Fantasy football managers will have to strategize their draft when it comes to landing the top receivers in the NFL. It’s an injury list so long only the San Francisco 49ers’ injury list and a CVS receipt are longer.
Usually, receivers and running backs are top priorities with the amount of points they can bring in during a given week. This year, receivers have been some of the most injured players in the NFL and particularly the top 24 receivers in fantasy football.
Top-24 fantasy wide receivers dealing with an injury of some shape or size:
-Emeka Egbuka (toe)
-Puka Nacua (groin)
-Malik Nabers (knee)
-Rashee Rice (knee)
-DeVonta Smith (hamstring)
-Jaylen Waddle (hamstring)
-Zay Flowers (quad)
-Luther Burden (groin)
-Mike Evans (quad) https://t.co/J17szMYc3W
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) August 12, 2026 Here’s who you should be concerned about, how much concern you should have and how the preseason injury list should affect you and your ability to build that championship roster for this season.
Every top fantasy football receiver injured ahead of first preseason games PLAYER
INJURY
CONCERN
Emeka Egbuka
TOE
Mild
Puka Nacua
GROIN
Mild
Malik Nabers
KNEE
Moderate
Rashee Rice
KNEE
Mild
DeVonta Smith
HAMSTRING
Mild
Jaylen Waddle
HAMSTRING
Moderate
Zay Flowers
QUAD
Mild
Luther Burden III
GROIN
Moderate
Mike Evans
QUAD
Moderate
The good thing is for the most part, none of the injuries to these receivers should put your season in jeopardy. The one concern would be that soft-tissue injuries can linger and either cause issues during the season or develop into a bigger problem. As far as who I’d be most concerned with, Malik Nabers and Luther Burden III have the more serious situations. Nabers is coming off a torn ACL but hasn’t really done much contact yet, post-recovery. He’s ruled out for the first preseason game, so it will be something to watch over the next few weeks.
As for Burden, he’s already been ruled out of the preseason, meaning his groin injury is more of a problem. Because of that, he’s more of a risk than not because if he’s still not healthy by Week 1, it could affect his start to the NFL season.
Which players are the biggest risks for fantasy football managers Malik Nabers New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It’s hard to say that Nabers should be a high pick.
It’s easy to think that he’ll be the focal point of New York’s success so passing on him doesn’t make much sense, but there’s just no telling how good he’s going to be coming off his injury. He hasn’t really practiced much during camp and with him already missing one preseason game, it’s looking less likely he’ll be in peak shape anytime soon.
Nabers probably isn’t your WR1 this year.
Mike Evans Fantasy football owners know reliable Mike Evans is as a weapon and as a team contributor. That said, he’s dealing with a quad injury, which is the latest of a lengthy soft-tissue injury history for him. I don’t think, at 33 years old, he’s going to be the consistent producer he usually has been during his prime.
Like Nabers, Evans isn’t WR1 with his preseason injury, but he’s still worth snagging when you get a chance.
Rashee Rice Rashee Rice has been known for his off-the-field problems, but the swelling in his knee has given him a bit of a setback. I don’t think injuries will be what holds him back this year; I don’t think he’ll get back to the peak of what his rookie season was. He’s not worth the risk until he proves he can be productive consistently.
How will your draft strategy change with the preseason receiver injuries? For the most part, your fantasy football draft strategy shouldn’t change much with these injuries. Aside from the players above, most of the other players that are dealing with injuries have either returned to practice or aren’t anticipating missing much time at all. That’s a good sign and good news.
That said, I would be leary of the players’ injuries they had and if those pop up again during the preseason.
Right now, there’s no major changes. If more injuries or similar injuries continue to pop up with some of these same players, it might be something to consider before your fantasy draft.
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