Fantasy Football Injured Reserve (IR) Report: Week 4 Injury Updates for James Conner, Najee Harris, Tyjae Spears, Brandon Aiyuk, Nick Bosa

September 26, 2025

Our fantasy football IR report and tracker for injured NFL players on injured reserve in Week 4 of 2025. Fantasy football injury updates reports for James Conner, Najee Harris, Tyjae Spears, Brandon Aiyuk, and Nick Bosa

As is unfortunately the case in most weeks of the NFL season, Week 3 brought about a few significant injuries to notable veteran players. Managers in every league will be forced to adjust and find production from less heralded places.

Fantasy managers must also be aware that players given long-term injury designations before the start of the season will be eligible to return following Week 4. In leagues where these players might be available, stashing them ahead of time could be a shrewd way to roster an impact player.

Below is analysis and advice for five players who are currently on either the injured reserve (IR), Physically Unable to Perform (PUP), or Non-Football Injury (NFI) lists but are still likely to impact fantasy decisions in one way or another. Let's dive in.

James Conner Injury Update

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (foot) suffered a gruesome foot injury during his team's Week 3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Earlier this week, the team placed him on Injured Reserve and announced that he will miss the remainder of the 2025 season.

Conner has been an extremely productive running back for several years in Arizona. In 2024, he gained over 1,500 yards from scrimmage and scored nine touchdowns across 16 games.

Early on in 2025, Arizona placed a significant emphasis on establishing the run game. Through their first three games of 2025, the Cardinals logged 77 rush attempts compared to just 89 pass attempts.

Second-year Cardinals back Trey Benson should be able to step into Conner's workhorse role in the offense. Benson has rushed for 125 yards on 21 carries so far in 2025, and the former third-round pick appeared to be earning a larger workload even before Conner's injury.

just a reminder we have Trey Benson on our team@trey_uno1 | @FSUFootball pic.twitter.com/BFbNxmRaZI

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 8, 2025

Emari Demercado is another Cardinals running back who could see an uptick in opportunities, especially on passing downs. The 26-year-old recorded 312 yards from scrimmage on 40 total touches across 13 games in 2024.

Conner managers in redraft leagues have no choice but to drop him. In any league where Benson is not already rostered, he's a must-add running back who could provide top-24 production at the running back position for the rest of 2025.

In the deepest of leagues, Demercado is a player to keep an eye on. If Benson falters or is unable to take on a true three-down role, Demercado could work his way into being a low-end flex option in certain matchups.

Najee Harris Injury Update

Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles tendon during his team's Week 3 win over the Denver Broncos. Harris was placed on Injured Reserve on Wednesday and will miss the remainder of the 2025 season.

Harris was expected to share the backfield workload in Los Angeles this season with rookie running back Omarion Hampton. With Harris now sidelined, Hampton profiles as a borderline fantasy RB1.

For fantasy managers who had been rostering Harris, adding Hampton off the waiver wire is obviously not an option. However, there may still be a chance to find value in the Chargers' backfield.

Second-year running back Kimani Vidal has been singled out by Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh as the next man up in Los Angeles. Vidal recorded 217 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 48 touches in 10 games last season as a rookie.

Kimani Vidal the "Next Man Up" in Chargers Backfield https://t.co/hrVzCv9Eak

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 23, 2025

If the Chargers do not want to overload Hampton in his first NFL season, Vidal could carve out a consistent role. Still, he is far from a proven NFL running back, so Vidal's production is unlikely to match what was expected from Harris.

In deep leagues, Vidal is a player to monitor but not necessarily a priority waiver wire target yet. If nothing else, he is the clear handcuff option to Hampton, at least until Los Angeles brings in some external help at the running back position.

Tyjae Spears Injury Update

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (ankle) suffered a high ankle sprain in August and was placed on Injured Reserve before the start of the regular season. Spears has reportedly been working on the side in recent team practices and could be ready to return as soon as he is eligible in Week 5.

