The Footballguys Injury Index contains injury timelines and fantasy performance outcomes specifically for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends from 2017-2023. Altogether, there are over 2,000 injuries in the database. However, to avoid any confusion, it is important to lay some ground rules. I am not saying that this is exactly what will happen. I do not have a crystal ball, nor should this report be used as one. Like most things in life, context is important. Every injury is unique.
Enjoy.
Sections of the Footballguys Injury Index
Chance to Play, Questionable vs. Doubtful
Chance to Play, Practice Participation
Games Played and Positional Volatility
Fantasy Performance and Re-Injury Rate by Position
Chance to Play: Practice Participation
A question often asked during the NFL season is:
"Player X did not practice this week? How likely are they to play?"
One of the newest editions to the Footballguys Injury Index is the table below, which looks at the percent change for a player to suit up on Sundays based on their final practice participation - the most predictive. For those not familiar with practice reports, there are three categories.
- Full Participant (FP)
- Limited Participant (LP)
- Did Not Practice (DNP)
After looking at every NFL team's weekly practice report from 2017 through 2023, here are the results of how likely players are to play after the final practice report.
| Category | Final Practice | Percent Chance to Play |
|---|---|---|
| All Injuries | FP | 86% |
| All Injuries | LP | 71% |
| All Injuries | DNP | 29% |
And here's data on three common injuries.
| Category | Final Practice | Percent Chance to Play |
|---|---|---|
| Concussion | FP | 85% |
| Concussion | LP | 57% |
| Concussion | DNP | 29% |
| Knee Injury | FP | 92% |
| Knee Injury | LP | 81% |
| Knee Injury | DNP | 28% |
| Hamstring Strain | FP | 73% |
| Hamstring Strain | LP | 62% |
| Hamstring Strain | DNP | 20% |
