Fantasy Injury News

Posted September 1, 2026 at 3:55 PM EDT

Tuesday’s practice reports brought clarity on two thinning backfields and receiver rooms: Green Bay’s new trade-deadline running back made his practice debut with Josh Jacobs still stuck in limbo, and San Francisco’s wide receiver corps lost another piece as Christian Kirk’s injured reserve stint became official.

Week 1 Status At a Glance

Player	Team / Pos	Status	Fantasy Move
Kaleb Johnson	GB RB	🟢 Likely	Add now — clear early-down role
Marshawn Lloyd	GB RB	🟡 Questionable	Speculative add only (injury history)
Josh Jacobs	GB RB	🔴 Out	No standard-league action; deep stash only
Christian Kirk	SF WR	🔴 Out	Droppable in most leagues
Mike Evans	SF WR	🟡 Questionable	Hold as starter, no action needed
Jacob Cowing	SF WR	🟡 Questionable	Deep-league speculative add
De’Zhaun Stribling	SF WR (rookie)	🟢 Likely	Speculative waiver add

🟢 Likely to play · 🟡 Questionable / trending unclear · 🔴 Out or unlikely to play next week.

Running Backs

🟢 Likely — Kaleb Johnson (GB): Johnson made his Packers practice debut on Tuesday, three days after Green Bay acquired him from Pittsburgh for a 2028 sixth-round pick. The trade came together specifically because Josh Jacobs remains sidelined on the Commissioner’s Exempt list, and per beat reporters, Johnson is expected to see real early-down work while that situation drags on. He struggled for touches behind Jaylen Warren in Pittsburgh as a rookie, but a clean slate and thin depth chart in Green Bay give him a legitimate runway. Fantasy Action: Add Kaleb Johnson in all standard formats now, before Week 1 rosters lock — he has the clearest path to early-down touches of anyone on this depth chart.

🟡 Questionable — Marshawn Lloyd (GB): Lloyd is still nominally next in line on Green Bay’s depth chart behind the sidelined Jacobs, but he has appeared in just one game since being drafted in 2024 due to a recurring string of injuries. There’s no fresh setback reported as of Tuesday, but given the track record, beat coverage treats his week-to-week availability as an open question rather than a sure thing. Fantasy Action: Speculative add only in deeper leagues — treat Lloyd as a hold, not a start, until he strings together healthy practice weeks, and lean on Johnson as the safer bet for active touches.

🔴 Out — Josh Jacobs (GB): Jacobs remains on the NFL’s Commissioner Exempt list stemming from an off-field legal matter, which makes him ineligible to play with no clear return timeline tied to the case rather than a football injury. The trade for Johnson and the fact that Lloyd is being talked about as the current lead back both signal Green Bay isn’t counting on Jacobs anytime soon. Fantasy Action: No standard-league action — Jacobs isn’t rosterable right now; only deep dynasty/keeper managers should bother stashing him against an eventual return.

Wide Receivers

🔴 Out — Christian Kirk (SF): What had been framed as a possibility a day earlier became official Tuesday: Kirk is starting the season on injured reserve with the calf injury he suffered in late-July practice, per beat reporters, with no firm return date announced. It’s the second significant blow to San Francisco’s receiver room this summer after Ricky Pearsall’s season-ending injury. Fantasy Action: Droppable in most redraft formats — his per-target efficiency had already been trending down before the injury, so there’s little value left to stash.

🟡 Questionable — Mike Evans (SF): Evans sat out Tuesday’s practice with a groin injury, one of nine 49ers absences. General manager John Lynch said the team expects him back on the practice field during San Francisco’s upcoming Australia trip and remains optimistic about his Week 1 availability against the Rams, but until he’s actually back on the field that’s a hope, not a certainty. Fantasy Action: Hold as your starter — no add/drop move to make here, but check Wednesday’s practice report before locking lineups.

🟡 Questionable — Jacob Cowing (SF): Cowing also missed Tuesday’s practice with a groin injury, adding another name to San Francisco’s banged-up receiver room alongside Kirk and Evans. Details on severity are thin so far. Fantasy Action: Deep-league speculative add only — worth a bench stash in PPR formats given how much opportunity is opening up in this receiver room, but not droppable-level urgency yet.

🟢 Likely — De’Zhaun Stribling (SF, rookie): With Kirk now officially on IR, analysts have pointed to Stribling as the clearest beneficiary — he’s been developing rapport with Brock Purdy in camp and profiles as a real snaps-and-targets riser behind Evans and Jauan Jennings. Fantasy Action: Add Stribling off waivers in PPR and deeper leagues as a speculative WR4/5 given the vacated targets in San Francisco’s receiver room.

Keep an eye on Wednesday’s practice reports from both teams — Green Bay’s committee could sort itself out further as Johnson gets more first-team reps, and San Francisco’s receiver room news has moved fast enough this week that another update wouldn’t be a surprise before Week 1 kicks off.

Sources

• SI.com (Packers on SI): Packers Practice Update for Sept. 1 — Kaleb Johnson and Jonnu Smith debuts
• Yahoo Sports: Packers RB depth chart after the Kaleb Johnson trade and Josh Jacobs’ Commissioner’s Exempt List placement
• Steelers Depot: Report on the Kaleb Johnson trade from Pittsburgh to Green Bay
• Packers.com: 5 things to know about new Packers RB Kaleb Johnson
• 49ers Webzone: Injury update on players missing Tuesday’s practice, including Mike Evans and Jacob Cowing
• PlayerProfiler: Christian Kirk placed on injured reserve, De’Zhaun Stribling outlook