Week 2 Fantasy Football Injury Recap
As The Fantasy Footballers’ lead injury analyst and sports physical therapist, I’ll be recapping the previous week’s injuries and giving a projected timeline for recovery all season long. Let’s look at the biggest injuries from Week 2 and take a look at what fantasy managers can expect heading into Week 3.
If you’re looking for more detailed injury analysis, check out JoinTheFoot.com for additional premium resources, including access to the Injury Blitz Podcast hosted by yours truly. This bonus podcast, available to all #FootClan Premier and Ultimate members, is a short, yet informative injury podcast that drops late in the week in order to provide all the injury updates you need to set your lineup each week.
QB Caleb Williams
Right Hamstring Strain: Likely out Week 3, Questionable for Week 4
Williams exited Week 2 against the Vikings early with a right hamstring injury and did not return. Fortunately, Williams has avoided a complete (Grade III) tear, but this one is likely a Grade II (moderate) strain. He’s being called “week-to-week,” and yet the Bears are not ruling him out for Monday Night Football against the Eagles, but I would be very surprised if he’s able to get on the field in just eight days. A Grade II hamstring injury is usually a 2-4 week injury, but it’s possible Caleb can return on the earlier side of that timeline given the position he plays. If this were a WR, RB, or TE, the recovery here would take much longer given the stress on the hamstrings while attempting to run and get up to top speed. Caleb could return in a couple of weeks, but his out-of-pocket mobility will be limited upon his return.
Players impacted: Tyson Bagent, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, Colston Loveland
QB Jayden Daniels
Left Elbow Dislocation: Treatment plan TBD
Daniels dislocated his left elbow in 2025 in what ultimately became a lost season for Washington. On Sunday, Daniels re-dislocated that same left elbow against the Cowboys and is now slated to miss a few weeks at a minimum. Just like last season, he could rehab for a few weeks and return to play with a brace in about a month. At this point, Daniels has extreme laxity in his elbow with multiple ligaments torn due to these repeat injuries. Because of that, the re-injury risk moving forward is high. It’s probably a matter of when, not if, Daniels requires surgery. The team, Daniels, and his camp could opt to have Tommy John surgery to stabilize the elbow now and fix the issue for good. If they went that route, Daniels’ 2026 season would be over. Alternatively, they could try to get through the season and opt to have the surgery as soon as the year is over. As of this writing, there hasn’t been a definite answer from Washington on their treatment plan, but Adam Schefter did say on Monday, “It sounds like a similar timeline to last year, but they’re going through this right now with all the medical professionals. I don’t think that he wants to do surgery on the elbow.” Regardless of which option the Commanders choose, Marcus Mariota will be under center for the next few weeks.
Players impacted: Marcus Mariota, Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs
QB Jaxson Dart
Left Knee MCL Sprain: Severity TBD, out multiple weeks
Dart injured his left knee on the first drive of the game, getting hit on the outside of his knee and causing an MCL injury in the process. He is very fortunate that his left foot wasn’t planted in the turf, or this injury could have been far worse. The initial expectation is that Dart will miss a few games because of his MCL injury, but that will ultimately be determined by an MRI on Tuesday. This is probably a Grade II injury, which usually carries about a four-week recovery timeline, but we will know for sure as the week goes on once the MRI is done. Dart could return on the earlier side of whatever his projected rehab timeline looks like because of the position he plays. In other words, a RB or WR would require a more lengthy rehab stint given the need to cut and change direction in the open field. For Dart, if he does come back a little sooner, he will likely need to wear a brace and be limited in terms of his mobility out of the pocket.
Players impacted: Jameis Winston, Malik Nabers, Isaiah Likely
RB Saquon Barkley
Stinger: Questionable for Week 3
Barkley suffered a stinger on his first carry of the game and played sparingly after leaving the game for treatment and evaluation. These injuries are essentially nerve injuries that can lead to weakness, pain, and numbness/tingling in the arm, and they can also cause neck pain. Those symptoms are difficult to play through in a contact sport like football, and you could see that Saquon definitely did not look comfortable when trying to play through the injury. The good news here, assuming no additional findings on MRI (used to rule out a disc injury in the cervical spine), is that these injuries are usually more short-term, and the Eagles get an extra day of rest as they take on the Bears on Monday night. We will see how much he does in practice this week, and I would consider him Questionable for this week’s game. If he can’t go, I do anticipate him returning to the lineup in Week 4.
