back.
Insight pageLadd McConkey
NegativeValue6:52
Jeff Mueller used Ladd McConkey as a benchmark for his previous ranking of Amecha Ibuka, noting that Ibuka was previously drafted ahead of McConkey before the injury downgrade.
Insight pageLuther Burden
PositiveInjury11:13
Jeremiah Love remains confident in Luther Burden despite his groin injury, citing positive recovery signs like walking without a limp two days post-injury and light cutting work during preseason Week 1. Love expects him to return to full practice about two weeks before the regular season and advises against fading him in drafts.
Insight pageMalachi Fields
PositiveSleeper30:41
Jeremiah Love identifies Malachi Fields as a likely WR2 for his team and a fine player to consider in the final rounds of drafts as a late-round target.
Insight pageMalik Nabers
PositiveUsage28:54
Malik Nabers is the biggest ADP riser of the summer, with positive reports regarding his movement and practice participation. Jeremiah Love projects him for massive usage, potentially reaching a 35% target share, and expects him to command dominant usage in the Giants' offense, noting that he has proven capable of producing huge weeks even in poor offensive situations.
Insight pageMike Evans
NegativeInjury19:04
Evans carries significant downside risk due to his age (over 30), an extensive history of hamstring strains, and a recent quad strain. Despite his upside as a red zone threat, Jeremiah Love remains nervous about the investment at his round 5-6 price tag due to the increased reinjury risk associated with soft tissue injuries at his age.
Insight pageRicky Pearsall
NegativeInjury22:28
Pearsall's potential season-ending injury status is cited as a factor that could increase the fantasy value and usage of teammate Dejon Stribbling.
Insight pageTravis Etienne
PositiveValue38:33
Jeremiah Love suggests bumping up Travis Etienne for the first four weeks of the season while Alvin Kamara is sidelined with an MCL injury. Etienne is considered a strong value at his RB18 ADP, with potential for 50+ catches and 225+ carries in a high-paced offense.
Insight pageTyler Warren
NegativeBreakout32:16
Jeremiah Love identifies Tyler Warren as a player to trust in the Colts' offense, signaling him as a reliable option amidst wide receiver corps uncertainty. Regarding his health, Warren is dealing with a mild groin strain; Love notes this typically carries a 10-15% reinjury risk but expects minimal production impact upon return, with the player likely ramped up for Week 1.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00Which injured players should fantasy managers be avoiding in their drafts?
0:04And which injuries are overblown right now and are players that we can still trust? Theo Greinger, Roto Wire, lead fantasy analyst, joined today by Jeff
0:14Mueller. Jeff, you've really become like the the injury expert in the fantasy space. You do work for Fantasy Points, do work for Destination Devi. And we're
0:22going to break it all down today.
0:24Jeremiah Love, high ankle sprain. He looked fantastic in the first preseason game of the year. Looked great as a receiver. Looked really good as a
0:32runner. Looked every bit the part of a running back that was drafted number three overall. But then we get a high
0:37ankle sprain. And we hate hearing the word high when it comes to anything with an ankle injury. What's your trust level
0:44for Jeremiah Love? He's sort of living inside a round three. I've seen a couple times where he falls into round four in
0:50some of these high stakes drafts. To me, it feels like an edge. Are you worried?
0:55not not in the long term. And again, we draft these players for the entire season, not just the short term, first
1:02couple weeks of the season. Um, first off, I I'll talk about because a lot of people were throwing around that comment. I think a a media member asked
1:10Michael Laflur about, oh, does Jeremiah Love need surgery? And a lot of people took that as like, wa, that was on the
1:15table. That was never on the table. It was just kind of a throwaway comment more so the reporter asking just to
1:21confirm like was this surgical related or not and it wasn't and it was very throwaway comment. So I think people are
1:28overreacting to that a little bit. Um I'm viewing this as a left high ankle sprain which is pretty evident by video.
1:35Typically on on average running backs come with about a 15 to 25% production dip in their first three to four games
1:41upon return. But with Jeremiah Love, uh, two two variables, one good, one one uncertain. Uh, he has a strong skill set
1:50in the receiving game, and when running backs have a strong receiving skill set, that production dip actually drops closer to 10% of a dip versus 15 to 25%.
2:00Now, the downside is he's a rookie. We don't know exactly how Arizona is going to use these running backs. We don't
2:06know his utilization. This is going to open the door for Tyler Algier to get a couple more touches. But really for
2:12Love, the way I'm viewing it is I would be fine fading him for weeks one through four, weeks one through three, one
2:17through four. Um, and then I I put out a take out there, especially with his receiving upset upside and the fact
2:24Arizona's going to be playing from behind. I think weeks four through 17, we can bet on him being running back 14
2:30or better the rest of the season.
2:33>> Yeah, I love the take and I think when you're drafting Jeremiah Love, you're already embracing that he's going to be
2:37playing his best football in the tail end of the season. you sort of paint yourself a picture. How can Jeremiah Love go from being a third round pick in
2:442026 to being a first round pick in 2027? It's going to involve some big big games down the stretch. And I think the
2:51notion that Arizona would sort of be cautious with him over the second half of the season that that gets completely thrown out after they give him like 17
3:00touches in the in the in the opening uh preseason game. It's a completely uh weird little argument going out there in
3:06fantasy. So, I think Jeremiah Love, you're going to get an opportunity to draft him anywhere towards the end of the third round. It's a it's a massive
3:14value. And if you're trying to play catch-up at running back, middle of the third, I think, is appropriate. I have him ahead of there in my rankings. Still
3:23had to to push him down just a little bit into the third round valuation, but I think it's a comfortable upside
3:29selection there. Let's talk about my guy, Amecha Ibuka, who this is uh really been an unfortunate one because I had to
3:37drop him a little bit in my rankings. I was one of the highest uh content creators out there in terms of where I
3:43was actually ranking him this year, but now we've got the turf toe. Um I've still am not not dropping him off of my
3:50target list, but how cautious should I be? How worried are you when we hear about any sort of a toe injury? We have
3:58fears of reagravation. We have just overall performance and and toler pain toleration. I mean, I I hate it here.
