Justin BooneFantasy AnalystTue, April 21, 2026 at 3:56 PM UTC·13 min readInjuries are the worst part of football. No one wants to see players get hurt and have to go through grueling recoveries in order to get back on the field. Unfortunately, it’s an unavoidable byproduct of an incredibly physical sport.
When it comes to fantasy football, you have to be adaptable because injuries are difficult to foresee. However, you can give yourself an advantage in drafts if you’re able to accurately predict when injured stars will return to action.
While some players are ahead of schedule and should be back to form in time for Week 1, others are facing more challenging rehabs that could keep them sidelined well into the season.
Let’s conclude this series by taking a look at the fantasy wide receivers and tight ends who are working their way back from serious injuries and what it could mean for their outlooks in 2026.
Fantasy Outlook: Nabers has an ADP of WR7 and is WR8 in FantasyPros’ Expert Consensus Ranking (ECR), but in my opinion that’s not factoring in the possibility that his injury is a problem at the start of the season.
Despite suffering his knee injury in September, the Giants’ star had to do one month of “pre-hab” before undergoing surgery — which didn’t occur until the end of October. While that still gives him enough time to suit up for Week 1, his comments at the end of the season cast some doubt on the situation. Nabers told reporters at locker cleanout that he’s not really sure if he’ll be ready for the opener and that his target date is when his body feels ready.
In addition to possibly missing time or being less than 100% when he does return, Nabers will likely be dealing with increased target competition. The Giants have already added Isaiah Likely, Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III. They also now have two top-10 picks (fifth, 10th), which puts them in prime position to take one of the top receivers in this class.
When healthy, Nabers has top-five upside at his position, but he’ll need to be monitored all offseason to see when he’ll be back to WR1 form, which may not happen until part way into the season.
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Fantasy Outlook: Wilson dealt with multiple knee injuries during another lost season for the Jets. There was no reason to rush him back in the final month on a roster that was nowhere near playoff contention.
That means he should be a full participant in the offseason program and ready to hit the ground running in Week 1.
The problem for Wilson is that he remains in a Jets offense that has yet to solve their quarterback issues and continues to hold him back in real life and fantasy.
Wilson, who will be 26 in July, miraculously managed to post three-straight 1,000 yard campaigns before getting hurt last season. There’s no question in my mind that he would be a top-10 fantasy wideout if he gets quality quarterback play.
Geno Smith represents an upgrade, but even he has a lot to prove after coming off a disappointing season with the Raiders.
New York has also been rumored to be interested in using their early picks on a receiver, which could create more competition for targets in a passing attack that has barely been able to sustain Wilson’s fantasy stock.
For now, I’m treating WIlson as a fantasy WR2, while maintaining hope that someday he’ll find the right quarterback to unlock his talent.
Fantasy Outlook: Pearsall has dealt with multiple injuries that have delayed his potential NFL breakout. Fortunately, he’s already training with new teammate Christian Kirk, which makes it seem like he’s progressing well after the late-season knee issue. Though it’s been a fairly limited sample size, Pearsall has managed to make quite the impact during his two years in San Francisco.
After beginning last season with two 100-yard games in the first three weeks, Pearsall was stifled by an injury in Week 4. When he initially attempted a return to the lineup in Week 11, he didn’t seem like himself and managed just five catches for 20 yards over the next three games. However, he did post stat lines of 6-96-0 in Week 15 and 5-85-0 in Week 17 — helping managers who were willing to take a chance on starting him during the fantasy playoffs.
The good news coming out of Pearsall’s sophomore campaign, is that he was a top-24 fantasy wideout four times in the six appearances where he wasn’t limited due to injury.
With Brandon Aiyuk not expected to return to the team and George Kittle dealing with a torn Achilles that could sideline him early in the season, Pearsall will be a key piece of this offense moving forward. Even if Mike Evans, who turns 33 before Week 1, stays healthy, Pearsall has a chance to jump from a fantasy WR3/flex with durability concerns to a top-24 option if he can stay on the field.