Fantasy Football Injuries: Key Updates on Patrick Mahomes, Davante Adams & 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

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

Injury: ACL and LCL Tears
Expected Games Missed: Season Ending
Performance Impact Upon Return Next Season: Passing - Low, Rushing - Medium/High

The Chiefs quickly confirmed that Mahomes tore his ACL in the loss to the Chargers. While that alone is concerning, the news worsened when they announced he also tore his LCL. Mahomes underwent surgery to repair both ligaments on Monday.

If we compare Mahomes’ mechanism of injury to Micah Parsons’ (who also tore his ACL on Sunday), the difference is clear. Parsons suffered the most common type of ACL injury, occurring when he attempted to drive off the leg and the knee fell into valgus, causing the ACL to give way. 

Mahomes, on the other hand, sustained a clear posterolateral corner injury as his knee hyperextended. The typical return-to-sport timeline after an ACL tear is 9-12 months. While the LCL injury is unlikely to have long-term effects, it will slow rehabilitation during the first 4-8 weeks.

As a QB, Mahomes still has a strong chance to return early next season, as it is easier to adjust playing style compared to Parsons. That said, there will likely be minimal impact on passing performance but a significant impact on rushing output next season. 

Unfortunately, the risk of tearing the same ACL or the contralateral ACL increases significantly after an initial tear.

Fantasy Football Injuries: RBs

R.J Harvey, Broncos

Injury: Ribs
Expected Games Missed: 0-4
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low

There has been no official update from the Broncos on Harvey’s status. The situation moving forward is fairly simple: If he fractured a rib, he will miss several weeks; if not, he should miss little to no time. 

One concerning sign that could suggest a rib fracture is that the Broncos signed a RB on Monday. Keep a close eye on further details coming out of Denver.

Woody Marks, Texans

Injury: Ankle (Low?)
Expected Games Missed: 0-2
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low

Do we take a HC at his word? DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Marks could have re-entered the game and that “he got his ankle tweaked a little bit there early in the game.” 

For now, we will assume Marks suffered a low-ankle sprain and has a good chance of returning to the field next week. Low-ankle sprains carry a much lower risk of significant performance impact compared to high-ankle sprains.

Devin Neal, Saints

Injury: Hamstring strain
Expected Games Missed: 1-4
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium

Neal left the game in the 2nd quarter with a hamstring strain and was ruled out. 

There has not been an official update from the Saints on timeline or severity, but we can take this as a sign that the Saints quickly knew that the hamstring strain was not low grade.  

As of now, expect Neal to miss some time and to have a performance impact to burst and sprinting when (if) he makes it back onto the field.

Bhayshul Tuten, Jaguars

Injury: Finger fracture
Expected Games Missed: 3 - season ending
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low - Rushing, High - Receiving and ball security

Tuten underwent surgery Monday to stabilize a finger fracture. 

This presents an interesting case study in how different positions can face different return timelines. Last week, we saw QB Justin Herbert successfully return without missing a game after undergoing a likely similar surgery on his left hand. But for the RB position, ball security and receiving responsibilities make a hand fracture a much bigger concern.

Fantasy Football Injuries: WRs

Davante Adams, Rams

Injury: Hamstring strain
Expected Games Missed: 1-4
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium

Adams pulled up on a ‘go’ route in the second half, grabbing his hamstring. 

This is Adams’ second hamstring strain of the season. As we have seen countless times this year, hamstring strains for WRs rarely allow a return within seven days. It is much more likely that Adams misses 2-4 weeks. 

Expect a negative performance impact on sprinting (see mechanism of injury) and for him to remain at high risk of re-injury upon return.

Christian Watson, Packers

Injury: Shoulder, Chest
Expected Games Missed: 0-4
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low

Watson left Sunday’s game with a reported chest and shoulder injury. Reports indicate he was sent to the hospital and underwent a CT scan. The Packers provided a positive update Monday, stating that Watson did not sustain a long-term injury and even has a chance to play this coming week. 

Without specific details on the nature of the injury, this remains an extremely challenging situation to predict.

Rome Odunze, Bears

Injury: Foot
Expected Games Missed: 0-2
Performance Impact Upon Return: Medium-high

A nightmare situation unfolded for the Bears and fantasy football managers Sunday when Odunze aggravated his foot injury and was ruled out just minutes before the game. 

Reports indicate Odunze has been managing this issue since October, and it's clearly not trending in the right direction. He could be dealing with a calcaneal stress reaction or fracture, insertional Achilles tendinitis, or plantar fasciitis (among other possibilities), all of which are easily aggravated.

This will remain a red-flag situation for both his weekly availability and performance for the remainder of the season. Each week will present the Bears with the decision of whether a week of rest would be best for both Odunze’s short- and long-term output. 

Even if he is active, there will be ongoing questions about what percentage he is playing at and whether he will be able to make it through the game.

Luther Burden, Bears

Injury: Ankle
Expected Games Missed: 0-2
Performance Impact Upon Return: Low ankle - Low, High ankle - Medium/High

When comparing Burden’s situation to Odunze’s, there is much more reason for optimism. HC Ben Johnson stated Monday that Burden is “day to day” with his ankle injury. 

We still do not know whether it is a high or low-ankle sprain, which is critically important when projecting performance upon return. If he practices early in the week, it would be safe to assume it is a low-ankle sprain.

Devaughn Vele, Saints

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

We did not receive an update from the Saints on Vele’s shoulder Monday. 

Reports indicate that Vele was spotted wearing a sling after the game. This is, of course, bad news for his potential availability next week, but it does not necessarily mean his season is over. If the sling is due to a fracture (most likely the clavicle), that would end his season. However, if the sling is being used to relieve pressure from an AC joint sprain, he would still have a chance to return before the season ends.

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.