4:05Talk me off of this one.
4:07>> Yeah, I I actually don't know if I'll talk you off of this one. U because I dropped him back behind um he when I
4:12looked at it, he was going ahead of Lad, pretty closer to Devontto Smith, um ahead of Waddle, ahead of DJ Moore,
4:18Garrett Wilson. I actually dropped him behind all those guys mostly because of the turf toe concern. Um you know, these come with uh 2 to 6 weeks of return.
4:28actually 3 to 6 weeks of return. Uh longer if it's more severe and for him I think we can speculate that it's on the
4:35grade two side considering he got surgical consult. Um they did say he didn't need surgery which is good but the fact that it was borderline there
4:43gives me some concern. I think his return to play is going to take a little bit longer. Might be active week one
4:49with a plate in his cleat but might miss week one two or so. And then I would expect once he's active to have a
4:57production dip for the first three to four games. But with turf toe, I have big concerns. I talked about this on
5:02another show is everything starts at the foot, especially for a wide receiver, route running, cutting, acceleration, etc. Um, pushing off. So, this opens the
5:11door for a lot of compensation issues.
5:13And he already has a history of hamstring injuries. So, that's my main concern for early in season. Um I yeah I
5:20have concern that we won't see true AMA Egga until I always want to say egg big is grank. Um that's stuck in my brain
5:29but probably >> we call him around here we call him egg puka but he's [laughter] not going to get to those cuka numbers this year.
5:34Explain to everybody >> hopefully by mid-season.
5:36>> You mentioned the the the the plate in the cleat. So for people that are sort of unfamiliar what sort of restriction
5:42would that uh give a a player sort of discomfort? you know, guys like, you know, a lot of times you talk about
5:48athletes really trusting their footwear.
5:51What sort of change would that be for maybe somebody who's never had a plate in their cleat adjusting to that?
5:56>> Yeah, it's kind of a mix of good and bad. It's it's uh it helps in reducing all the strain that occurs on the
6:02ligaments of the big toe that were injured because that can be very painful if you don't have the plate. If uh if a
6:08player has a plate in their cleat, it basically helps restrict any motion on um putting too much strain in the ligaments that were injured in the big
6:16toe cuz every time you push off, you're going to have damage or stress to those ligaments that were already injured. Um
6:22so the the plate unfortunately can be very uncomfortable to be in your cleat and it it can reduce burst. It can
6:30reduce acceleration pushing off of that side. Um but it helps in the long term of healing rate and then not being as
6:37painful. So, it's kind of a mix of good and bad for him. Um, overall, I I prefer to have the plate in there if the player
6:44is rushing back just so that it doesn't risk a big reinjury.
6:49>> Yeah, I think we we have to be realistic with him. I think the idea of taking him at the 2, three turn, that's that ship
6:56is sort of sailed. I think being open-minded to taking him at like the 34 turn is probably a little where most
7:03drafters heads will be at. He still has massive upside. We know he's got toughness because last year he played through that hamstring injury, but the
7:12the the quality of play dropped considerably. So, we want to keep an eye on this one. I I think with with Ibuka,
7:18it's just the opportunity cost of drafting him next to so many highquality wide receivers in round three. It's really really an unfortunate situation.
7:27My bags are are packed. I already have a lot of exposure to him. Uh and a bunch of drafts upcoming, so I don't feel the
7:32pressure. I think for drafters that have like one league, you could still get a ton of value if your league mates
7:38completely pass on them. Just understand sort of downside risk. The NFL season is right around the corner and it's time for Survivor contests. Roto Wire is
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8:31match using the code rotoire. Go to splashports.com/rotoire and I'll see you in the contest. One other player who was sort of going right
8:42near Jeremiah Love, right near Ebuka was Bree Hall. And Bree Hall still sort of hasn't moved. We had a ton of fear with
8:50the groin injury. They It was called an upper leg injury, called a groin injury.
8:54Clarification. We had um a quote saying, you know, it's going to be weeks and not months. And now it sounds like there's
9:01been a positive update where the Jets are saying 2 to 3 weeks. Well, at the time we're recording it, this we're less
9:08than 3 weeks away from the start of the NFL season. So, we are right here. What is your confidence level that we will
9:13see Bruce Hall out on the field in week one? And how much of a workload do you anticipate for the first few weeks of
9:19the season with this sort of an injury?
9:22>> Yeah, I think so. I don't overly trust Aaron Glenn uh just with the remarks that he makes, especially regarding injuries, but I I'm trusting this
9:31because it was reported from multiple sources um that it really was a mild turned out to be a mild case groin
9:37injury. Uh the initial scare was the fact that it was it sounded like a non-cont and he just dropped to the
9:43ground. But again, groin injuries can be very painful, adductor injuries. So with running backs on average, they take about 2 to 3 weeks for return to play.
9:5110 to 15% re-injury risk with a 10% production dip. And again, with receiving upside, that number drops even more um in a good way. So, I I'm
10:01honestly not really concerned. If this was closer, if this was two or one and a half weeks before week one started, I'd
10:07be concerned on Bree Hall for the first two to 3 weeks, maybe. Uh but the fact that the timeline is what it is, I I'm
10:14not concerned on Hall playing week one.
