Wide Receiver Injury Report: Key Injuries to Monitor for 2024 Fantasy Football
Sad but true: You can't score fantasy points without being on the field first.
While we can't necessarily control for future injuries, we can do our best to evaluate existing issues to determine the overall fantasy impact. And by "we," I mean actual doctors who are kind enough to offer fantasy-specific expertise, such as:
- Edwin Porras, DPT (@FBInjuryDoc on X)
- Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept)
- Jesse Morse, MD (@drjessemorse)
- Deepak Chona, MD (@SportMDAnalysis)
Here are four key WR injuries to be concerned with ahead of the 2024 fantasy season.
Texans WR Tank Dell (left leg)
All of our doctor friends seem to be echoing good vibes here:
- Dr. Morse believes Dell will be 100% with no issues for 2024.
- Dr. Chona notes that the data suggests there will be no lingering impact.
- Dr. Mueller adds Dell’s best return-to-play comp is Jaylen Waddle and not Tony Pollard.
A broken fibula is nothing to scoff at, but Dell has been back running for some time and worked out with C.J. Stroud and new teammate Stefon Diggs in April. Stroud noted that Dell "looks great" and believes he'll be cleared for the start of training camp.
Bottom line: There were rumors that Dell could have returned to the team had the Texans advanced deeper in the postseason, and now all signs point to the electric second-year WR being healthy enough to regain his starting role by Week 1. The larger concern in fantasy land is if there will be enough targets to go around in this suddenly crowded (but still lethal) passing attack.
Jets WR Mike Williams (left knee)
Williams underwent surgery on Oct. 26, 2023, meaning he’ll have had 10 and a half months to recover before Week 1. Jets general manager Joe Douglas gave the following update on Williams on March 25:
“Mike's rehabbing the knee injury. I would say he's not gonna be ready for the start of training camp, but again, there's a lot of time, so we'll see how the rehab progresses. There's a lot of checkpoints to hit, but we do feel confident that he's gonna be ready for the year.”
Not ideal, but Williams should be able to settle into the No. 2 WR role for Aaron Rodgers soon.
Dec 27, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams (81) runs with the ball as Denver Broncos inside linebacker A.J. Johnson (45) defends during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The 29-year-old played between 13 and 16 games in every season from 2018 to 2022, so the thought that Williams was “injury-prone” always boiled down to him routinely getting banged up while making absurd catches than the former No. 7 overall pick failing to suit up for games.
Bottom line: There are some warranted age cliff concerns here and a potential lack of early-season explosiveness for a WR not exactly known for having elite field-stretching speed in the first place. It seems unlikely that Williams will return to the fantasy WR2 conversation as the now clear-cut No. 2 (at best) pass-game option with the Jets; he profiles as more of a boom-or-bust WR4 in fantasy land.
Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne (right knee)
Similar to Williams, it’s realistic to believe Bourne will be ready for Week 1 considering he got the surgery done in mid-November, but a loss in early-season effectiveness is possible.
Also similar to Williams: Bourne will be 29 when the season starts and also will be adjusting to life with a new QB to work with.
The good news: Bourne seems like a better bet to be ready for training camp if his own words are to be believed:
"He (surgeon Neal ElAttrache) let me know that I’m going to be ready, come in minicamp getting ready and then training camp I’m full go. … My plan is to play Game 1. I believe I’ll be ready. Where I’m at right now, on track, ahead of schedule and I feel good. So building that confidence, building my strength in my legs so that I can be ready to go Game 1.”
Nobody is expecting Bourne to work as an alpha No. 1 WR in 2024, but the veteran deserves credit for earning ESPN’s 14th-highest receiver score last season. Bourne was averaging a career-high 50.8 yards per game before his ACL tear.
Bottom line: A better QB situation could improve Bourne’s production in 2024 and beyond, although returning from this injury won’t help the typical downward slope WRs begin to face around this point in their careers. He's nothing more than a hopeful late-round dart due to this assortment of red flags.
Broncos WR Tim Patrick (left Achilles)
The timing of Patrick’s tear actually makes him likely to return by Week 1, but at a minimum we should still expect to see his stats dip until late in the season. The 30-year-old hasn't played a game since 2021.
Bottom line: Betting on a thirtysomething WR rebounding in a major way coming off back-to-back brutal, season-ending lower-body injuries while also being forced to acclimate to a new QB under center in what profiles to be one of the league's worst offenses seems unwise.
