With the Super Bowl approaching, the 2024 season is coming to a close. As some of you may know, in fantasy football, there really is no such thing as an offseason. Looking forward to the 2025 season here are some injury situations I will be monitoring. Their recovery timelines and fantasy production are discussed in more detail below.
Position Player, Team | Injury
WR Tank Dell, Houston | Knee Dislocation
One of the more scary injuries this season was Tank Dell's knee dislocation in Week 16. Following the dislocation, Dell was rushed to a local Kansas City hospital and monitored overnight. It's still difficult to project Dell's return since there are specifics of Dell's injury that the general public does not know. Additionally, knee dislocations are uncommon, and I do not have a lot of data on players returning following this injury.
Although it is not a one-for-one comparison, in 2020, Nick Chubb suffered a similar injury. The time from Chubb's injury date to when he returned to action was around 13 months. This feels like the best-case scenario for Dell. Unfortunately, with Dell's injury happening so late in the season, it is very possible that he misses next year entirely. Being ready for the start of 2025 at this time seems unrealistic.
RB Jonathon Brooks, Carolina | ACL Reconstruction (Revision)
Similar to Tank Dell (see above), Jonathon Brooks suffered a late-season injury that will likely affect his 2025 outlook. The rookie missed most of the 2024 season recovering from an ACL reconstruction surgery that took place while he was in college. Carolina elected to slow play Brooks' return, but even doing so resulted in a re-tear of his ACL graft.
Examining return-to-play timelines for the NFL since 2001, on average, NFL running backs return in 46 weeks from the time they have surgery. The week of 1/13/25-1/17/25 is when Jonathon Brooks had his second ACL reconstruction procedure. If Brooks were to follow this average return-to-play timeline, that means he would be back around Week 13/14, depending on when Carolina's bye.
Given the circumstances, Brooks is not guaranteed to return in 2025. If the Panthers do not feel like he is fully ready, it's possible that they could opt to keep him out for the entire season.
QB Deshaun Watson, Cleveland | Achilles Tendon Repair (Revision)
During the Browns' Week 7 loss vs the Cincinnati Bengals, Deshaun Watson ruptured his Achilles, effectively ending his season. Despite the severity of this injury, I had Watson projected to return by the start of 2025, especially given recent examples like Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins.
However, Watson's outlook changed in mid-January when reports surfaced that he suffered a setback. Watson re-tore his surgically repaired Achilles and needed a revision procedure. Therefore, his recovery timeline completely reset.
Based on this new information, I believe, at best, Watson can return in middle/late November. Given the setback, it could be much later. Cleveland restructured Watson's contract this offseason, implying what most have believed that franchise has been trying to do for a while now: look for an out. The injury and revision procedure almost guarantee the Browns bring in quarterback competition, if not through the draft, then free agency. Even if Watson plays in 2025, he might not have his starting role upon his return.
WR Christian Watson, Green Bay | ACL Reconstruction
Christian Watson is yet another example of a player in this article who suffered a late-season injury that could bleed into 2025. Watson tore his ACL in Week 18 when the Packers hosted Chicago.
Like running backs, wide receivers carry an average return-to-play timeline of 48 weeks from surgery.
As of this writing, there is still no news of Watson's surgery, but I expect him to have his ACL reconstruction (ACLR) procedure soon. Watson is likely a candidate to start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning he would have to miss at least the first four weeks of the season. I believe it is possible for the veteran receiver to make a midseason debut, but I am less optimistic about his fantasy outlook.
Historically, wide receivers see a sharp decline in fantasy production, and field stretchers who do not have a safe floor of target volume struggle to maintain fantasy relevance. Christian Watson will likely be a player I avoid next season.
WR Stefon Diggs, Houston | ACL Reconstruction
Stefon Diggs' 2024 season ended prematurely after tearing his ACL. The silver lining of Diggs' injury is that it happened earlier in the season. The veteran wideout is well into his recovery and potentially on track to return at the start of 2025, if not shortly after.
Unlike Christian Watson (mentioned above) Diggs archetype points to a favorable outcome upon his return. Diggs has proven to be an excellent route runner who can succeed at all quadrants of the field. This provides a sturdy floor in PPR leagues. The two negatives working against Diggs are 1) the uncertainty of his situation (Diggs is a free agent in 2025) and 2) his age (31 years old).
I do not have many wide receivers older than Diggs in my database. Julian Edelman is the most recent example. Edelman saw a minimal decline in yards per target and fantasy points per game following his ACLR. Other WRs like Cooper Kupp, Chris Godwin, and Keenan Allen did well after their ACLRs. If things work out well, Diggs could be a value in 2025.
If your player was not mentioned in this article let Adam know. Tag him at @TheRealAdam_H on X or @adamhutchison.bsky.social. He could write about these players in future articles.