10:16I do think this opens the door for Brilland Allen to be worked in, especially if he looks pretty good. He looked great in week preseason week one.
10:22Um so I think there's risk that it winds up being closer to a time share versus it sounded like Hall was going to get a
10:29big big workload. Um so they'll probably slow play that.
10:33>> Yeah, Hall dominated first team usage.
10:35It was like 10 out of the the 11 snaps with the first team. Then we saw Brilen Allen rip off a long touchdown run. I
10:43think we elevate Brillin Allen slightly.
10:45What about a chance of reagravation here when when you look at Hall sort of where are you at on on this one? Is this an
10:52injury that concerns you where there could be a bad hit that gives him a setback or is this something that he's
10:59just going to continue to play through?
11:01>> Yeah, honestly, if it if it really is mild, it should heal up pretty well within 3 weeks. Um, so it's the the
11:07reinjury risk on groin injuries are low unless they're grade two, but again, it's all the reporting. It's kind of similar with Luther Burton. All the
11:14reporting makes it sound like it's truly on the mild side. So, we kind of have to trust that reporting. That's the
11:20information we have. I wish I had more information on that. Um, but it sounds like it's truly mild.
11:26>> So, Luther Burton, it sounds like they they to me it sounds like the the Chicago Bears sort of put him on ice
11:32with this injury where they say that, you know, we're not going to see him until week one, but they have every bit
11:37of confidence and we haven't seen them bring in any sort of wide receiver. Um, it already felt like kind of a thin
11:43depth room. Uh, where is your trust and comfort level with Burden? How you're approaching him? I mean, there's so much to like about this profile. 22 years
11:52old, the the Ben Johnson's been the ultimate hype man. It's like a the like a pre-ordained this year's year 2 breakout wide out as Luther Burden. Are
12:02you still with that? Yeah, the early the early reports made me go through a little bit of a roller coaster because
12:08apparently he told trainers that it felt bad. Again, sometimes that players say that. Sometimes players say, "Oh, they're fine." And then it turns out to
12:15be worst case, you know. Um, but with Burden, I mean, we saw 2 days after the injury, he was walking, no limp, walking
12:22with really good cadence, really good speed. Um, which to me that's a good sign. If it was a grade two groin
12:28strain, 2 days later there's no way he'd be able to walk without a limp. So, to me, that's good. I take that as a sign
12:33that it is grade one. We can trust that reporting. And then the fact that one week after the fact he was jogging and
12:39doing very gentle. It wasn't wasn't like he was cutting really hard, but he was doing a little bit of cutting work in
12:45pregame preseason week one. Um if you saw that video. So all that makes me feel really good about two two to 3
12:52weeks for him to return. I wouldn't be surprised, like you said, they're going to put him on ice. I wouldn't be
12:56surprised two weeks before week one starts for the regular season, we see him get back to practice pretty much full go. I'm not fading him for drafts
13:04either.
13:06>> One player who I didn't ask you about, but you sort of do you have any sort of a beat on Mai Lemon with this this
13:14hamstring? And we saw him yesterday finally like off on the side, but there's been a lot like a real lack of
13:20information coming out on like when he will actually come back. And we've actually had a little bit of positive buzz recently with with Dantavian Wix.
13:28Wix. The highlights from yesterday's uh two team uh practice with the Patriots where Wix like a a lot of a lot of the
13:35Wix looks good in this sort of uh drill, but Wix was putting uh defensive backs into like the shadow realm uh in some of
13:41those one-on- ons. So, you have Wix sort of moving up a little bit. You have Lemon dropping like a rock in ADP. Where
13:49is uh your comfort level with Lemon and do you have Do you want to try to put any sort of a prediction on when we see
13:54him? Yeah. So, he I actually got a report this morning, a notification that I I'm pretty sure he's start going to
14:00practice today or at least his participation is ramping up. Um, so kind of a mix. I injury-wise, specific injury-wise, not necessarily fantasy
14:08take. I'm happy that the Eagles have taken their time because he injured his hamstring in May in OTAAS, reinjured it, aggravated it in uh July once training
14:18camp started. And it's not it's not like a Jordan Tyson type situation, but the fact that it was reinjured. Hamstrings can often be reinjured within a 15week
14:26window. So, the fact that that happened, I'm very glad they've slow played it and let him get fully 100% instead of just
14:33rushing him out there. Uh because that would be the risk, especially for a rookie. So, fantasy take. Um I don't love the fact that he's missed this much
14:40time just from a utilization standpoint.
14:43And it, like you said, it has given Wix a ton of time to get ramped up with the offense, get his reps in. So I I don't
14:49think we see Mai Lemon usage increase for probably the first quarter to half of the season. We know he's very good.
14:55We know they do want to mix in some 11 personnel. Sounds like Devonte Smith Wixs would be out there in 12 personnel
15:03and then if Mai Lemon's on the field, they're probably running he's probably out of the slot. Um so I I just don't
15:09love that fact for the initial start of the season. Um, yeah, I it's hard to take him in drafts just because if he's
15:18the third wide receiver, he really has to be schemed touches and probably needs an injury to pay off at cost.
