Footballguys subscribers and fantasy football enthusiasts alike…welcome back!
For those who are unfamiliar with my work, my name is Adam Hutchison. I am a licensed physical therapist and, luckily, obsessed with fantasy football. Few in this space have studied and examined injuries like I have. I've crunched the numbers all offseason, looking at injury trends and players' specific performance post-injury in fantasy football. Every Monday, I'll use this information, combined with my clinical experience, to help review the injuries from the previous week and navigate the injuries that will undoubtedly and unfortunately affect your team.
This week, I review the preseason.
Key: Position Player, Team | Injury | Projected Return to Play
QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams | Back | Projected to be active Week 1
For a while this offseason, it was possible that the Rams were going to be without Matthew Stafford. Towards the tail end of July, Stafford was not practicing due to a back injury. Per reports out of LA, Stafford is dealing with a disc injury in his lower back, something that could linger all season. While Stafford is not relevant in most fantasy leagues, his presence, or lack thereof, does impact Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
Stafford’s back injury may be annoying to follow. I could see him getting a lot of veteran rest days, and while re-injury/aggravation is possible, over his career, Stafford is one of the more durable QBs. Stafford has one of the best Recovery Scores (numerical value that shows how well a player is at playing through injury and returning from injury) among active NFL QBs. He is someone who historically has played through injury. Stafford has practiced most of August and is set to be under center in Week 1.
WR Jayden Reed, Green Bay | Jones Fractures (Foot) | Timeline TBD
On August 9th, Jayden Reed was spotted in a walking boot with Green Bay, offering little clarification on his injury.
#Packers WR Jayden Reed with a boot on his left foot. pic.twitter.com/C7bRWonUDB
— Carson Fowler (@CarsonFowlerTV) August 10, 2025
Soon afterwards, we learned that Reed’s injury was a foot fracture along his 5th metatarsal (pinky toe). This fracture is referred to as a Jones fracture, and it can be difficult to manage. Blood flow is crucial for the body's healing process. In this particular region of the foot, blood flow/circulation can be poor. This means that healing is typically a slow process. It’s typical for Jones fractures to result in many weeks missed (10+) and, in some severe circumstances, season-ending.
Packer beat reporters have indicated that Reed is going to try to play through this injury. While I admire the passion, I am worried that, for fantasy football purposes, this could be a headache. I think the possibility of this injury progressing or eventually requiring season-ending surgery is a concern. For those who have not drafted yet, I am avoiding Reed at ADP and, depending on league settings, taking him off my personal draft board completely.
RB MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay | Groin | Projecting Week 5 Return
From one Packer to another, second-year RB MarShawn Lloyd is set to start the 2025 season on IR. Lloyd’s career thus far has been riddled with injuries that spilled into this preseason. Lloyd flashed in limited time, but ultimately strained his groin, which was serious enough to result in an IR stint.
Most groin strains for RBs result in ~2 weeks missed, so to see Green Bay rule Lloyd out for 4 games is concerning, but it’s also possible that the team wanted to make sure that Lloyd had extra time to finally get healthy.