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Football Is a Collision Sport

By Steve Schwarz | 7/4/25

To win your fantasy football league, your players have to survive 17 games. OK, really only 16 games since most leagues don’t play Week 18. Still, that assignment isn’t easy. Because, while basketball is a contact sport, football is a collision sport. And the facts are… your fantasy players can’t score from the bench, or the blue medical tent.

As has been frequently said – “the best ability is availability.”

Lamar Jackson

Let’s start with the quarterback position. Are running quarterbacks more vulnerable to injury than pocket passers? I believe the answer is - no. Is a pocket passer easier to hit because the defense knows where he will be (exactly five or seven steps behind the center)? Is a running quarterback safer from the big hit because he’s on the run?

In the table below are all the quarterbacks who ran the ball at least 75 times last season.

 Rushing QBs
Player Ru Att Ru Yds Ru TDs Gms Played Gms Injured
Lamar Jackson 139 915 4 17 0
Jayden Daniels 148 891 6 17 0
Jalen Hurts 150 632 14 15 1
Kyler Murray 78 572 5 17 0
Josh Allen 102 531 12 17 0
Anthony Richardson 86 499 6 11 4
Caleb Williams 82 483 0 17 0
Bo Nix 92 430 4 17 0

Six of the eight quarterbacks didn’t miss a single game. Jalen Hurts missed one game due to injury and one due to coach’s decision (Week 18). Anthony Richardson missed six games, four due to injury and two when Head Coach Shane Steichen chose to start Joe Flacco. That’s a 96.2 start percentage. Compare this to the 24 other current starters in the league – 306 of 362 or 84.5 percent.

Conclusion; it’s likely your running quarterback will play more games than your non-elusive, pocket-passing quarterback. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t draft Joe Burrow or Baker Mayfield, just that you should be prepared to play a game or two without him. Burrow has played 17 games one time in five seasons, while Mayfield has played every game in two of seven seasons. Perhaps draft a decent backup a round earlier than normal.

On to running backs.

Backs take a hit on almost every play. If they aren’t running the ball, they could be blocking a guy bigger and stronger than they are.

 RBs
Player Tm Gms Played Gms Injured
Saquon Barkley PHI 16 0
Jahmyr Gibbs DET 17 0
Derrick Henry BAL 17 0
Bijan Robinson ATL 17 0
Alvin Kamara NO 14 3
De'Von Achane MIA 17 0
Jonathan Taylor IND 14 3
Josh Jacobs GB 17 0
Kyren Williams LAR 16 0
Joe Mixon HOU 14 3
James Cook BUF 16 1
Kenneth Walker SEA 11 6
Chuba Hubbard CAR 15 2
Chase Brown CIN 16 1
James Conner ARI 16 1
David Montgomery DET 14 3
Breece Hall NYJ 16 1
J.K. Dobbins LAC 13 4
Aaron Jones MIN 17 0
Bucky Irving TB 17 0
Rachaad White TB 15 2
Tony Pollard TEN 16 1
Rico Dowdle DAL 16 1
D'Andre Swift CHI 17 0
Christian McCaffrey SF 4 13
Najee Harris PIT 17 0
Rhamondre Stevenson NE 15 2
Brian Robinson Jr. WAS 14 3
Tyrone Tracy Jr. NYG 17 0
Alexander Mattison LV 14 3
Jerome Ford CLE 14 3
Javonte Williams DEN 17 0
Travis Etienne JAC 15 2
Isiah Pacheco KC 7 10

Of the 34 No.1 start-worthy running backs in the league (I included David Montgomery and both Bucs RBs), they played 440 of 508 possible games (minus coaching decisions). That’s 86.6 percent. Eleven of the 34 missed three games or more (32.4%). Three key players (Christian McCaffrey, Isiah Pacheco and Kenneth Walker) missed six or more games (8.8%).

Conclusion; If you drafted only three running backs you can expect at least one of them to miss four weeks (three games due to injury and a bye) and the others to miss two weeks (one week and a bye). Unless you are in a league with short rosters, draft at least four running backs.

Now, let’s take a look at the receiver position.

You would think they would be a healthier group, because they primarily play outside and away from the big monsters on the line. But they are also more susceptible to more leg injuries; hamstrings, calf injuries, groins and ankles. Additionally, they put themselves in vulnerable position while making catches over the middle and frequently get blindsided by linebackers, pursuing from behind.

