Stop what you’re doing. Yes, you. I’m looking directly at you. Stop. Right. Now.
Have you set your fantasy football lineup?
Sure, it might only be Saturday, but time is running out. We’ve got a lot of injuries to sift through from the preseason and the lead-up to Week 1 of the NFL season.
This article will give you a streamlined, clear-cut look at the most up-to-date information on players who might be a little banged up heading into Sunday.
Before we dive in, though, we need to go over a few ground rules. Here are some words from the OG, Dr. Jene Bramel, on what to expect from "Gameday Injury Expectations" week and beyond.
Understanding the NFL's Injury Report
(per Dr. Bramel - Footballguys OG)
"The injury report released by the NFL is [made up of] two reports. The first is the Practice Participation report, which lists which injured players practiced and their participation level. It also includes players who rested or missed practice for non-injury-related reasons. The second is the Game Status Report, which gives the probability a player will play, i.e., Questionable, Doubtful, Out. The Practice Participation Report is released every day of the week (Monday through Saturday). The Game Status Report is released with the Friday participation report (Wednesday for Thursday games, Saturday for Monday games). In this feature, I'll include the Game Status Listing and my expectations of their likelihood of playing."
- Gameday Decision = this is going to come down to how the player feels in pre-game warmups
- Trending Doubtful = Likely Inactive
- Trending Probable = Likely Active
- Ruled Out = This player has already been ruled out; get him out of lineups!
If you are reading this article on Saturday, come back Sunday morning as more updates trickle in over the next 24 hours.
Current Status on High-Impact Injured Players
Gameday Decision
- RB Alvin Kamara
- WR Malik Nabers
- RB Jeremiyah Love
Trending Doubtful
- WR Jalen McMillan
- RB Sean Tucker
Trending Probable
- WR Alec Pierce
- RB Breece Hall
- RB Ashton Jeanty
- WR Rome Odunze
- WR Xavier Worthy
Ruled Out
- QB Tua Tagovailoa (oblique)
- QB Michael Penix Jr.. (knee)
* Key: Player, Team | Injury | Game Status Listing | Playing Projection
Sunday 1:00 PM EST Games
WR Alec Pierce, Indianapolis | Ankle | Off Injury Report | Will Play
After an up-and-down offseason, Alec Pierce is off the Colts’ injury report and will play in Week 1. Pierce underwent ankle surgery in March, which was described as a “cleanup procedure.” While the procedure itself was likely relatively straightforward, the recovery can still take time. That proved to be the case for Pierce, who logged his first practice this month on September 1st.
Given Pierce's recovery timeline, it’s not hard to imagine the need for a ramp-up period in order to get up to game speed. What is more interesting is that even without an injury designation, Indianapolis still listed Pierce as a "limited participant" (LP) throughout the week, indicating that although he’s practicing and healthy enough to play, the team still hasn’t completely taken the kid gloves off.
When setting fantasy lineups, I’d much prefer to bench Pierce if possible and see his role and performance first. The 2025 season was Pierce's breakout year, finishing as a top-30 wide receiver in PPR leagues, but doing so on only 47 receptions. The margin for error in the same role is rather thin unless he takes another significant step forward. And while money talks, and the Colts paid Pierce this offseason, that’s a lot to ask from a player who spent roughly 90% of this summer rehabbing.
RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans | MCL sprain (Knee) | Questionable | Projecting Active
It was a bit of a surprise, but Alvin Kamara practiced in full on Friday after spraining his MCL three weeks ago. Typically, MCL sprains are at least a four-week injury for NFL running backs.
Prior to the injury, Kamara was already someone I viewed as more of a flex option. Considering the accelerated timeline and historical comparisons, which show some decline in fantasy production and a moderate decrease in snaps upon return, I would recommend looking elsewhere in Week 1.
That stance is further supported by Saints beat reporter Nick Underhill, who said he believes Kamara will not have a “huge role” if he plays at Detroit.
RB Breece Hall, New York Jets | Groin | Questionable | Projecting Active
Breece Hall has been nursing a groin strain since August 17. While uncomfortable, groin strains typically don’t result in significant time missed, especially when minor. On average, NFL running backs miss about two weeks with this injury. That timeline tracks for Hall, who has practiced in full this week and is slated to start in Week 1.
WR Rome Odunze, Chicago | Calf | Questionable | Projecting Active
Back on September 3, Adam Hoge of CHGO Bears reported that Rome Odunze was unable to finish practice due to a “foot injury” and was seen limping off the field. We later got clarification that Odunze was actually dealing with a calf injury.
Odunze has been a limited participant in practice all week but told reporters on Friday that he plans to play.
Rome Odunze, listed as questionable vs. Panthers: “I doubt I’m questionable… I plan on playing.” https://t.co/N8nMmuqd3l
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) September 11, 2026
While I fully appreciate Odunze’s enthusiasm, I have some concerns about the injury and his timeline. For starters, while the average return-to-play timeline for calf strains in NFL WRs is 2 weeks, over the past two seasons we've seen teams be way more conservative with this injury, as it can lead to more serious issues down the line. Drilling down to the last two seasons, on average NFL wideouts have missed nearly 4 weeks compared to the aforementioned 2.
Additionally, among the most common WR injuries I've tracked, calf strains have the highest risk of re-injury. Diving even deeper, calf strains carry a very high Fantasy After Injury Decline Effect (FAIDE), a metric I created exclusively for Footballguys. FAIDE combines the average post-injury fantasy decline with the percentage of players who perform outside the normal standard deviation for their position. Simply put, a high FAIDE score means an injury has historically had a significant impact on fantasy production.
In short, I'm nervous about Odunze this week based on the many factors listed above. He's another player I'd consider benching this week.
WR Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay | Knee | Doubtful | Projecting Inactive
After being limited all week with a knee injury, Jalen McMillan is likely out for Week 1. Tampa Bay has officially listed McMillan as doubtful, and for those new to this series, 90% of players listed as doubtful since 2017 have ultimately been ruled out. I’d expect the same for McMillan this week.
RB Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay | Hamstring | Doubtful | Projecting Inactive
Like McMillan, Sean Tucker is doubtful for Week 1, which again nearly guarantees he won’t play. If you’ve been having nightmares about Tucker stealing goal-line work from Bucky Irving, consider this your dream catcher. Plug Irving in, enjoy the touchdowns, and rest easy as you enter your REM cycle.