15:25>> Yeah, it's it's a really kind of disappointing ramp ramp up and and Lemon also missed some time at at OTAAS. So,
15:31you know, missed a ton of reps here. It seems like a player that the organizationally they're very bullish on, but really it could be a second half
15:38of the year type bet for Lemon. first first two months of the year could be really really choppy at this rate. It
15:44makes me like Dallas Goddard more because again we've never seen Wicks in sort of a dominant usage or consistent usage. So uh wanted to touch touch base
15:52on a couple of other players and I'll kind of lump these two together. We have these back fields where there in
15:58Carolina, Jonathan Brooks uh passed Trouba Hubard and now there's becoming a sort of a a massive gap here between their two ADPs where Trouba we're
16:08starting to see in the double digit rounds. Jonathan Brooks sort of living inside a round six, occasional round fives and still in some leagues he'll
16:16fall into round seven. But Brooks, your comfort level with Jonathan Brooks now that Chuba Hubard has this hamstring injury. Do you think this is a little
16:25bit overblown with sort of the Chuba fade? I'm very much on Brooks. Curious your thoughts on this situation?
16:32>> Yeah, I agree with you. I'm very much on Brooks. I wish his ADP would stay the same because my my concern isn't
16:38necessarily with Brooks. I guess maybe partly because of how much time he's missed overall um in the past, not this year. But Carolina's O line looks
16:47atrocious. So, I'm not It's hard to want to bet on one of those running backs.
16:51But, if I were to bet on one, I don't want to bet on Chuba with last year. He didn't look explosive. He was dealing
16:57with a calf strain that probably zapped some of his explosiveness, burst per touch efficiency. We're going to see the same thing coming off this hamstring
17:05injury, especially because it sounds like it's at least a grade two. um where it's I do expect that to to nerf some of
17:12his per touch efficiency kind of like last year. So, I don't think you're going to see the explosiveness. We know Dave Canales wants to get that out of
17:19his running back and we know Brooks is doing that right now, especially in the screen game and the receiving game.
17:24Brooks adds that receiving skill set that Chuba doesn't necessarily have. Uh my concern is if Chuba is active early in season, he might wind up getting the
17:33goal line touches that lowers Brook's ceiling. So that's why I don't love seeing Brooks uh ADP rise where it is.
17:40Um but I would rather take Brooks over Chuba. Yeah, Brooks is a rocket ship for sure. If you want to take your game to
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18:10That's theo35 which is going to get you 35% off of a Rotoire subscription. Let's crush our leagues together this season.
18:19Uh [snorts] DeAndre Swift has sort of settled into his own range. Call him about a fifth round pick in ADP right
18:25now. And then Kyle Manangi was going inside of round nine. Now we're routinely seeing him go in like rounds 10, rounds 11, hyperextended knee. Is
18:35there anything to worry about here with Kyle Manangai in terms of him getting back on the field and then a potential
18:41ramp up? And should we be elevating DeAndre Swift? Could Swift have like a a really huge role for maybe the first
18:48month of the season to get us off to a fast start? Uh where are you at on this one?
18:53>> Yeah, I I was actually talking to Ryan Heath about this recently and it's hard to move looking at all the players in
18:58the ADP. It's hard to move DeAndre Swift too far up. Um I I agreed with moving him ahead of like Christian Watson, Mike
19:05Evans, especially cuz Evans might have suffered a reinjury to his quad. Um but I I don't necessarily want to move DeAndre Swift too far up just in
19:15general. And then looking at Kyle Man uh with the knee hyperextension, if the reporting is fully accurate, it doesn't sound like he has ligament damage,
19:24doesn't sound like he has any meniscus damage. really comes down to a bone bruise that's going to be there that it
19:29it takes time to heal, but his return will be very pain dependent. So, it could be two weeks, it could be six
19:34weeks. Um, but once he's back, he'll pretty much be full go with very low reinjury risk. So, I I actually like the
19:41dip on, but I I don't necessarily want to bump Swift too far up. Yeah, Swift feels like a like a very structurally
19:48solid pick, but it's a even though we love the offense, there's got to be like sort of a ceiling cap where could we see
19:55DeAndre Swift as a top five scorer at running back? I think it would just be a really really hard narrative to tell
20:01yourself. Uh could he be a backend RB1 with a little bit of a boost with some early season scoring? I think that's in
20:07the range of possibilities. Ben Johnson wants to set the all-time record for point per game scoring as a team. So, uh, draft your Bears if you want to
20:14listen to Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson also talking about, uh, that he thinks Caleb Williams is going to be a 70% completion
20:20rate this year tracking towards it. So, like a lot of positivity there. And, uh, it sounds like we we have a kind of a
20:26handle on the burden situation. Let's talk about Mike Evans, though, cuz you mentioned him. I didn't even put him on the show sheet. He's back at uh, I saw
20:33him back at at training camp this week.
20:36Uh, chances I mean, obviously, this is a player that has missed some time recently. He's older. Uh your thoughts on this one with Evans a comfort level
20:44of clicking the button on him with about a round six price tag round five in some leagues.
20:50>> Yeah. Was he back yesterday in practice?
20:52>> I saw him I saw him back. I don't know the extent but he was he was doing something. Yeah.
20:57>> Okay. That's that's a good sign cuz I believe it was Monday when we got the report that man the ners and I know
21:02we're going to talk about Christian McCaffrey at some point. The Niners have been using this tightness label and I don't love it because it it just makes
21:09me nervous on um you know, especially if it's related to a prior injury, it seems like they use tightness versus it's
21:16specifically this. All the rest of their players, they use specifically this. Um so, I don't love that. But if he's back
21:23at practice already, I'm not as concerned about the tightness that he felt Monday. Um, initially I was concerned because again at his age, once
21:30you're over 30 years old, any of those soft tissue injuries, the reinjury risk increases drastically. So, didn't love the fact that he had a true quad strain
21:38beforehand. Um, he has a very long extensive history of hamstring strains and then he's playing next to the electrical substation. So, um, yeah, I
21:49I'm man, I want to believe I'm a Niners fan. I don't know if you knew that, but I want to believe that he's going to be
21:54healthy all season. And if he is, he carries tremendous upside, especially as the red zone threat, but his soft tissue history makes me very nervous,
22:02especially at cost.
