Fantasy Injury News

A rookie RB1’s ankle scare and another gut-punch for the Texans’ receiver room headline the injury news as teams put the finishing touches on their Week 1 game plans.

Running Backs

Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty is dealing with a low ankle sprain suffered at practice when he dove for a pass and landed awkwardly, and his Week 1 availability against the Dolphins is still unresolved. Per beat reporters, the sprain has been described as “low” rather than “high,” which is the more favorable version of that injury, and head coach Klint Kubiak says the team is still working to get him back and hopeful he plays, though nothing is certain yet. With roughly two weeks before kickoff, Jeanty has time to get back on the practice field, but fantasy managers who have him as a top-five pick should have a contingency plan. Rookie Mike Washington has been taking first-team reps in his absence and would step into a heavy-volume role if Jeanty is held out, making him a must-handcuff for anyone invested in Jeanty’s ADP.

In Washington, backup running back Jeremy McNichols has been designated to return off injured reserve after a quadriceps injury but is still required to miss the first four games of the season. He’s a valued third-down back and pass protector but not a fantasy factor on his own; his absence has simply meant more practice work for Jerome Ford and undrafted rookie Robert Henry in the Commanders’ backfield.

Wide Receivers

The Texans’ receiver room took another hit as Tank Dell will begin the season on injured reserve. Dell missed all of 2025 recovering from a brutal 2024 knee injury that included a torn ACL, MCL and LCL along with a dislocated kneecap, and while he showed enough in camp to practice in a limited capacity, Houston is easing him back rather than rushing him onto the Week 1 roster. Combined with Jayden Higgins’ season-ending injury reported earlier this weekend, the Texans now lean on Nico Collins, Jaylin Noel, Kayshon Boutte, Xavier Hutchinson and Jared Wayne as their active receiver group to open the year. Dell remains a name worth stashing in dynasty and deeper redraft formats, but there’s no firm return timeline yet, and his role once healthy is very much in question given Houston’s suddenly crowded, banged-up depth chart.

What to Watch

Keep an eye on the Raiders’ practice reports over the next week for real clarity on Jeanty, and watch for Houston to add receiver depth via waivers if Dell’s recovery drags on. Official Week 1 injury designations won’t start rolling in for a couple more weeks, but roster and IR moves like these are already reshaping early-season value at running back and receiver.