What To Do With Injured Fantasy Football WRs: Christian Watson, Tank Dell, And More

Should fantasy football drafters target injured wide receivers in 2024? Scott Engel looks at WRs such as Christian Watson, Tank Dell and others as draft season approaches.

As you ready for draft day, it is essential to check in on wide receiver targets who may cause hesitance when thinking about drafting them. Some notable WRs are coming off definite injuries, while others have a recent health history that conjures up concerns.

In this feature, we help you make informed decisions regarding WRs who can create fantasy anxiety on various levels.  This rundown includes WR targets from those on the road to recovery to others who simply may still carry lingering doubts about their outlooks.

All players in the article are evaluated by the most recent Average Draft Position reports from the Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC). The analysis leans to Point Per Reception (PPR) formats.

Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers

In 2023, Watson played in only nine games, mainly because of hamstring issues. According to ESPN, he reportedly underwent offseason testing at the University of Wisconsin to get to the root of the problems. Watson generated some positive buzz during Organized Team Activities, but fantasy football drafters will likely and understandably remain slightly skeptical.

Are you buying into Christian Watson as a bounce back candidate in 2024?

With an average of 15.0 yards per reception over his first 2 seasons, only 13 receivers with at least 100 targets over that span have a higher yards per reception average.pic.twitter.com/NxkrHwp6T9

— Moody (@EricNMoody) June 20, 2024

The third-year man has an FFPC ADP of 79.6, which illustrates continued fantasy WR3 promise if he can play for most of the 2024 season. The Green Bay receiving room is also crowded, though, and new running back Josh Jacobs figures to take on a lot of touches. Watson is being properly evaluated in drafts so far, as you can target him for some upside in the seventh round or so. He can pay off in that range over close to a full season yet do consider the Packers’ depth on offense when mulling over whether to pick Watson over another closely ranked player.

Tank Dell, Houston Texans

As a rookie, the Houston speedster was a revelation in fantasy football and real life. He averaged 15.1 yards per reception and caught seven TD passes in 11 games. Unfortunately, at 165 pounds, Dell will always be a possible injury concern when asked to take on a large offensive role. His 2023 season ended in early December because of a broken fibula. He also suffered a reportedly minor gunshot wound in late April but appeared to move past that incident quickly. The 24-year-old was able to participate in OTAs and also indicated he would be willing to return kicks this season.

Dell appears headed towards opening the 2024 season on time, and his ADP of 60.0 shows that drafters won’t steer clear of him in the fifth to sixth round range. The addition of Stefon Diggs, though, suggests that the Texans don’t want to overexpose their top downfield threat because of his build, and may use him situationally at times. I would hesitate to go after Dell aggressively on draft day because he might be a boom-or-bust option as opposed to delivering an exciting year from start to finish.

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

Hamstring troubles were a prime factor in Higgins playing in 12 games, and Joe Burrow faced health obstacles of his own. As noted by the Athletic, the Cincinnati WR and QB played in only three games together in 2023, for a total of 121 snaps. Higgins muddled through the worst season of his career, catching 42 balls for 656 yards.

Health is not an apparent hurdle for Higgins as the preseason beckons, but fantasy drafters have bumped him a bit on their boards after he disappointed last year. The ADP of 57.3 positions the 25-year-old as a value play. He was a fourth-round target in 2022 drafts. Burrow is expected to be ready for the season opener, and his No. 2 WR can come through with a bounce-back campaign. Higgins might also be fired up to produce well after he did not get a desired contract extension.

Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions

The Lions’ potentially dazzling playmaker is not coming off a major 2023 injury, but his first two seasons in the league were marked by a lot of missed time, and fantasy football players are naturally wondering if the big-play artist will truly break out in 2024. Williams tore his ACL in January of 2022 at Alabama, and then only caught one pass in his first NFL season later that year. The second pro campaign included a four-game suspension and a late-season ankle injury that led to one missed game.