22:04>> Yeah, I'm I'm with you. I mean, there's considerable downside risk for for Evans. I took him in an NFC draft in the
22:10sixth round, and you still feel a little nervous. In that draft, I was able to also draft Dejon Stribbling and Brock
22:17Brock Pury. Have like a stack there.
22:19Stribbling, the vibes are fantastic. are or should fantasy managers be sort of bumping him up even a little bit more with the potential that Ricky Pierol
22:29done for the year? Uh you have some concerns about Mike Evans scribbling.
22:34The the vibes are just fantastic right now.
22:37>> Vibes are fantastic. They've also been joint practicing against bad defenses.
22:42Um and Kyle Shanahan, >> but he's been dominating. He's been dominating the bad defenses, which is that's I mean we we get points for those
22:49games against bad defenses, too, you know. Yes, we do. That's true. That's true. Um, yeah, I I guess all of that
22:55Kyle Shanahan has said enough comments that make me nervous that he's going to put him in the doghouse a little bit.
23:01And even even when all three are on the field, you know, Mike Evans, Debo Samuel, dribbling really plays that Jawan Jennings role. And in in past
23:09years, Jennings wouldn't get much volume unless one of those guys was out. Wide receiver one or wide receiver two were out. So, I I would love to keep
23:17stribbling where he is ADPwise, but again, the odds of one of these guys missing time skyrockets. And then if he keeps playing like this, he is going to
23:26gain value and get more touches on a weekly basis. He's probably the most explosive that they have. So, you want to bet on that, but there is risk. Just
23:34understand the risk there.
23:36Let's talk about uh Christian McCaffrey though because this is one where I'm sure a lot of people who are tuning in
23:42to a show like this that's like the lead for them. Christian McCaffrey, you talk about the tightness, talk about a missing time. There's it seems very very
23:50like cryptic to me. We even had the rumors that this was like a like a almost like a holdin where he wants more
23:57money because a bunch of these running backs just got these big contracts, Gibbs and Robinson and all that. There's what what should we believe? Uh we
24:05obviously have recency bias where we all remember what happened in 2024 when he was drafted in the first round. The team
24:12was not very clear about things and then all of a sudden Christian McAffrey is on a plane ride to Germany and Jordan
24:19Mason's leading the backfield. It's nightmare time for fantasy managers who are having like PTSD on this sort of situation. If you had to make a call,
24:27what's going on with CMC? When do you expect to see him back and what is going on over here in San Francisco?
24:34Yeah. So, understand what I'm about to say is speculation. I don't have concrete info, but this is more so me reading into how the Niners have been
24:43reporting injuries. So, like looking at Kalin Black, um, very specific on adductor injuries. Jordan James, rib fractures, some of their defensive
24:51players, very specific on the injury involved. And then you look at Nick Bosa, he's been out with soreness or soreness and tightness. Christian
25:00McCaffrey, he's been out with tightness.
25:03So, some of the like their top guys, my speculation is like Nick Bosa, he's dealing with soreness in the knee that
25:08was surgically uh reconstructed for his ACL and they don't want to scare people.
25:13My speculation with Chris McAffrey is my worst fear would be if it's tightness of his calf um same calf that he's dealt
25:20with injury or issues since 2023 and they just don't want to scare people.
25:25So, um, report was joint practice-wise Tuesday, a couple days ago, he could have practiced. That's what they said.
25:35Um, they've said that in the past, and that hasn't been true, but that's what they said. He was on the sideline
25:39talking with Justin Herbert. Looked like he was walking around fine, but that doesn't necessarily mean much. I'd have to see him sprint, cut, sharply, move.
25:46Um, so yeah, I'm I'm a little nervous, especially because the pass history, we know what running backs the wrist coming off 400 plus touches. I think he had
25:54like 450 something somewhere around there last year. Um I I'm a little nervous. I don't think I'm going to help people feel better about this situation.
26:04>> No, I mean I think this is warranted and I you mentioned the the volume he had to s sustain last year. Just an incredible
26:11amount. And I know a hundred of them were were catches. Uh, and McAffrey is, you know, pretty good at avoiding a
26:17massive hits. But ju we start thinking about last year to Saquon Barkley who was coming off of just this massive volume year. Then we saw the the
26:26production dip considerably. I I worry about it with with McAffrey. He's insulated by the receiving work. if he's out on the field. Um, even if the the
26:34the rushing numbers and efficiency dip even more, we could end up seeing him still provide some some value at cost if
26:43he catches 90 passes. I mean, period.
26:45Um, but I worry about games missed. I worry about 2024. And then I think about like where he's going in drafts where
26:52it's Jackson Smith and Jigba, it's Aman Ross St. Brown, and then it's Christian McAffrey where I have like no reservations on those two guys.
27:00>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and even even guys like Han or Janty, like they could there's obviously more risk with those two guys. Um, and I don't know if they
27:09necessarily Well, Achan probably does carry the upside of Christian McCaffrey with receiving upside. Um, but yeah, that's I just wish he was cheaper.
27:17>> Now, George KD is trending very positively. It doesn't feel like any doom and gloom scenario of KD missing a bunch of time at the beginning of the
27:24year is out there. Does he play in week one though? uh does he get on that plane to Australia or do you think that's
27:30something where the 49ers will be a little cautious and and let him maybe avoid the long travel and ramp him up
27:37week two? Do you have a gut feeling on that one? Because KD's moved up in ADP.
