When Will Christian Watson Return and Be Back? Fantasy Football Injury Update

December 27, 2023

When will Christian Watson return and play? Will Christian Watson be back again this season? Read the latest Christian Watson injury updates and return date for Week 17 (2023).

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson was having a late-season breakout when he hurt his hamstring.

Watson had scored touchdowns in three straight games from Week 11 through Week 13. Against the Detroit Lions, he came close to having a 100-yard game. Unfortunately, Watson hurt his hamstring against the Kansas City Chiefs, and it has impacted him.

When is Christian Watson coming back to action? What is Christian Watson's fantasy football outlook when he returns? Let's dive in.

Christian Watson Latest Injury Update - December 27

Christian Watson (hamstring) missed last week's game against the basement-dwelling Carolina Panthers. Despite the absence of both Watson and Jayden Reed (toe/chest), the Packers still gained 369 yards on the Panthers and beat them 33-30.

Two weeks ago, Watson said that his hamstring was "feeling good," but he also noted that the recovery process is long. "One day you'll feel really good," he said, "and the next day you won't feel so good. I've had quite a few days now where it's felt very good, so I think I'm in the right place."

Watson went down and clutched his hamstring with three minutes left in the Packers' win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Watson is a speedy and incredibly athletic receiver, but unfortunately, his first and second seasons have both been disrupted by injuries. He missed three games last season with a knee tear and then a hamstring sprain. Then, he missed the first three games of this season with a hamstring injury. He suffered a minor knee injury in Week 7, but luckily, he did not miss any time. Then he injured his hamstring again just as he was starting to blow up. He gained 94 yards and 71 yards, respectively, in his last two games before he had to rest.

Christian Watson Fantasy Football Outlook

The injuries have added to the frustrations Watson has faced early in his career. Fantasy managers were excited about what he brought to the game. He was graded with a 99 athleticism score at the 2022 NFL Combine. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds, and he jumped 38.5 inches in the air in the vertical jump, the sixth-highest of all receivers in his class. While playing college football at North Dakota State University, Watson averaged 21.5 yards per reception, good for third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).

He started off his rookie campaign slowly. At first, he dropped a couple of key passes and then missed three games with injury, but from Week 10 until the end of the season, he scored seven touchdowns and passed the 100-yard mark in three games. Many were excited for him to build on that momentum into 2023.

In his second game back from injury, he looked like he might step his game up to the next level. He caught three passes for 91 yards against the Raiders in Week 5. But he had other wide receivers competing for targets, including second-year receiver Romeo Doubs and rookie Jayden Reed. Through Week 11, Doubs and Reed were both scoring more fantasy points than Watson. Then, when Watson started to put together a string of good games, he got injured again.

It may be scary to start a player coming off of injury, but Watson has a great matchup against the New York Giants in Week 17. The Giants are allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers. The Packers' passing offense has continued to produce well in the past three games. Green Bay has thrown two touchdown passes in the past two games. Watson is particularly good at running with the ball after the catch. He will boost the already-hot Green Bay offense.

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