The Deep End - DO NOT DRAFT These Players in Fantasy Football Until You See This! 2026 NFL Injuries

Brown has chronic knee degeneration and underwent cleanup surgery on both knees in 2021. The concern is that with no healthy knee to compensate, biomechanical stress could lead to additional injuries, and at his age, the cumulative NFL stress on his knees could manifest this year.

Nix has suffered three ankle injuries and research shows a performance dip in the first year after ankle fractures that resolves by year two to three. However, as a quarterback, it's difficult to apply this research directly, and the timeline for return to competition is two to four months.

While there are questions about whether Garrett Wilson is injury-prone, the expert suggests his shutdown in 2025 may have been more about the Jets wanting to tank rather than a genuine injury concern, making it hard to definitively label him as injury-prone.

Kittle tore his Achilles last year but underwent a speed bridge surgical approach with an elite NFL surgeon and is on track for week one. He was performing single leg box jumps and cutting drills about five months post-op, positioning him as the preferred return-to-form candidate over Tucker Kraft.

Dobbins is injury-prone due to his history of multiple injuries including an Achilles tear and knee injury. Non-contact injuries like the Achilles indicate genuine injury proneness rather than just bad luck, and his injury history predisposes him to higher risk of future injuries and compensation injuries.

Analyst uses Joe Burrow as a historical comparison for ACL injury recovery, noting that Burrow did not experience a typical first-year performance dip after his ACL injury, which the analyst expects Mahomes to replicate.

Mixon suffered a mysterious freak foot injury that kept him out for the entire season and required off-season surgery. The injury is so unknown that even his teammates don't know what happened, making him a risky bet for 2026.

Nabers underwent not just a simple ACL reconstruction but also had his lateral meniscus repaired, plus a cyclops lesion cleanup procedure that adds 1-2 weeks to recovery. Research indicates he will likely experience a production dip in his first year back, and he'll need to be ramped up throughout the season even if he returns early.

Despite being an elite player, Nabers should not be expected to perform as a first-round pick type of talent in 2026 due to historical research showing production dips following ACL reconstruction in the first year back.

Nabers is probably ranked too high in redraft formats given his injury status and expected production dip in 2026, though he may represent a buying window in dynasty leagues long-term.

Mahomes is expected to return from his injury and have a good year in 2026. The comparison is drawn to Joe Burrow, who did not experience the typical first-year performance dip after ACL injury, suggesting Mahomes could follow a similar trajectory.

Analyst predicts Patrick Mahomes will return from injury and have a strong 2026 season, comparing him to Joe Burrow's ACL recovery trajectory and expecting him to be "back to an elite quarterback" with "best days yet to come."

Harvey underwent labral shoulder surgery with a 4-6 month recovery timeline (targeting mid-July return). Research shows 94% of NFL and NCAA players return to their prior level after labral surgeries, so if you liked him before the injury, this is a buying opportunity on the dip.

Laporta underwent lumbar microdiscectomy surgery for a herniated disc in his lumbar spine that was causing pain, numbness, and tingling in his leg. While the surgery itself has favorable historical comps like Rob Gronkowski, there is an 8-14% re-herniation or reoperation risk.

Laporta will have approximately 10 full months post-op by Week 1, which is well above the 3.5-6 month minimum recovery window for NFL athletes returning from microdiscectomy surgery. Research shows no significant decline in pre vs. post-performance levels following this procedure, and Rob Gronkowski's favorable comp (first-team All-Pro, 1,084 yards, 8 TDs the year after his 2016 microdiscectomy) suggests Laporta can reach his pre-injury performance levels.

McMillan is dealing with a nagging foot injury from the end of last year, with reports of a procedure but limited clarity on specifics. He was observed moving well in individual drills, though the lack of transparency from the team raises some concern.

Horton had an ACL tear in college and a shin injury (likely a tibial stress fracture requiring surgery) that sidelined him for nine months. He is expected back for early July training camp and should be ready to perform, as the long recovery period allows for gradual strength building.

Kraft tore his ACL with meniscus debridement (not a full repair), requiring at least nine months before return to play. As an elite player, he has a better chance than typical ACL patients to avoid the historical year-one performance dip, with Gronkowski serving as a comparable comp.

Xavier Worthy separated his shoulder in Week 1 when hit by Kelsey, but labral shoulder injuries are common and can be asymptomatic in many individuals. The extent of Worthy's injury and whether it's the same as a previous injury is unclear, and different body types may respond differently to similar injuries.

Charbonnet's Week 1 return is very aggressive; research shows athletes returning before 9 months post-op have up to a 7-fold increased rate of re-injury. At Week 1, he'd only be 6.5 months post-op, creating high re-injury risk. Additionally, there's typically a historical production dip in the first year following ACL reconstruction.

Charbonnet should be a full fade in redraft formats due to high re-injury risk and expected production dip, making him a fool's game to draft.