 WRs
Player Tm Gms Played Gms Injured
Ja'Marr Chase CIN 17 0
Rashee Rice KC 3 14
Chris Godwin TB 7 10
Puka Nacua LAR 11 6
Tee Higgins CIN 12 5
Justin Jefferson MIN 17 0
Amon-Ra St. Brown DET 17 0
Malik Nabers NYG 15 2
CeeDee Lamb DAL 15 2
Nico Collins HOU 12 5
Mike Evans TB 14 3
Davante Adams LV 14 3
A.J. Brown PHI 13 3
Drake London ATL 17 0
Brian Thomas Jr. JAC 17 0
Terry McLaurin WAS 17 0
DeVonta Smith PHI 13 3
Stefon Diggs HOU 8 9
Garrett Wilson NYJ 17 0
Ladd McConkey LAC 16 1
Courtland Sutton DEN 16 1
Jaxon Smith-Njigba SEA 17 0
Cooper Kupp LAR 12 5
Jakobi Meyers LV 15 2
Jordan Addison MIN 15 2
Jameson Williams DET 15 2
Jauan Jennings SF 15 2
D.J. Moore CHI 17 0
Adam Thielen CAR 10 7
Jerry Jeudy CLE 17 0
Josh Downs IND 14 3
DK Metcalf SEA 15 2
Tyreek Hill MIA 17 0
Rashid Shaheed NO 6 11
Keenan Allen CHI 15 2
Zay Flowers BAL 17 0
Khalil Shakir BUF 15 2
Darnell Mooney ATL 16 1
George Pickens PIT 14 3
Calvin Ridley TEN 17 0
Jayden Reed GB 17 0
Xavier Worthy KC 16 0
Marvin Harrison Jr. ARI 17 0
Quentin Johnston LAC 15 2
Deebo Samuel SF 14 3
Rashod Bateman BAL 16 1
Wan'Dale Robinson NYG 17 0
Allen Lazard NYJ 12 5
Michael Pittman Jr. IND 16 1
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine TEN 13 4
Jalen McMillan TB 13 4
Alec Pierce IND 16 1
Romeo Doubs GB 13 4
Tank Dell HOU 14 3
Chris Olave NO 8 9
Jaylen Waddle MIA 15 2
Amari Cooper CLE 13 4
Ricky Pearsall SF 10 1
Demario Douglas NE 16 1
DeAndre Hopkins TEN 16 1
Brandon Aiyuk SF 7 10
Christian Kirk JAC 8 9
Rome Odunze CHI 17 0
Ray-Ray McCloud ATL 17 0
Keon Coleman BUF 13 4
Xavier Legette CAR 15 2
Marvin Mims DEN 16 1
Christian Watson GB 14 3
Tyler Lockett SEA 17 0
Brandin Cooks DAL 10 7
Dontayvion Wicks GB 17 0

In total, the top 71 receivers played 1005 games and missed 193 due to injuries (83.9%). Twenty-eight of the 71 wideouts missed three games or more due to injury (39.4%) including four of the top-five ranked by fantasy points-per-game (Rashee Rice, Chris Godwin, Puka Nacua and Tee Higgins).

If availability is indeed most important, then Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown must be given bonus value for playing every game in 2024. For their careers, St. Brown’s play percentage is the highest of the trio 97.1% followed by Chase 92.3 and JJ 90.6%.

But also don’t count out Mike Evans, who has played in 167 of 180 over his 11-year career, playing 92.8% of the time and obviously giving consistently good production (17.2 FPts/G).

Or Terry McLaurin who has played in every game for the past four seasons, 97 out of 100 for his career, and just had the best season of his career (82-1,096-13) with a rookie quarterback who will only get better. “Scary Terry” currently has a fourth-round ADP (35.7) and might be a huge bargain at that level.

Others who benefit from always being available; Garrett Wilson (51-of-51), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (34-of-34), Drake London (50-of-51 games), CeeDee Lamb (81-of-84), D.J. Moore (114-of-116), Jayden Reed (33-of-34) and Zay Flowers (33-of-34).

Three rookie receivers played all 17 games last season – Brian Thomas Jr., Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze. Thomas certainly looked like an elite player (16.5 FPts/G) and playing every game doesn’t hurt his fantasy value. The other two, while always out there, need to step up their game a bit.

Conclusion; as the most injury-prone group of the three, it’s probably a better strategy if you choose at least five receivers at your draft.

Finally, the tight end position.

They seem to be mostly immune to the injury bug. Twenty-seven tight ends played at least 15 games and nine played all 17 games. The only highly-ranked tight ends, who dealt with significant injuries, were David Njoku, Dallas Goedert and Evan Engram. If you need to be thin at a position, make it tight end.