It's still August and Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season hasn't arrived yet, which means there's a chance your league hasn't drafted yet. If that's true, you could use a fresh look at the biggest injury situations to monitor ahead of 2026 fantasy drafts.

Some situations will take players off your draft board, some will create value, and others will force you to consider players you never would have drafted. I'll stick to the biggest injuries, gauge how much they matter, and look at how they will shape how you draft.

WR Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans

We can close the books on this one from Jayden Higgins' perspective, as a torn ACL has ended his season before it ever began. While that is a bummer, this is still huge news for the rest of the Texans.

In general, you could argue this is a big blow to Houston's passing game. Until we know for sure, C.J. Stroud takes a mild hit. In terms of sheer volume, however, Stroud may now concentrate even more on his top weapon, Nico Collins.

The trickle-down effect is going to be in full display here, as both Tank Dell and Jaylin Noel could end up competing for routes as the team's No. 2 wide receiver, while Kayshon Boutte was just brought in from New England via trade.

There's also Xavier Hutchinson, who has never really capitalized on an expanded role in the past but is not without talent.

Put simply, this wide receiver room is now an utter mess. Boutte could thrive as the team's new No. 2, but the untapped potential in explosive players like Dell and Noel is alluring. It is quite likely these guys all just eat into each other, and identifying a true beneficiary may not be possible (or worth our time).

The big shocker is the boost Dalton Schultz could get.

Win your waiver wire and win your league.

Led his team in targets last year - Higgins done for the season. pic.twitter.com/p4AOhAhgzR

— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) August 20, 2026

Higgins opens the door to wide receiver volume, but the guys looking to replace him aren't reliable, nor are they big targets. Stroud knows both Collins and Schultz better, so logic suggests Dalton could be rather involved and get a boost in the red zone.

WR Jordyn Tyson, New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints spent a first-round draft pick on Jordyn Tyson in hopes he'd help unlock Kellen Moore's innovative offense. Everyone will have to wait to find out if that will be the case.

Tyson suffered a serious hamstring injury and is expected to miss 2-3 months.

Now that Jordyn Tyson is expected to miss (at least) 2 months…

What round should he go in fantasy drafts? pic.twitter.com/jRzdylEomm

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) August 22, 2026

It is very possible Tyson is a lost cause for 2026, so my interest is waning outside of dynasty leagues. If his draft price sinks astronomically, we can definitely take a stab at him, but for the most part, I am not counting on him anymore this year.

Tyson's injury does deliver a slight ding to the overall picture in New Orleans. I'd downgrade Tyler Shough slightly, and suddenly this offense loses some of its luster.

Still, Chris Olave is now a target monster and is thrust into top-10 conversations. He was already a great pick, but now he's one of the best wide receivers you can roster in 2026.

It gets grim after that, but tight end Juwan Johnson should get a nice boost. He has little competition at the position with Taysom Hill gone, and the Saints lack a reliable WR2 at the moment.

Devaughn Vele looks like a guy worth drafting now, though. He's flashed PPR value in the past, and the Saints have been high on him dating back to last year. They really don't have a choice but to get him involved now, while rookie burner Bryce Lance is also a viable late-round target.

RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

Sticking with the Saints, we could have a big shift in their running back room thanks to an untimely MCL sprain.

Saints RB Alvin Kamara expected to miss at least a month with MCL sprain. (via @AdamSchefter) pic.twitter.com/bVy0DuUwUS

— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2026

The veteran running back took a pay cut to hang around and was viewed as a vital piece of their offense. Kamara's pass-catching chops will figure into this offense when he's healthy, but at age 31, it's fair to wonder just how much value he really has left.

Kamara was already going late in drafts (RB57, 178 overall) due to the presence of Travis Etienne, and this just pushes him back further. He's a sneaky handcuff at this point that you should be able to stash early in the year in an IR spot.

Etienne is the big winner here. I'm not excited about any of the timeshare guys behind him who would have limited value, but Etienne could have the backfield all to himself for a decent stretch to start 2026. Depending on how long that is -- and how dominant he is -- he may never really relinquish it.

