Fantasy Football Injury Roundup: Ja’Marr Chase Gives Us a Scare, Kenneth Walker on the Mend

Dread it, run from it — injuries plague our rosters all the same. From Ja’Marr Chase to Kenneth Walker, plenty of big names have gone down at some point this week, making their status worth monitoring before we click on their names in our fantasy football drafts.

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Fantasy Football Injury Roundup | Aug. 28, 2026

Ja’Marr Chase “Little Hyperextension”

You could hear everyone collectively hold their breath the second Ja’Marr Chase went down with an injury in practice this week, hobbling off to the sideline with hopes of it being nothing more than a minor incident. Everyone can now take a sigh of relief that it was just a “little hyperextension,” indicating he is fine and will be back by Week 1.

With Chase good to go, draft the Cincinnati Bengals star WR with confidence at 1.03, securing arguably the most talented player in the pool per Matthew Freedman’s fantasy football rankings. With Joe Burrow back under center, the team's ceiling is drastically raised — and Chase should compete for the top overall player in fantasy while putting up video-game-type numbers on a weekly basis.

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Kenneth Walker Dealing with a Foot Issue

While all eyes were on Chase, Kennth Walker picked up a head-scratching injury, dealing with ankle swelling that was caused by his cleats. A stunning development, yet one that has kept him out of practice and has raised question marks about his immediate availability.

Assuming there is no lingering long-term damage masked by a cleat issue, Walker is still worth an early-second-round pick, anchoring a Kansas City Chiefs back field that is poised to bounce back. Should it be reported Walker’s foot issue is stemming from something else, consider looking at Chase Brown or Saquon Barkley, who are going in the same range as tier-2 RBs.

Jeremiyah Love Still Working on his Ankle

Since picking up an ankle injury earlier in the offseason, Jeremiyah Love has steadily shown progression yet is still clearly hampered while going through individual drills. That's a disappointing sight to see for the rookie RB, one of Dwain McFarland’s top prospects in our Rookie Super Model who was poised to have a monster season in the Arizona Cardinals backfield.

If you are in a dynasty league, still take Love at 1.01 in your rookie draft, giving you a RB1 to lean on when he makes his return to the field. In redraft leagues, I would look elsewhere, securing a second RB with a higher floor. If you went RB-RB in the first two rounds, build up your WRs with hopes of snagging DeVonta Smith or Zay Flowers.

Alec Pierce Off the PUP List

After an abundance of injury reports saying Alec Pierce is nearing his return, the Indianapolis Colts WR has finally been activated off the PUP List. When healthy, Pierce is efficient, finishing last season ranked 15th among qualified WRs in EPA per play. That's an impressive performance when factoring in the drop off at QB once Daniel Jones went down with an injury.

In regard to fantasy, Pierce is in an intriguing position. If you have the flexibility to add him to your roster, you can get him at a discount with hopes of securing a WR1 once fully healthy. If you are still in need of addressing the position by the time he is in range, Jaydon Reed and Stefon Diggs are two viable options, giving you a higher floor in the short term.