ON THE MEND+

Every year, there are some players who unfortunately have their NFL seasons cut short due to injuries. Deciding where to draft those players the following season for your fantasy squad can be tricky. Some players come back from injury with no lingering issues, while others are never quite the same. When evaluating where to take these players in redraft leagues, it’s important to consider the extent of the injury, the position they play and, of course, their previous performance and pedigree. It’s important to exercise caution when drafting someone returning from a major injury in early rounds. Conversely, sometimes these players will fall too far in drafts and will present value because of their relative upside.

Here are some players who should be on every fantasy manager’s radar heading into the 2023 season.

RASHOD BATEMAN

WR, Baltimore Ravens

Bateman hasn’t played since Week 8 of 2022, and he’s since had surgery for a Lisfranc foot injury. He resumed running in April and is expected to be back for the season. He should reclaim his role as a starting receiver in an offense that should take to the air much more frequently thanks to new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

BREECE HALL

RB, New York Jets

Hall was on pace to be NFL Offensive

Rookie of the Year before tearing his ACL in Week 7. The rookie was the fantasy RB6 on a per-game basis until that point, averaging an impressive 5.8 yards per carry and seeing 4.5 targets per game. The Jets are making big moves, and the run game should open up even more for Hall once he is able to return. Typical recovery time for an ACL is 9-12 months, so Hall may not be ready for the start of the season.

COOPER KUPP

WR, Los Angeles Rams

Across the first nine weeks of 2022 — before he was shut down with a high-ankle sprain — Kupp was the fantasy WR2, leading the league with 11.6 targets per game and ranking second only to Tyreek Hill in catches (72). He was also averaging 101.6 receiving yards per game and had already scored six receiving TDs. Fantasy football managers should not skip a beat drafting him as early as the WR1 in this year’s drafts. Kupp was the 2021 NFL Offensive Player of Year, and he won the receiving Triple Crown (leading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns) on his way to a Super Bowl championship with the Rams. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay are returning for 2023, and we should see a nice bounce-back from Kupp. He’s a no-doubt first-rounder.

TREY LANCE

QB, San Francisco 49ers

The talented runner with decent arm talent has yet to have the opportunity to prove his worth after the Niners traded up for him in the 2021 NFL Draft. Lance played in only two games last season before breaking his ankle, and he didn’t look especially sharp before the injury. He should be ready to go for the season, but he could be taking a back seat to Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, who was impressive in leading the 49ers into the postseason. Of course, Purdy is also on the mend (see right). The Niners also traded for Sam Darnold as insurance in case Lance and/ or Purdy are not ready.

KYLER MURRAY

QB, Arizona Cardinals

Murray has lost his shine after failing to live up to the expectations that came with his $230.5 million contract in 2022. Then it got worse for Murray; he tore his ACL in December. Just two seasons ago in 2020, Murray was the fantasy QB3. He has tantalizing upside with his mobility and arm talent, but Kliff Kingsbury was fired, and DeAndre Hopkins wants a trade, so how Murray will return and what he will return to are in serious question. The timeline is unclear, although Murray will not be available to start the season. However, Murray’s upside still warrants a late pick and a bench stash. He’s exactly the kind of talent who has the potential to dominate the fantasy playoffs.

TIM PATRICK

WR, Denver Broncos

Patrick will return to a new-look Sean Payton offense and will look to form a solid connection with Russell Wilson. Patrick has been one of the more underrated and sure-handed receivers in the NFL. He suffered a torn ACL last August, so he should be a factor for the upcoming season, and maybe he can show some of the chemistry Wilson lacked with Courtland Sutton.

RASHAAD PENNY

RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Penny has elite talent that keeps getting marred by long stints on the injured list; he has played only 18 games across the past three seasons. The injuries have ranged from a fractured pinky finger to a torn ACL to his most recent mishap, a fractured tibia. In 2021, however, Penny led many fantasy managers to a title with an incredible fantasy playoff performance, and across his last 15 games, Penny has averaged more than six yards per carry. That’s bonkers. Now he gets an upgraded offensive line in Philadelphia, where he likely will compete with D’Andre Swift for the lead role on a team that logged the fifth-most rushing yards per game and scored a whopping 32 rushing TDs on its way to the Super Bowl. Penny’s arrow is pointing up, if he can stay healthy.

DAMEON PIERCE

RB, Houston Texans

Pierce was the entire Texans offense for much of last year — no exaggeration. Through Week 10, Pierce’s rookie campaign was off to a great start. He was the RB14 ahead of both Kenneth Walker III and Tony Pollard. In Week 11, Pierce and the Texans hit a wall, and shortly thereafter, Pierce suffered a high-ankle sprain. The Texans wisely did not rush their young RB back into action, and there should be no issue with Pierce being ready to go for the start of this season. The Texans did sign Devin Singletary in the offseason, but Pierce is younger and is extraordinarily good at breaking tackles. He should be the lead back in this new offense. Under the leadership of new head coach DeMeco Ryans, former defensive coordinator for the 49ers, the Texans should field a run-heavy offense.

KYLE PITTS

TE, Atlanta Falcons

Pitts was drafted as early as the third round in many leagues last year, and he vastly underperformed his ADP even before his season-ending knee injury in Week 10. Pitts saw 59 targets before his injury but finished with only 28 receptions for a total of 356 yards (a poor 47.4 percent catch rate). To be fair, he was trying to catch passes from Marcus Mariota in a run-first offense. Will that offense look much different with Desmond Ridder under center? Well, it can’t look much worse, but one should exercise caution when taking any tight end not named Travis Kelce before Round 6. If your leaguemates have soured on Pitts and he falls into later rounds, he’s worth a pick. After all, he did have 1,026 yards in his rookie season.

BROCK PURDY

QB, San Francisco 49ers

The last pick of the 2022 draft was anything but irrelevant, winning eight in a row and leading the Niners to the NFC Championship Game, where he suffered a torn UCL in a loss to the Eagles. I’m not sure how anyone could perform better in a job interview. Purdy played mostly mistake-free football and looks like a perfect fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Purdy should have the leg up on the starter’s role for the season, but much will depend on how he heals from his injury. If all goes well, he could be cleared to play in early September. On a per-game basis, Purdy was the fantasy QB8 after taking over the starting role for the 49ers in Week 13.

WAN’DALE ROBINSON

WR, New York Giants

After a slow start to the season with lingering injuries, the promising young rookie tore his ACL in Week 11. Unfortunately for Robinson, that injury coincided with a breakout game in which he recorded nine catches for 100 yards. Early reports say Robinson is on track to be ready for the season; he could be worth a late-round pick in Brian Daboll’s improved Giants offense.

JAVONTE WILLIAMS

RB, Denver Broncos

Williams was taken at the end of the first round in many fantasy drafts last season due to his tremendous potential, but he suffered a torn ACL and LCL in Week 4 vs. the Raiders. Williams had been off to a disappointing start, but then again, the entire Denver offense was woeful last season. Sean Payton should revive this team’s fortunes. Though Williams could be available for the start of the season, expect him to be worked back in slowly as he recovers from a similar injury to what J.K. Dobbins returned from last year.