2025 Fantasy Football Preseason Injury Updates: Key Players to Watch for Week 1

Listeners, Fantasy Football is in full swing as we head into the 2025 season, and it’s been a whirlwind few days impacting both rankings and Week 1 lineups. The big storylines revolve around injury updates, player depth chart shifts, and last-minute news that could make or break your fantasy squad. Let’s start at quarterback. Lamar Jackson gave fans a scare after suffering a foot injury in camp, but FantasyPros and Pro Football Network both confirm that he’s back at full practice and expected to be ready for Baltimore’s tough Week 1 matchup against Buffalo. His availability puts him firmly in starting lineups for fantasy managers. Meanwhile, rookie signal callers Bryce Young in Carolina and Drake Maye in New England are generating buzz as potential Week 1 sleepers, with NFL.com highlighting both as potentially hot starts due to friendly matchups and preseason form. At running back, the position is already a minefield. According to the FantasyPros injury report, Jaydon Blue avoided a dreaded high-ankle sprain and may play this week, but Joe Mixon’s status is murky – an ankle issue means he’ll be re-evaluated after four weeks, which casts major uncertainty over the Houston Texans backfield. Najee Harris in Los Angeles is also questionable with an eye injury, though Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh says there’s a chance he suits up. Over in Miami, De’Von Achane is contending with a calf injury but Dolphins GM Chris Grier is optimistic the speedster will be good to go against Indianapolis. Listeners looking for deep-league value should keep an eye on Tank Bigsby, as NFL.com projects he could have a significant role with the Jaguars facing a suspect Panthers run defense. Wide receiver health is also under scrutiny. Stefon Diggs, now with the New England Patriots and coming off last year’s ACL tear, is expected to be active and serve as WR1, per Fantasy Alarm. Darnell Mooney is returning from a shoulder issue and is likely to play unless rust gets in the way, while Tyreek Hill has worked through an oblique strain and recently resumed practicing, meaning fantasy managers should feel confident slotting him in for the opener. Unfortunately, some are not as lucky: Jalen Coker is ruled out, which boosts opportunities for young Panthers receivers. Chris Godwin Jr. in Tampa continues to work back from ankle surgery and may not be ready for action, as ESPN recently noted. At tight end, Tampa’s Cade Otton is highly questionable for Week 1 due to a leg injury, with backup options ready to step in. Baltimore’s Isaiah Likely, who broke his foot this summer, is not expected to be ready for the Ravens’ opener, bumping up red zone targets for Mark Andrews and DeAndre Hopkins according to Pro Football Network. Looking at the big picture, FantasyPros’ consensus dynasty trade value chart noticed quick trade fluctuations based on this week’s news, especially with Mixon and young rookie RBs. Dynasty players are moving actively to secure depth before the season gets into f This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.