When I was a kid I was pretty good at that board game Operation. Remember? The one where you pretended to be a surgeon and tried to remove the guy’s Funny Bone or Spare Ribs without touching the sides of his gaping incisions with your plastic tweezers?

So yeah, you could say I’m a bit of a medical expert.

I figured I’d bring some of that expertise to you, dear dynasty enthusiasts. Let’s see if we can’t properly assess how to handle a wide range of players who are embroiled in some injury intrigue. Without setting off that damn buzzer …

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Dynasty Fantasy Football Injury Updates

George Kittle | TE | 49ers

I’m not sure there’s a part of George Kittle’s body that hasn’t been injured at some point or another. In fact, if you’re in high school and reading this and forgot to study for your anatomy final, take a minute to peruse ol’ Georgie’s injury history. That oughta get you at least a C-.

The 32-year-old is currently rehabbing an Achilles tear he sustained during the playoffs. Kittle said his version of the injury was the “best-case scenario” and hopes to be available for the Week 1 opener against the Rams. Which is such a George Kittle thing to say. But can we trust him?

He’s operating in a pretty weird space for dynasty. He’s crossed the age threshold into being an asset for contending teams only, yet we aren’t sure how many games we’ll get from him this year. And can we be certain, given the tremendous wear and tear on his person, that Kittle will play out the entirety of his contract?

Diagnosis: I’m more comfortable taking the injury discount in redraft and best ball leagues, but his value is probably overly deflated in dynasty, too. When Kittle is on the field, he produces (TE4 in points per game last year). At such a fickle position, I’d rather pay the more modest price for an older, consistent producer than one of the younger, more questionable guys valued ahead of him.

MarShawn Lloyd | RB | Packers

MarShawn Lloyd has been in the league for two years and, due to a litany of injuries, we’ve only seen him play about 10 snaps of meaningful football. So maybe it’s worth revisiting his draft profile to catch up on the type of guy Green Bay hoped he could be. Here’s what Jonathan Fuller had to say before the 2024 draft:

“MarShawn Lloyd was one of the better explosive rushers in the country in 2023. He ranked in the top 10 nationally for YPC, breakaway rush %, and elusive rating among all RBs with at least 50 attempts. 

His combination of size, speed, and burst will be above average for an NFL RB, which gives him a path to real fantasy upside if he gets solid draft capital.”

Lo and behold, Lloyd was taken by the Packers in the third round.

Meanwhile, Josh Jacobs has the second-most career rush attempts of any active running back and we saw that start to take a toll on his body last year. The Packers let Emanuel Wilson walk in free agency and didn’t add anyone else to the depth chart, which strongly suggests they think Lloyd can stay healthy and be a major contributor.

Diagnosis: Lloyd’s is a case of “out of sight, out of mind.” He’s been completely forgotten about in the dynasty community, which means it’s the perfect time to send some wee little offers to get him on your team and see if he can finally live up to his earlier expectations.

Tucker Kraft | TE | Packers

Let’s stay in Green Bay for a minute. Boy, normally you’d think a torn ACL would suppress a guy’s value at least a little bit! But nope, not Tucker Kraft. He is still being treated like the near-elite tight end he appeared to be before the injury. Which puts me in an uncomfortable position.

On one hand, Kraft was tied for the overall TE1 spot in points per game through the first eight weeks of the season. And his underlying stats were incredible:

Yards Per Target: 2nd among TEs, 5th overall

Yards Per Reception: 1st, 7th

Yards After Catch Per Reception: 1st, 2nd

Broken Tackle Rate: 1st, 4th

Passer Rating When Targeted: 2nd, 2nd

On the other hand … he’s really hard to trade for! The cost to acquire him is still so steep, especially in Tight End Premium leagues. Anecdotally, I’ve tried getting Kraft in the few leagues I didn’t already roster him, with little success. I tried sending Jaylen Waddle and a 2026 mid-1st. I tried sending Michael Wilson and a 2027 1st. I even sent a couple of 1sts along with offseason darling Bhayshul Tuten, but none of these have even elicited a counter-offer.

Diagnosis: If you have him, hold him tightly. If you don’t, maybe wait until we’re closer to the season to see if he misses any time and/or looks a little diminished in his first games back. Then pounce.

Zach Charbonnet | RB | Seahawks

Let’s not overthink this one. (Exactly what you want to hear your doctor say, right?) Charbonnet has never finished higher than RB29 in PPR points per game. Yes, the Seahawks let Kenneth Walker, uhh, walk … in free agency. But they also spent a first-round pick on Jadarian Price.

That means, unless Price winds up a complete and unexpected bust, whenever Charbonnet returns from his ACL tear, he will again operate in a timeshare. Maybe that modest touch count helps prevent further injuries (YAY), but it could also mean he’ll return as a less-efficient player in an already-inefficient fantasy role (BOO).

Unlike, say, Cam Skattebo, who could theoretically return to workhorse role with the Giants again, and thus could be more worth the short-term investment in dynasty, there’s not a lot to like about Charbonnet’s fantasy future.

Diagnosis: As a rule, I don’t like trading for running backs immediately after an ACL tear. I can’t think of a single time where it’s A) worked out in the short term, and B) didn’t see their value dip even further after an unproductive season or two. Remember how long it took for Javonte Williams to look like his old self? Call me in two years, Charbonnet managers.

Jonathon Brooks | RB | Panthers

I just wanted to point out that Sam Wallace already did a thorough breakdown of Brooks’ dynasty value, which you should absolutely check out.

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