27:41I drafted him last week. I'm sort of comfortable with it. Um in tight end premium formats, I've been making sure to grab Jake Tongis anytime I click the
27:49button on KD. Where do you when do you anticipate we'll see him back?
27:54>> Yeah, I I honestly I think he is trending towards week one. The nice thing for week one is um like the Rams
28:00are flying out I think the day or two days before the game. The Niners are flying out a full week beforehand. So
28:07we'll know pretty quickly if KD's going to play week one. He'll be on the flight. If they're planning on him not
28:13playing week one, he said he's going to stay home. So if he's not on the flight a week beforehand, we'll probably have
28:18our answer there. Um and then if he's on the if he's on the flight obviously, uh it sounds like he will for sure play.
28:26So, I I think based on how his trajectory, how he's moving. I mean, some of the videos have been incredible on how he's moving. I've been surprised,
28:34but his surgery was different. His his repair was higher up. He it didn't require drilling into the bone. So, there's less concern on loss of
28:41explosiveness, burst, time frame for healing where usually it's like 9 months, 12 months to get all that back.
28:48Um, by week one, he'll be 8 months out.
28:54Uh yeah, we definitely have some positivity with KD. He's moved up in ADP. The biggest ADP riser of the whole summer has been uh Malik Neighbors.
29:03Neighbors, I mean, it's just been a uh nothing but positivity coming out of Giants camp and we have optimism we'll see him early in the year. Do we see him
29:14on in week one? Your thoughts on neighbors and how drafters should be treating him right now as we're about three weeks away from the season?
29:21>> Yeah, I believe we do. I and I don't think him and uh Tucker Craft I think people are a little concerned on snap
29:28utilization, snaps, how many snaps played, rouch run, etc. Um I I don't think we need to be concerned on on neighbors. He is moving very well. He's
29:38starting to get ramped up in team drills. I know he had a a non-cont jersey on, but again, he's he's cut
29:45cutting very sharply. Sorry. uh cutting very sharply, moving very well in practice and um I mean the team every report has been very positive. So it
29:55went from big concern from that scar tissue removal to wow he's moving way better than I thought. Team is optimistic and that has continued which
30:04is a great trend. The only thing I'm concerned is like Matt Nai's offense.
30:09How much how much ceiling can that provide? And then apparently Jackson Dart has been struggling.
30:14>> But it's Malik Neighbors and he's not priced as a wide receiver, top five wide receiver. So I think, you know, we know that the
30:25usage is going to be incredible. There seems like there's a ton of motivation with Neighbors this year. Um, so I I
30:31mean Matt Naggie, uh, you know, we have concerns about him, but I do I do think with Neighbors, we could be looking at a
30:3735% target share, massive airyard share.
30:41I mean, everything is trending towards it. And we also have Malachi Fields is probably going to be the wide receiver, too. And I like Malachi Fields. I think
30:47he's a fine player to consider in the final rounds of your draft, but sort of a cap target upside guy. And then you
30:54got Isaiah Likely who's got mixed usage where they're mixing another tight end.
30:58So the chances of likely giving like an out of nowhere 110 target 120 target year that ship is sailed. I think likely
31:05is maybe target ceiling might be 90 if it's in this. So there's not really a second target in New York. Uh I think
31:12neighbors is going to be just dominant usage wise. So even if the the offense sputters I mean we've seen neighbors put
31:18up huge weeks in some pretty poor situations in New York with Dable. I think this year at least we know the
31:25offensive line is going to be a lot better. Uh, and he's one of the most talented players in football, period, at
31:31the skill position. So, I mean, we talked about it with somebody else the other day. When you look at like most
31:36talented wide receiver in football, it's like for me it's like Jamar Chase, Malik Neighbors, Justin Jefferson, those guys right there. Uh, and Neighbors, it's
31:45hard to Yeah. JSN. Absolutely. JSN. So, I mean, Neighbors elite talent and you're getting him in the 20s because of the injury discount. He could be a great
31:54a great equalizer. So, people want to talk about like this year's version of JSN. This year's version of JSN last year when we got to the end of the
32:01summer going at that 23 turn, this year's version just could end up being the the one like standing right there in
32:08the face is the guy who was wide receiver, top five wide receiver just two years ago, averaged 18 plus points per game as a 21-year-old. It's Malik
32:16Neighbors right there. Let's let's talk about uh Tyler Warren. And this feels like kind of like nothing to see here.
32:24Um, we this is just the the problem with living in the information age in fantasy football. You know, we don't have time
32:29to like sort of unpack stuff. We just have to take like every little report and then sort of live emotionally in the
32:35moment. Tyler Warren, at the time we're recording this, uh, we heard another groin injury. Now, we get a positive report saying he's going to be back
32:43maybe as early as next week. Your thoughts on Tyler Warren? Do you think we know the full story at this point?
32:49Uh, are you worried or does this feel like kind of nothing to see here? Yeah, they well I the Colts have been fairly
32:57uh upfront with injury info, so that's that's been good. I was just I hesitated there because I just thought of the Alec
33:03Pierce situation, but um yeah, I all reporting has been mild strain. It kind of puts him in the box of very similar
33:11to all these groin injuries above um 2 to 3 weeks, 10 to 15% reinjury risk, not much of a production dip at all in the
33:18first couple weeks back. Um, and it sounds like it sounds like he is going to be back at a pretty good time frame
33:24where he'll be able to get reinserted and ramped up for week one production. I I'm more concerned about Keenan being there now versus the groin injury
33:33itself. Um, so I'm not fading injury-wise.