#Titans practice update for Thursday ahead of Sunday vs the Texans.
-No sign of JC Latham (hip), Bryce Oliver (knee), Kalel Mullings (ankle).
-Cam Ward (ankle) practiced w/out a brace or ankle taped up.
-Kevin Zeitler (bicep) practiced.
-Tyjae Spears worked on a side field. pic.twitter.com/TpYfnM3WS2

— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) September 25, 2025

Titans running back Tony Pollard has seen a sizable workload through the team's first three games of the season. The team has 58 running back-rush attempts so far in 2025, and Pollard has logged 54 of them.

This trend is unlikely to continue when Spears returns. In the final three games of 2024, when both Spears and Pollard were healthy, Spears recorded 181 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns on 30 total touches.

Tennessee may take a week or two to fully integrate Spears into the offense while he works his way back to full strength. Still, there's a realistic world where the 24-year-old has standalone fantasy value by the middle of this season.

In leagues where Spears is not yet rostered, this may be the last chance for fantasy managers to add him without spending a considerable amount of their FAAB. At this point, Spears is worth stashing even in leagues that do not offer an IR slot.

Brandon Aiyuk Injury Update

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his knee in Week 7 of the 2024 season. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list before the start of the 2025 regular season, meaning he will technically be eligible to return in Week 5.

While Aiyuk has never had a firm return timeline, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has previously mentioned Week 6 as a possible target date. However, San Francisco general manager John Lynch recently stated that Aiyuk is "not close" to a return.

John Lynch told @knbrmurph & @MarkusBoucher Brandon Aiyuk has had "no setbacks," but that he's "not close."

"There's no absolutes on these things. He's gotta continue to hit markers. He's tracking well, we'll be a better team when Brandon's out there... But it's not close." pic.twitter.com/G4cS54ufeN

— KNBR (@KNBR) September 25, 2025

When healthy, the 27-year-old is a productive wide receiver. In his last full season back in 2023, Aiyuk recorded 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. However, fantasy managers need to start questioning whether Aiyuk will be close enough to full strength in 2025 to provide fantasy-relevant production.

Even if Aiyuk can get back on the field sometime around mid-season, it will likely take him a few weeks to ramp up to a full snap share. That could mean Aiyuk will be tough to trust as a fantasy starter until some time around Thanksgiving.

Target volume is another significant question in San Francisco. Between running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, and wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, there are plenty of mouths to feed for quarterback Brock Purdy outside of Aiyuk.

In leagues without an IR slot, Aiyuk is likely not worth rostering until the team can provide a clearer timeline for his return. Even in leagues that do allow players on IR to be easily stashed, other injured players who are closer to returning or have a cleaner path to fantasy production can be prioritized over Aiyuk.

Nick Bosa Injury Update

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (knee) suffered a torn ACL in his team's Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals. As a result, Bosa has been placed on Injured Reserve and will miss the remainder of 2025.

Bosa has been one of the most disruptive defenders in the NFL since entering the league in 2019. Across 14 games in 2024, Bosa recorded 33 solo tackles and nine sacks. The 28-year-old had gotten off to a strong start in 2025, recording two sacks in his first three games.

In IDP leagues, Bosa's ability to rack up sacks and quarterback hits made him a starting-caliber player. However, this season-ending injury means he is droppable in redraft leagues.

49ers edge rusher Bryce Huff should be in line for an increase in playing time in Bosa's absence. Huff is a pass rush specialist who had a down year with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 but recorded 10 sacks and 21 QB hits across 17 games with the New York Jets in 2023.

Huff has already recorded two sacks this season, including a game-winning strip sack in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints.

49ers defense seals the W in New Orleans! pic.twitter.com/DtwSMQD0pe

— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025

As far as San Francisco's team defense goes, losing Bosa could have a significant impact. San Francisco allowed an average of 29.3 points per game in the three games Bosa missed last season, compared to 25 points per game in the 14 games he played.

The 49ers' defense has been fierce so far this year, allowing an average of just 16.3 points per game through three contests. However, fantasy managers should be less fearful of starting players who are matched up against San Francisco on a week-to-week basis now that Bosa is sidelined.

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