Football: AFC Championship: New England Patriots TreVeyon Henderson (32) in action, runs the football vs Denver Broncos at Empower Field. Denver, CO 1/25/2026CREDIT: Jamie Schwaberow (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X164831 TK1)
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At long last, the 2026 NFL season is about to begin. While there’s still time to squeeze in a few final fantasy football drafts, managers are already having to parse injury reports as they make their lineup decisions for Week 1.
On Wednesday night, the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks will host the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl LX. The Patriots overhauled their receiving corps this offseason by adding AJ Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles and Romeo Doubs from the Green Bay Packers, but their skill-position corps could be down a key player against Seattle.
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will clash in Melbourne, Australia, with plenty of injury question marks on both sides. Fantasy managers did get some clarity on Monday about one veteran receiver, but uncertainty otherwise still abounds in this matchup.
The season kicks off in full on Sunday with 13 games on the docket. Teams playing Sunday don’t have to submit their first injury report until Wednesday, so we won’t get updates on a pair of key running backs until then. But we’re already starting to get a steady trickle of updates hinting at who may—and may not—be available for Week 1.
Every Tuesday, we’ll be breaking down the biggest injury news that could shape your fantasy football lineup for the upcoming week. Let’s dive into all of the most notable updates ahead of Week 1.
Still TBD
1. Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson
New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson hasn’t practiced since Aug. 24 because of an ankle injury, leaving his status for Week 1 up in the air. He missed practice Sunday and Monday, although the Patriots still haven’t clarified his official status for Wednesday’s season opener.
“We’ll see how he feels today,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters prior to Monday’s practice. “We’ll see if he can do anything. He’s been working extremely hard to come back, and we’ll see where that goes here today. We do have a few more days before (the game), but we’ll just see what he can do today.”
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, veteran tailback Rhamondre Stevenson would be the Patriots’ starter even if Henderson does play, in part because the Patriots appear to trust him more in pass protection. The Pats have only one other running back on their 53-man roster (Corey Kiner), but Reiss believes Lan Larison and/or Hassan Haskins might get called up from their practice squad if Henderson does miss the game.
Fantasy managers with Henderson on their rosters should be exploring backup plans. Even if he does get declared active, is it worth the risk of him playing sparingly against a potentially stingy Seattle defense?
2. Cardinals RB Jeremiyah Love
Arizona Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love suffered a high ankle sprain during his first preseason game on Aug. 13 and hasn’t practiced since. Last week, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo said he was “50/50” to play in the Cardinals’ season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
However, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters Monday that Love was “progressing” and “moving around” during the team’s walkthrough. When asked about Love’s chances of playing Sunday in the season opener, LaFleur replied, “I feel good.”
Love piled up 11 carries for 58 yards and three catches for 14 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders in his lone preseason action, and he figures to be the focal point of the Cardinals’ offense once he’s back up to speed. It wouldn’t be surprising if veteran tailback Tyler Allgeier siphoned off more work from Love in the red zone early on, though.
3. Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty
On Aug. 23, Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post briefly brought fantasy football managers to a halt when he reported Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty got hurt in practice and “could not put pressure on his leg when leaving the field.” Thankfully, ESPN’s Adam Schefter followed up later that night to add that Jeanty was “believed to have sprained his ankle” and it was “not considered a long-term injury.”
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jeanty’s ankle sprain is “more low than high” and is “not considered to be a major injury.” Last week, Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak told reporters that he was optimistic about Jeanty being available for the season opener against the Miami Dolphins.
Backup running back Mike Washington Jr. dazzled during the preseason and is worth picking up in leagues of all sizes just in case Jeanty does miss time or aggravate his injury. But for now, it sounds like Jeanty managers dodged a major bullet even if he does wind up missing Week 1.
4. Bears WR Rome Odunze
Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze exited practice last Thursday after he “came up hobbling during an install period,” according to Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune. “He wasn’t overly concerned—he tried to stay in—but trainers pulled him off,” Hammond added.
Dan Wiederer of The Athletic reported “preliminary indications” were that Odunze “should be all good” after leaving practice. However, Odunze was absent from the Bears’ practice on Monday, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
The Bears might just be limiting Odunze’s reps early in the week with an eye on getting him as close to 100% for the season opener. But until he’s back on the practice field, managers should at least keep an eye on whether he’ll be available against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. If not, wide receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland should be busy in the passing game.
5. Niners TE George Kittle
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle suffered a torn Achilles tendon during his team’s Wild Card Round win over the Philadelphia Eagles in January. Eight months later, he might already be back on the field.
On Tuesday in Australia (Monday in the U.S.), Niners offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak told reporters that Kittle is “looking like himself, looking fresh.” He added that Kittle is “practicing full speed” and is “getting a ton of reps” before hedging with, “How that affects on him on game day and what the workload is will be determined.”
The Niners figure to ease Kittle back into action and not give him his typical complement of snaps in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams. Fantasy managers with Kittle on their rosters should at least considered having a backup plan in place even if he does play, as he could get eased back into action slowly.
Green Light
1. Bears RB D’Andre Swift
Like Odunze, D’Andre Swift also left practice this past Thursday in “significant discomfort,” according to Schefter. However, he was “said to be experiencing a ‘cramp,’” Schefter added, and was back on the field at practice Monday. Cronin wrote in late August that Swift “had arguably the best training camp of any offensive skill player” for the Bears, so he should be wheels up for Week 1 against the Panthers.
2. Niners WR Mike Evans
Mike Evans missed time during training camp with quadricep and adductor injuries, but he told reporters in Australia that none of them “were significant.” He added that had it been a normal game week, he “wouldn’t have missed any time.” Until Kittle is back up to speed, Evans has a chance to be the top red-zone target for quarterback Brock Purdy. He should be in fantasy lineups as long as he’s healthy.
3. Rams WR Puka Nacua
Puka Nacua dealt with a psoas injury in training camp, but Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay expects him to play Thursday against the Niners. Schefter also told ESPN’s Pat McAfee that there’s “a real possibility” Nacua doesn’t face any discipline this season even though he’s being sued for assault and battery by a woman “who says he made an antisemitic mark and bit her on the shoulder on New Year’s Eve,” according to the Associated Press. If he’s playing, you’re starting him. Simple as that.
4. Colts WR Alec Pierce
Alec Pierce underwent ankle surgery in March and just returned to practice for the first time on Aug. 27, but Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Monday that Pierce is expected to suit up Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones is on the mend from a torn Achilles, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the offense—and Pierce in particular—got off to a slow start. He’d be a risky play in Week 1, but he has far higher upside than most of the players being drafted in his range.