Players impacted: Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley
RB Jonathon Brooks
Groin Strain: Likely out Weeks 3-4
Brooks dealt with a groin injury late in training camp leading up to Week 1, and in Sunday’s win over the Falcons, he aggravated that same injury. These repeat soft tissue injuries tend to take longer to heal, so while the reporting from HC Dave Canales is “week-to-week,” I think it is far more realistic that he misses multiple games than plays in Week 3 or Week 4. Moreover, the Panthers have an early bye this year in Week 5, so holding him out through the bye to give him that extra week makes a lot of sense. Upon returning, expect Carolina to be conservative given his injury history.
Players impacted: Chuba Hubbard
RB JK Dobbins
Hamstring Strain: Questionable for Week 3
Dobbins exited in the second half of Sunday’s game against the Jags with a hamstring injury. By all accounts, this injury is mild, but even a Grade I injury usually takes 1-2 weeks to heal, assuming no setbacks. Tom Pelissero reported that Dobbins is “good,” and while I’m hopeful the reporting here is accurate, we won’t actually know about Dobbins Week 3 availability until the injury report comes out later in the week. At the very least, we should expect Denver to limit his reps this week, especially with RJ Harvey recovering from a hamstring injury of his own.
Players impacted: Jonah Coleman, RJ Harvey
RB Jadarian Price
Undisclosed Shoulder/Chest Injury: Questionable for Week 3
Price’s injury was originally described as a chest injury, but on Monday, HC Mike Macdonald confirmed the injury is in fact a shoulder injury. When I hear that difference between chest vs. shoulder, it does make me wonder if there is some sort of SC joint injury, as this joint is located in the middle of the chest where the clavicle attaches to the sternum. However, injury to this joint often presents as shoulder dysfunction. Either way, Macdonald did state on Monday that X-rays were negative, which obviously bodes well for Price’s short- and long-term outlook. Until we get more information, Price should be considered week-to-week and Questionable for Week 3 against the Commanders.
Players impacted: George Holani, Emanuel Wilson
WRs Mike Evans & Demarcus Robinson
Evans – Hip Injury: Week-to-week
Robinson – High Ankle Sprain: Likely to land on IR
The San Francisco WR injury woes continue with both Mike Evans and Demarcus Robinson exiting Sunday’s win over Miami with injuries. Evans left with a minor hip injury while D Rob was carted off with what is believed to be a high ankle sprain. I expect Robinson to land on IR and miss several weeks. As for Evans, Kyle Shanahan noted that the scoreboard played a big part in the team’s decision to keep him out late in the second half. He noted that Evans will “have to be managed this week,” so to me, it sounds like Evans is more hurt than injured. I expect him to miss some practice time, but he has a chance to suit up in Week 3. The Niners will likely need to sign some WRs to make up for their lack of depth with Pearsall (PCL), De’Zhaun Stribling (Ankle), and Christian Kirk (Calf) already on IR. Worth noting, Kirk is eligible to come off PUP in Week 5.
Players impacted: Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel
WR Alec Pierce
Left Heel/Ankle Injury: Out several weeks, Likely to land on IR
Pierce spent the entire off-season rehabbing his left ankle/heel after undergoing surgery in March. After finally getting back out there late in training camp, Pierce is now looking at a lost season (for fantasy football, anyway) after he re-injured that ankle Sunday night against the Chiefs. He was on crutches and in a walking boot following the game and now faces a lengthy rehab process as he attempts to return to the field at some point later this year. The Colts will place him on IR while he rehabs, but his timetable to return is TBD. It is possible Pierce requires another surgery if this rehab stint does not go according to plan, but for now, this is an evolving situation. If he does end up needing an additional surgery, his 2026 season would be over.