THE Jared Goff TO JAMESON WILLIAMS CONNECTION 🤯#OnePride pic.twitter.com/8EZwP1hUfD

— Crunch Time Sports (@officialctpod) July 24, 2024

In the NFC Championship Game, however, Williams flashed his considerable upside against the elite San Francisco defense with a 42-yard TD run while also catching a TD pass. He has followed up by stirring significant buzz already in Lions camp and is projected to take on the No. 2 WR role, which has been open for someone to run with it. With a healthy offseason behind him, Williams may be one of the better fantasy value WR targets for 2024. You have to like the ADP of 102.3, which may rise even more as the opening of the ’24 NFL schedule draws closer.

Keenan Allen, Chicago Bears

The longtime Chargers standout missed four games last season as he dealt with a heel problem, and in 2022, Allen played in 10 games while coping with a hamstring issue. He isn’t opening the 2024 campaign with any major injury concerns. But consider that the six-time Pro Bowler was traded away from a Los Angeles team that had sketchy depth at WR, and he is now 32 years old.

Fantasy players might view Allen as a risk to decline in production because of his age, and we have to note his recent injury history as a possible indicator that durability could be another possible concern. He joins a deep playmaking crew in Chicago and may not be reliable for fantasy purposes in 2024. The ADP of 72.3 reflects that FFPC players are wary of Allen too, and you should think about pivoting off him in a close call when on the clock.

Mike Williams, New York Jets

No wide receiver injury article would be complete without the inclusion of the oft-injured ex-Charger. His latest unfortunate injury occurred last September, as a torn ACL ended the 2023 campaign after three games. The Jets, however, needed to fill a No. 2 WR hole across from Garrett Wilson and took a chance on Williams with a one-year deal. If he can log a respectable amount of games played, the 6-foot-4, 218-pounder will be an ideal complement. Williams has averaged 15.6 yards per catch in his seven-year career, and finished a season with nine or more TDs twice.

The new target for Aaron Rodgers might come off the PUP list in August, according to the Jets’ official team site. He may be ready for Week 1, but those who draft him should temper early-season expectations. The ADP of 153.3 marks Williams as a late-round pick who could perform well later in the year if he avoids any more bad luck.

Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs

This electrifying rookie recently returned to preseason action after he suffered a hamstring injury during OTAs. As savvy fantasy players know, those types of injuries can linger and pop up again, so keep that in mind when considering a tight draft decision that involves Worthy. Still, as the preseason progresses, his draft stock can solidify with no further setbacks. The deep threat is a nifty pick at an ADP of 95.8. Worthy projects to be more reliable than say, Marques Valdez-Scantling, and the lure of spike weeks pinpoints him as a viable draft target in the current range.

This is gonna be fun 😈@PatrickMahomes x @XavierWorthy pic.twitter.com/Gzzr1bTe5K

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 21, 2024

Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers

Here is another rookie who has dealt with a summer hamstring hurdle, yet he can be placed in the same bucket as Worthy in terms of minor concern. Pearsall might return to practices soon. He has become a clever draft flier for those hoping for a Brandon Aiyuk trade, yet the current reality that Pearsall is a No. 3 WR in a loaded offense. His only path to relevant playing time for fantasy purposes may be an injury to a pass-catcher who is firmly established on the 49ers depth chart. An ADP of 191.3 points to Pearsall being more of a deeper league flier for now.

Gabriel Davis, Jacksonville Jaguars

A knee injury forced Davis to miss the AFC playoffs last season, and he signed with the Jaguars for the next three years. Published reports indicate the former Bill should be ready for training camp. He was incredibly inconsistent in 2023, finishing as a top 15 WR five times. Drafters have punished him for the unreliability with an ADP of 175.3. Going from a bottom eight team in run-pass ratio to one of the top eight, though, could lead to Davis paying off at times a final round dart throw. He might be able to nail down the No. 2 WR job in Jacksonville and can provide at least a few quality fantasy outings.

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