WR Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts sounded the alarms by bringing in 34-year-old veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen, but I'm not biting. I'm not particularly interested in an aging Allen, and I refuse to allow it to impact how I view some of the Colts' weapons.

I do think this could hurt Josh Downs a bit. The departure of Michael Pittman Jr. still opens up a lot of volume in this offense, and I tend to think Indy's infatuation with the athletic receiver bodes well for him.

The problem? He and Allen play similar roles, and tight end Tyler Warren is another short-to-intermediate target. That's a very specific pie, so someone has to lose here.

My view is Warren is going to be featured regardless, which likely means Allen slightly cuts into Downs to a certain degree.

Allen was brought in to help alleviate concern with top deep threat Alec Pierce not yet ready to rock. His return timeline from ankle surgery was always going to push him past Week 1, so I'm really not worried at all. I also think the $60 million in guaranteed money they handed him says that he'll remain a massive focal point for their passing game, while his previous deep-threat role would not be impacted at all by what Allen does.

Warren's value doesn't move, Downs gets a mild downgrade, and I am still very much in on Pierce, especially with a falling ADP (WR44, 97 overall).

RB Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals

One of the bigger fantasy football injuries to keep an eye on is Arizona rookie running back Jeremiyah Love. Arizona seemed reluctant to classify what his injury even was initially, but we now know it was a high ankle sprain.

Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is dealing with a high ankle sprain, per sources. It makes it unlikely that Love plays again this preseason, with the team hoping he can return for the Sept. 13 regular-season opener vs the Chargers. pic.twitter.com/H0vb0R7x4k

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 17, 2026

It's unknown what this means for his overall 2026 status, but early reports seem to suggest he won't be suiting up for Week 1. Drafters now have to decide if this is something that will force him to miss more than just a week, if it may linger, and if he could re-aggravate it.

There's understandable concern here, but I am going to buy the dip. I already broke down why Love is a value in fantasy leagues, and if people are going to be afraid to draft him, he may slide even further.

In the interim, Tyler Allgeier has stud potential and is obviously an elite handcuff to Love, as well as a strong late-round pick.

RB Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

This is the big one that just dropped over the weekend. The Las Vegas Raiders were very coy about a lower-leg injury to Ashton Jeanty, with beat writers drumming up fear with reckless tweets.

We now know that Jeanty is “only” dealing with an ankle sprain, but we don't know the severity or have any idea what his return timetable looks like.

Schefter: Ashton Jeanty believed to have suffered sprained ankle.

Raiders still unsure how long he'll be out but not considered long-term. pic.twitter.com/9QhgRR8X1o

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) August 24, 2026

Jeanty is obviously going to be a risky pick now. He was a borderline first-round pick in the eyes of many, and certainly going in the first two rounds in nearly every league.

This is another “buy the dip” situation, assuming people continue to get scared off. Jeanty has massive upside, so even if he ends up missing a handful of weeks, he could carry you to the playoffs once he returns.

In that same breath, rookie backup running back Mike Washington Jr. now has considerable value. The upside is absurd if Jeanty ends up dealing with ankle issues all season long, and this is a freak athlete who could excel in an expanded role.

You will definitely want to nab Washington as a Jeanty handcuff, but he may very well have stand-alone value in 2026.

Other Injuries to Track

WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears
WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants
QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
TE Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
TE Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
RB Breece Hall, New York Jets

All of these guys have injury situations that have either technically resolved or should be cleared up going into Week 1.

LaPorta is the only one with doubt still, as he's sustained a hip injury and the Lions have not said how severe it is or if he'll miss any time. The mere possibility of him dealing with something serious unlocks Isaac TeSlaa as a fun late-round stash for me.

I am personally wary of CMC, Kraft, and Mahomes. All three figure to be ready to rock in Week 1, but there have been whispers of Kraft being held to a pitch count to start 2026. I don't love the sound of that, while I am gun-shy on Mahomes since he's recovering from a knee injury and badly needs his mobility to be effective.

McCaffrey is maybe the biggest one of them all. He missed over 10 days of practice but later returned and said it was all part of his offseason plan. Maybe that's true, but a 30-year-old running back coming off a 450-plus-touch season is going to be hard to trust.