Big-name injury updates among headlines from OTAs this week that we're tracking for fantasy football

Yahoo! Sports - News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

12 June 2026 at 19:28

The NFL is a league that never sleeps as teams continue to progress through OTAs and mandatory minicamps. Once we get over that hurdle, it'll only be a matter of time before training camp starts and we begin thinking about fantasy football drafts. Below is a roundup of news headlines from this week out of OTAs and minicamps that have fantasy football relevance, useful info you can keep tabs on leading into the 2026 NFL season.

Justin Boone's 2026 Fantasy Rankings

Malik Nabers' offseason injury saga continues

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen told reporters at a charity dodgeball game this week that he believes WR Malik Nabers will be fine Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. Nabers is working his way back from a torn ACL suffered last season. The wideout also underwent another procedure in April related to the torn ACL and meniscus.

"If he's ready to go Week 1, you told me that today, however it looks in between now and then, I don't care as long as when we roll out against the Cowboys over here that he's out and ready to go," Schoen said. "And if it's not? Again, I think we bought enough insurance that we'll still be able to move the ball and be productive."

That insurance includes recently-drafted WR Malachi Fields and a slew of veteran options, most notably Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, Braxton Berrios and Darnell Mooney. Darius Slayton had core muscle surgery this offseason and is currently on the mend. TE Isaiah Likely is also in the mix after being signed as a free agent.

As for Nabers, it's going to be a "wait and see" situation during training camp and leading into fantasy drafts. His ADP continues to fall, currently at WR14 in half-PPR drafts, per FantasyPros. You may be able to draft Nabers at a discount and hope he'll be ready for Week 1. But as Yahoo analyst Scott Pianowski always says, you don't want to draft into an injured player. Proceed with caution.

Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season

Alec Pierce still recovering from ankle surgery

Indianapolis Colts WR Alec Pierce underwent an ankle procedure back in March and it's expected to hold him out to start training camp, per ESPN. Pierce, who was a free agent this offseason, re-signed with the Colts on a four-year, $114 million deal.

"I think obviously we want the [return] to be as early as possible," Pierce told ESPN. "But you've kind of got to let your body guide yourself and see how you feel. Because what I'm learning with the rehab is the more you overdo it, the more sore you get. It kind of can sometimes be counterproductive."

Pierce will be a name to monitor in July during camp for a potential return, along with his QB, Daniel Jones, who is rehabbing from a torn Achilles. Pierce is coming off another impressive campaign in which he led the NFL in yards per reception (21.3) for a second straight year. He finished with over 1,000 receiving yards and six touchdowns playing in 15 games, some of those games without Jones.

Pierce is being selected early in drafts as the WR34 but has plenty of appeal as a sixth- or seventh-round pick. If his recovery from ankle surgery bleeds into the regular season, it would be a slight bump up for WR Josh Downs and TE Tyler Warren in the short term.

2026 Soccer Pick 'Em with FOX One: The group stage is here, make your picks now!

Tucker Kraft eyeing return in Week 1 for Packers

Green Bay Packers TE Tucker Kraft was in the midst of a breakout season in 2025 before a torn ACL ended things early. Despite only playing in eight games, Kraft still finished as a top-20 fantasy TE in total scoring and was the TE3 in FPPG (12.7). He had 32 catches for 489 yards and six TDs before going down.

But Kraft told reporters on Wednesday that he anticipates being ready for Week 1 without a pitch count. That's great news for the Packers and fantasy football dynasty managers. It's also pretty good news for early drafters; Kraft is being taken in half-PPR formats as the TE6 around pick No 70. If Kraft is on the field for the opener, he's a great mid-round TE target in all formats.

Boone's Dynasty Rankings & Trade Values (PPR)QB | RB | WR | TE | Rookies | Draft Picks

Chris Olave still waiting for clearance from blood clot issue

The New Orleans Saints enter 2026 with high expectations, particularly on offense with RB Travis Etienne Jr. in town as well as rookie WR Jordyn Tyson. Chris Olave figures to be the No. 1 receiving option again but missed the 2025 season finale due to a blood clot in his lungs. He hasn't been cleared yet and hasn't been practicing with the team during OTAs.

"He hasn't been able to do the team activities obviously throughout OTAs," coach Kellen Moore said Wednesday, via Nola.com. "The blood clot was related to not participating in team and some of those things."

This is a situation worth monitoring, especially since Olave is due for a big payday entering the final year of his rookie contract. Early drafters are going after Olave around WR11 as an early third-round pick in half-PPR. Blood clots are always scary so hopefully Olave gets full clearance and is good to go for the start of 2026.

Patrick Mahomes becomes NFL's first $500 million man

The Kansas City Chiefs and QB Patrick Mahomes agreed on a reworked contract that will now carry a value of $504.75 million and run through the 2033 season, per multiple reports.

Mahomes had signed a 10-year, $450 million contract back in 2020. Now, he's the highest-paid QB in NFL history at $64 million per season. The future Hall of Famer is recovering from a torn ACL and may miss the start of the 2026 regular season. Despite the injury, Mahomes is still going off the board as the QB11 in early drafts.

Normal view