Fantasy Football Injuries: Key Updates on Justin Herbert, Marvin Harrison Jr., and More

Nothing can wreck a fantasy season like injuries.

But injuries also present opportunity. We can gain an edge over our competition by having a better understanding of injuries, how long they’ll keep players out, and how they’ll impact performance upon return.

That’s why we’re bringing in Tyler Smola -- a Doctor of Physical Therapy with more than a decade of sports medicine experience -- to break down what these injuries really mean for fantasy managers.

Each week, Tyler will separate rumor from reality, explain timelines, and give you the performance outlook you need to make sharper fantasy decisions.

Fantasy Football Injuries: QBs

Justin Herbert, Chargers

Injury: Left hand fracture
Expected Games Missed: 0-2
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low - passing, High - rushing

Herbert missed nine plays after fracturing his left hand but ultimately returned to the game. 

Yet another left-side injury for a QB – one that likely would have cost Herbert the rest of the season had it occurred on his throwing hand. 

He had surgery on Monday to stabilize the fracture in hopes of playing on Monday night. Similar to the Aaron Rodgers injury, Herbert will be casted or braced to help prevent further damage (though ball security may become an issue). 

As we saw with Rodgers, Herbert will likely try to avoid being hit or landing on the left hand, so expect a dip in his rushing output. The extra day to recover will help, but there’s a chance he needs more than a week to be ready to get back on the field.

Fantasy Football Injuries: RBs

Aaron Jones, Vikings

Injury: Shoulder
Expected Games Missed: 0-3
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low

We don’t yet have specifics on Jones’ injury pathology as of Monday night. Based on the mechanism of injury, we can assume it’s a low-grade AC joint sprain.

Jones shouldn’t see much impact to his rushing ability, but his receiving work may be limited. He also risks aggravating the injury and potentially missing time if he lands on the shoulder again.

Monitor his practice participation. As of now, his status for next week is 50/50.

Dylan Sampson, Browns

Injury: Calf strain
Expected Games Missed: 0-4
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium

Overall, it’s good news for Sampson, as he avoided an Achilles rupture and has been diagnosed with a calf strain. 

He’s listed as day-to-day, but the strain would need to be minor for him to have a realistic chance to play next weekend. Calf strains carry a high risk of re-injury and can significantly affect first-step burst. 

Don’t be surprised if Sampson misses a couple of weeks.

Fantasy Football Injuries: WRs

Marvin Harrison Jr., Cardinals

Injury: Heel
Expected Games Missed: 0-2
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low-medium

We still don’t have details on the specific type of heel injury Harrison is dealing with. 

The good news is that he attempted to play through it, which suggests it’s not something that will end his season. There are reports that the Cardinals tried using an insert to help him return to the game, which could indicate a plantar fascia issue. If that’s the case, it becomes a pain-management situation.

If they can get the pain and inflammation under control, he should have a chance to suit up this week.

Parker Washington, Jaguars

Injury: Hip
Expected Games Missed: TBD
Performance Impact Upon Return: TBD

Late-season fatigue from teams and reporters here? This is another situation where we did not receive an update from the team on Monday. 

The bad news is that Washington did not return to the game. He could be dealing with a hip pointer (a bruise to the iliac crest), a hip flexor strain, or – more concerning – an intra-articular hip injury. 

In any case, we’ll need to wait for more details from the team before making a real prediction about what this means for Parker and the rest of the Jaguars’ offense.

What Do These Injuries Mean For Your Fantasy Team?

The smartest managers don’t just track injuries ... they act on them faster than the rest of the league.

Our fantasy football projections update around the clock and feed directly into Team Intel, Free Agent Finder, and the rest of our fully customized tools.

Sync your league now to get your unfair advantage.

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Tyler Smola, Injury Analyst

Tyler brings over a decade of sports medicine knowledge to Draft Sharks. He will be writing weekly injury analysis articles this season and will bring an expertise in sports medicine, rehabilitation, and sports performance to Draft Sharks.