33:37>> Yeah. I mean, I think for me, Keenan's uh Keenan's going to be a guy that's going to get 20% target share. Like him
33:43and and Shane Stiken just sort of speak so glowingly about one another. It feels like there's a kind of a plan and Keenan
33:50could be an annoying presence. I I do do think Warren is probably less affected than the wide receivers here when it
33:57comes to Keenan Allen. Let's talk about Alec Pierce though. This is one where we finally had like an optimistic quote from Shane Stiken about Pierce, but the
34:07vibes have been awful. He's missed all this time. When do you anticipate we see Alec Pierce? And how much of a ramp up
34:15period will there be for him when he returns to the NFL to an NFL field?
34:20>> Yeah, I we have seen we have seen players in the past where they you know miss all this chunk of time especially
34:26through preseason and then return. I think even Saquin did it in past years where they return two weeks before the season then start practicing and they're
34:34active week one. My concern with him is we haven't seen him sprint, cut, run routes. Obviously, I I would assume and
34:41I would hope at this stage he's been doing that behind the scenes. Like that's what Stiken was talking about. He looked good in his indoor practice,
34:48whatever that means. No specifics on what exactly he did. Um but the my my concern is the videos we've seen of him
34:57so far just walking. You can still tell he's limping. He's not stepping all the way through that leg, the the right leg
35:02or the left leg, stepping through his left ankle. Um there's still a little bit of left calf atrophy. So if he's
35:10active week one, I mean, you do have to put him in a category where he could be a little injuryprone for the first
35:15quarter to half of the season in terms of compensation risk. George KD talked about that. He had a fantastic uh session with media where he talked about
35:24how important it is to build symmetry before you get back to a return to play and what you want to aim for like less
35:31than 10% deficit side to side. And if you're above that, then you're at risk for some of these reinjuries. My hope is
35:38the Colts staff is doing that. They're tracking that really closely. Uh we have some info that some of these training staffs aren't the best. So, I hope he's
35:46in good hands over there. I think he is.
35:49Um but yeah, I I have concerns even if he's active week one. One one of the key factors too here that a lot of people
35:56have been talking about this off seasonason is the key variable where uh or the key connection between him and Daniel Jones was the vertical routes.
36:03And with that, you need speed, acceleration, burst, all of that. There will be a little bit of uh regression for Alec Pierce. And then also, you're
36:12coming with you're coming in with Daniel Jones dealing with a right Achilles where he even told me he's not 100% healthy. And so for Daniel Jones,
36:20there's going to be a deficit in intermediate to deep throws uh and velocity, velocity and accuracy on those deep throws. So like there's two
36:27factors, one on Pierce, one on Daniel Jones, where that connection, we have a lot of risk of regression there. They might they might be getting a bunch of
36:36targets, but it might be very inaccurate. Almost like a Kale Caleb Williams Roma Dunay last year.
36:42>> Yeah, it's a it's a really tough one with Pierce. I I think the trust factor for me is is definitely Tyler Warren in
36:49this offense. I think that's the one that I'm sort of leaning into. Uh, and then we talked about a little bit about
36:53the wide receivers with Keenan Allen and then also Josh DS. I think that the one thing about Pierce uh sort of coming
37:01back and a lack of clarity, we're still keeping a positive view on potentially Josh Downs. And if we're having trouble with the Achilles injury for Jones sort
37:10of planting and making those big targets downfield, maybe we'll see a little bit more of those lower ADOT looks which would benefit Downs. Certainly the
37:18presence of Allen, Allen in sort of the Michael Pitman role would also potentially benefit from some of those lower A dot, easier to complete ones.
37:25And we know Jonathan Taylor is going to get pretty much all the volume he can handle in that offense. At least the
37:30offensive line's in pretty good shape over in Indianapolis this year. Very good O line there. Let's uh talk about uh another player that had a recent
37:38injury. How much should we be bumping up Travis Achan with Alvin Kamar's knee injury? This was sort of like Achan.
37:46When we started drafting, we sort of anticipated Camaro would be on another team. Then the Saints extend him and we get this sort of slow drop for for Han.
37:56He didn't uh you know, he didn't crater in ADP, but he sort of fell uh a little bit and a little bit and now people are
38:03starting to warm up to the possibility that Hchan is going to get a Bellcow roll and has have the pass catching
38:09ability out of the back field that maybe Kamar would have capped that upside with. Where are you at on Achan? And
38:15what what is your expectation levels for Alvin Kamara, an older player who's missed time in multiple seasons in a row here, now dealing with an early season
38:23injury? Yeah, so with with Kamar, these are all factors that will um contribute for ETN's early bump for sure. Uh with
38:33Kamar, we know past MCL injuries 2019 was to his left side, he missed four weeks. right side. Last year, he missed
38:40uh six weeks, the final six weeks with a right MCL injury. And by video, it looked like it was his right MCL this
38:47time. So, he suffered it about 3 and 1/2 weeks before week 1. And they already called it multi-week. So, I wouldn't be
38:54surprised if it's somewhere in the 4 to 6 week range. So, there's risk that Kamar is not active weeks 1 through
38:59three possibly. Um, and then even when he's back, there would be a pretty big production dip. Um, expectation, especially in the receiving game. Um,
39:08that's where he seemed to be most limited. May I would assume the team has some less run less routes. Um, but yeah,
39:16probably close to a 20 to 30% production dip. So that all of that and then all of their backup running backs are also
39:23hurt. So Audrey Estay has, according to Nick Underhill, he has looked like the best running back three option. He's hurt with an ankle injury and expected
39:32to miss a couple weeks. Kendra Miller just came back. He's in his recovery from ACL recon. Um, and he was dealing
39:39with back discomfort. He's back to practice. He looked pretty good, I guess, in joint practices yesterday. Um, and then Deon Neil's back. He was
39:46dealing with a hamstring injury, but both those guys still carry reinjury risk. So, I just don't see them trusting those guys. They're they're now running
39:54back two option with Kamara out very much for week one. So, I would be fine giving a bump to Travis ETN for the
40:01first four weeks until Alvin Kamar's back and then producing a little bit more.