Players impacted: Daniel Jones, Josh Downs, Tyler Warren
WR Jayden Reed
Neck Injury: Likely to land on IR
Reed suffered a scary neck injury in the opening moments of their game against the Jets. He hit the crown of his helmet on a defender, causing a compression injury to the neck. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and stayed in the New Jersey area for further evaluation, but HC Matt LaFleur did confirm that Reed has movement in all four of his extremities. Reed now faces a lengthy recovery, and he is likely to be placed on IR.
Players impacted: Jordan Love, Christian Watson, Matthew Golden
WR Caleb Douglas
Right High Ankle Sprain: Out multiple weeks, Severity TBD
The rookie left Sunday’s loss to the Niners with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter and did not return. The injury happened on a Greg Dulcich reception when Douglas was blocking and briefly got rolled up on. He was seen with a boot on his right ankle following the game, but the Dolphins have not provided specifics on how long he’ll be out. Based on video, Douglas’ ankle didn’t get trapped in the turf/under the defender, so I am hopeful this is on the milder side. Even so, a mild high ankle injury can cost a skill position player a few weeks. Worth noting, Miami has their bye in Week 6, so it’s realistic that he could sit in Weeks 3-5.
Players impacted: Malik Willis, Malik Washington, Chris Bell
WR DJ Moore
Left Shoulder AC Joint Sprain: Questionable for Week 3
We have to go back to Thursday Night Football for this injury. DJ Moore exited early with a left shoulder injury after attempting to make a diving catch in the end zone, landing hard on his left shoulder in the process. X-rays were negative for a clavicle fracture, but Moore did suffer an AC joint sprain. The initial reporting on this injury was overall optimistic, so I am hopeful this is a Grade I sprain. If that is the case, Moore has a chance to play this week, especially given the extra few days to recover.
Players impacted: Josh Allen, Dalton Kincaid, Khalil Shakir
WR Malik Nabers
Right Shoulder Dislocation: Questionable for Week 3
Nabers dislocated his right shoulder in Sunday’s loss to the Rams, and this is actually not the first time in his career he’s dealt with this injury. Going back to his college days at LSU, Nabers dealt with right shoulder instability. If you saw the play where it happened on Monday night, the play looked pretty innocent without a severe injury, but that’s often the case with these repeat dislocations – because of laxity in the joint, it is easier to re-dislocate moving forward. In the short term, Nabers could play in Week 3, but he will likely need to wear a harness that restricts motion and limits overhead mobility (to protect the joint). The Giants could also opt to keep him out for a game or two, rehab the shoulder for a couple of weeks to try to regain strength, and then put him back out there with a harness. Nabers will likely get an X-ray and/or an MRI to further evaluate the joint, but this is not a season-ending injury. He could require an off-season procedure to re-stabilize the joint, however.
Players impacted: Jaxson Dart, Isaiah Likely, Malachi Fields
TE Dallas Goedert
Right Knee MCL Sprain: Out 2-4 weeks
Goedert got taken out while blocking on Sunday against the Titans, suffering a mild-to-moderate MCL sprain in his right knee. The initial reporting for Goedert is about 2-4 weeks, so he may even be able to avoid IR and return in a couple of games. Isolated MCL injuries heal well without surgery given the excellent blood supply to that region, so Goedert’s rest-of-season outlook remains intact once he’s completely healed from this injury. With Eli Stowers (Hamstring) on IR and Goedert banged up, Philly actually signed franchise legend Zach Ertz to the practice squad on Monday. The 35-year-old Ertz is coming off a Week 14 ACL injury last season.
Players impacted: Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon
TEs David Njoku & Charlie Kolar
Njoku – Right Fibula Fracture: Placed on IR
Kolar – Forearm Fracture: Placed on IR
LA lost two of their three TEs on Sunday against the Raiders. Njoku was taken off on a cart after injuring his right leg, while Kolar suffered a left forearm injury. Njoku suffered a fractured fibula while Kolar fractured his forearm. It remains to be seen if these injuries will require surgery, but regardless, both players were placed on IR Monday evening. Oronde Gadsden is currently the only healthy TE on the active roster, so expect the Chargers to make multiple moves this week to address their TE depth.
Players impacted: Justin Herbert, Oronde Gadsden