Fantasy Injury News

Posted September 3, 2026 at 8:01 PM ET

Running Backs

Chargers running back Keaton Mitchell missed his fifth straight practice on Thursday, and the situation is starting to look shakier by the day. Los Angeles still hasn’t disclosed the nature of the injury, but per beat reporters there’s growing concern he could open the season on injured reserve, which would keep him out for at least the first four games. Mitchell had carved out a niche as a change-of-pace, pass-catching threat in camp, and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has praised his ability to create matchup problems, so his absence isn’t a total non-event for the offense. In fantasy terms, though, this is a straightforward beneficiary situation: rookie Omarion Hampton is positioned to see the heaviest workload if Mitchell can’t go, with Kimani Vidal next in line for change-of-pace snaps. Redraft managers who rostered Mitchell as a late-round dart throw should now be prioritizing Hampton shares instead.

In Arizona, rookie Jeremiyah Love’s Week 1 outlook remains genuinely up in the air. Love is working back from a preseason high-ankle sprain, and per NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, he’s currently “about 50/50” to suit up when the Cardinals open the season against the Chargers. The encouraging note is the range of outcomes on the other side: if he does sit out Week 1, the expectation is he’d have a strong chance to return by Week 2 or 3 rather than facing a lengthy absence. Fantasy managers holding Love should have Tyler Allgeier queued up as the direct handcuff and primary beneficiary if the rookie is held out, with Allgeier projected to step into a prominent early-down role in that scenario.

Wide Receivers

Better news out of Indianapolis, where Colts wideout Alec Pierce returned to a full practice session this week after working his way back from an ankle issue that had him limited. Coming off the PUP list and shaking off rust in padded work, Pierce is trending in the right direction with Week 1 now described internally as the goal rather than a stretch target. He still carries a questionable-type tag to watch as final practice reports roll in, but for fantasy purposes this is a clear step forward for a player who profiles as Indianapolis’ top outside threat when healthy. Managers who stashed him through a shaky camp can feel better about his odds of suiting up for the opener.