40:06>> Yeah, a running back 18 price tag, which it's not cheap, but does feel like there's a little bit of upside there.
40:12last year 13 touchdowns and you know we talk about the receiving work 58 catches in 2023 so we've seen that if Kamar is
40:20indeed kind of slow out the gate and then maybe potential of reagravation potential that Kamar just never gets right this year I if we can get you know
40:29the the Travis TN/Han uh of of 50 plus catches to go with what we anticipate will be 225 plus carries behind a decent offensive line and what
40:41should be a good offense I think returning value at running back 18, it feels like a pretty good bet to make right now. I moved him up in my
40:48rankings. You can find those over at Rotoire. Use the code Theo35, get 35% off. I I kind of didn't love the
40:55situation, but now I'm sort of embracing it. Another reason I think I'm embracing it is Chris Alave, Travis Hchan, and Jawan Johnson all get a bump because
41:06Jordan Tyson looked like he was going to be a massive part of the offense. Now we're hearing two months out for Jordan
41:12Tyson. Here's an important question. If you're in a league with an IR spot, he becomes a really interesting click because you park him and maybe you get a
41:21second half of the year player you can just potentially insert in your lineup.
41:25But if you're in a league without an IR spot, this becomes a really tough player to roster if it's a 15-man roster
41:32league. If you're in a 20man roster league like NFC, FFPC, the only downside to kind of rostering him would be a spot
41:39that you can't add a guy on waiverss, which becomes a challenge certain weeks.
41:43What week do you think we'll see Jordan Tyson back? And when he comes back, do you think we're going to see the player
41:49that was trending towards being maybe this year's like breakout rookie at the wide receiver position?
41:56>> Yeah, that's so the team has already said it's going to be two months. that time frame would put him close to a week
42:01five, week six return. Um my my concern with that and they have said, "Oh, it's unrelated to his prior hamstring injuries." Um if that's the case, my my
42:12concern is it's still to the right side to still to his right hamstrings. Um which he's injured now four times since
42:19October 2025. If it is a different site, that's good in a way because it means the scar tissue that's developed at the
42:27prior sites wasn't implicated in this one, but that also means he's probably still compensating. Um, and the play wasn't even it didn't even take that
42:36much to injure it u by video at least.
42:38So, the fact that he's still compensating, every other aggravation and reinjury that he suffered took 3 to 4 months for him to return. So, I just I don't see
42:48them rushing him back two months out.
42:51Um, especially when looking at their schedule. So, week seven, they play in France. Week eight, they have a by-week.
42:56Week nine, if he came back week nine, that would put him pretty close to 3 months out from the injury itself, which
43:02which gives him about the same recovery time as his past uh aggravations. If I was making the decision, I would probably just shelf him until week nine.
43:12I really hope I I don't see the Saints rushing him out there at two months because say he gets out there, say he
43:18plays week five, week six, suffers another reinjury. You don't know how much how many fans would revolt. You know, they would get so much backlash.
43:27So, I just don't see them rushing him back. And you're right, it makes it a very difficult decision. I if I don't
43:32have an IR spot spot, I wouldn't want to have him on my roster because we don't even know, say he comes back in 3
43:38months, does he reinjured again? Does he get used in his expected role? You know, 80% 90% route run, etc. And this is
43:48another variable that not a lot of people talk about is this is one of the fastest paced offenses with soft tissue
43:54injuries. That's a risk because the player doesn't get as much time to rest and recover in between plays. So, the his soft tissue is going to be taxed
44:02more, especially his hamstrings with how sharply and fast he moves. I I just have a a lot of concern here.
44:09Yeah, it's very depressing stuff when we talk about Jordan Tyson, a player who we were I mean felt like a potential league
44:16winning value in round seven, guy who was heading up to round six and now just free falling. I think you said it right.
44:23If you don't have an IR spot, just understand what you're doing here. If you're in a very shallow format, it's going to be very difficult for you to
44:31roster him all season long because of waiverss and by-weeks. If you're an NFC, FFPC or FFWC, potentially getting him for the for the stretch run could be a
44:42really really uh big value for you, but like you said, reagravation, the soft tissue, all that kind of stuff. So, very
44:50difficult player. Is there a certain like, okay, I'm I'm I'm clicking the button. If you're in a if you're in, let's say, a 20man roster league, is
44:59there a specific ADP where you're like, this is it. I'm taking them.
45:04Yeah, I mean I don't know if for me I'm probably not the best person to ask because sometimes I I feel like I get to
45:10round 10 or 12 or whatever and I see some of these players like I don't care about some of these players whereas like
45:16why not bet on a Jordan Tyson and then just make sure I draft well with my last like pick high upside picks who might
45:23flash might get more utilization through the back end of the draft.
45:28>> Absolutely awesome stuff today from Jeff Mueller. Jeeoff, let everyone know what you have coming out uh and where they could find your work.
45:35>> Yeah, so I'll I'll have u my weekly injury articles uh throughout the season, probably one more before preseason. I have an article up on
45:42fantasy points uh that's constantly being updated with all these preseason injuries. Seems like all of them are groin injuries right now. Um but that's
45:50going to be up every week, updated. And then uh the weekly injury there and then the injury pod at Destination Devi um on
45:58the weekends that'll drop every week.
46:01Yeah, highly recommend all of Jeff's work and make sure you're sticking with us here on the show. We're dropping a show a day all throughout August.
