FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode Title: Fantasy Football Draft Advice | Key Injuries to Know (Ep. 1677)
Date: August 29, 2025
Host: Ryan Warmly
Guest: Dr. Deepak Chona (Sport MD Analysis)

Episode Overview

This special episode is tailored for fantasy football managers preparing for their drafts during the biggest draft weekend of the year. Host Ryan Warmly and sports medicine analyst Dr. Deepak Chona break down the most significant injury situations across the NFL, offering data-driven insights, projected recovery timelines, and actionable draft advice. Their clear, practical guidance is designed to help listeners avoid injury landmines and capitalize on recovery reports.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

San Francisco 49ers: Receiver Injury Roundup

• Brandon Aiyuk

  • Aiyuk projected to start on the PUP list (physically unable to perform); injury more severe than a typical ACL, involved ACL + MCL combo.
  • "The comments suggested somewhere around a week six target might be realistic, and the data that we had projected him for mid to late October, so that is fairly consistent." (Dr. Chona, 02:25)
  • WRs with combo injuries often need a 6-game ramp-up—likely not fantasy-relevant until the final third of the season.

• Jauan Jennings

  • Dealing with a re-aggravated calf strain since OTAs, with uncertain injury vs. contract dispute status.
  • "Those tend to carry a very high re-injury risk in season for a wide receiver... I wouldn't bank on Jauan Jennings in really any capacity." (Dr. Chona, 04:04)

• Ricky Pearsall

  • Overcame a hamstring injury early in camp, been healthy and fully practicing since.
  • "Ricky Pearsall, we would basically fully send on—nothing from last year really overly concerning and then this year really no reason to doubt him so far." (Dr. Chona, 04:55)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chris Godwin

• Godwin suffered a complex fracture/dislocation in ankle (with torn ligaments), plus a second surgery—timeline and performance both concerns.
• Expecting a ramp-up period; possible return between weeks 2–5, with Week 5 more realistic.
  • "My guess is at least about a month... I think he will be out there. My guess is more towards the later end of what Bowles suggested—probably around that Week 5 timeline. But in terms of him being a high-level or high-volume contributor, I think they're going to have to ramp him up and I think his efficiency very likely will dip as well." (Dr. Chona, 11:02)
• Godwin is not a recommended target; expect a slow return; arrow up for rookie WR Emeka Egbuka.

Houston Texans: Joe Mixon

• Significant concern he may not play at all this season; dealing with a possibly team-unapproved procedure, prolonged absence since May.
• History of severe ankle and foot injuries; nothing to suggest imminent improvement.
  • "Looking very much at the committee approach for the Texans running back room." (Dr. Chona, 12:36)
• Not on the host's draft board at all.

Dallas Cowboys: Najee Harris

• Eye injury from fireworks incident termed “superficial,” cleared seven weeks post-injury.
• Should be healthy for Week 1, but missed camp, so impact is more about usage/conditioning than health.
  • "Most likely the only injury impact you're going to see from this going forward is just him having missed training camp." (Dr. Chona, 15:28)

Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford

• Aging QB with significant back problems; managed by epidural shots, likely indicating disc herniation—high likelihood of recurrence.
• "He's been having epidural shots. That implies… probably had some sort of disc herniation... There's going to be a super high re-aggravation risk all season long." (Dr. Chona, 16:46)
• High-risk for re-injury; makes all Rams pass-catchers less reliable fantasy assets.

Green Bay Packers: Jaden Reed

• Foot sprain (likely midfoot); spent time in a boot but returned to practice, should be ramped up for Week 1.
  • "I would think he plays—I don't think he has a lot of restriction, but there is some concern that this may have some effect on how much they use him early on..." (Dr. Chona, 17:42)
• Slight caution about early snap count.

Miami Dolphins: De’Von Achane

• Calf strain, teams tend to be non-transparent about injury severity.
• Expected to return to practice with about a 10% re-injury risk (if mild).
  • "The GM just came out today saying he's going to play Week 1... probably not have a huge re-aggravation risk given that this was likely a mild injury." (Dr. Chona, 19:48)
• Value as a second-round pick is defensible; avoid if you’re risk-averse for early picks.

Seattle Seahawks: Kenneth Walker

• Historic soft-tissue and lower-body injuries; current foot “soreness” is ambiguous but not catastrophic.
• Overall, his missed practices and continued foot complaints are concerning, but not necessarily indicative of major structural damage.
  • "I do think that foot soreness may be a little more serious than they're letting on." (Dr. Chona, 21:44)
• Draft at value, but note elevated injury risk.

Tennessee Titans: Tyjae Spears

• Out first four games for severe high-ankle sprain.
• Projected to have 20–25% re-injury risk all season; typically a 20% post-injury performance dip on return.
  • "All of those numbers are pretty high... Very hard to justify drafting at this point." (Dr. Chona, 23:28)
• Tony Pollard gets a rankings bump as projected lead back during Spears' absence.

Baltimore Ravens: Isaiah Likely

• Broken foot (“most likely a Jones fracture”), not placed on IR or PUP, so could return Weeks 2–4.
  • "The data says Week 3 is most likely here. And then after that you see a three to four game ramp up in terms of his efficiency, production and volume..." (Dr. Chona, 25:16)
• Fantasy impact dampened early; likely needs a month after return to reach full performance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Injury Uncertainty:
  • "Super hard to bank on much here." (Dr. Chona re: Chris Godwin, 10:20)
• On Managing Stafford’s Risk:
  • "Nerve pain is extremely severe. In a lot of cases. So the issue is if he's being managed with these injections, would a bad hit or a bad trunk rotation when he's throwing lead to him re aggravating this? Very possibly, yes." (Dr. Chona, 16:46)
• On Draft Philosophy:
  • "I will let if somebody else takes huge risk and it pans out, good for them, it will not be me." (Ryan Warmly, on Joe Mixon, 13:29)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 49ers Injury Overview – 02:25 to 05:21
• Chris Godwin's Complicated Recovery – 09:33 to 11:55
• Joe Mixon's Uncertain Outlook – 12:36 to 13:29
• Najee Harris' Firework Incident and Outlook – 15:28
• Matthew Stafford's High-Risk Back – 16:46
• Jaden Reed's Availability – 17:42
• De’Von Achane’s Calf Strain & Draft Outlook – 19:48
• Kenneth Walker's Nagging Issues – 21:44
• Tyjae Spears High Ankle and Titans Backfield – 23:28
• Isaiah Likely’s Broken Foot & Ravens TEs – 25:16

Tone and Style

The conversation balances serious, technical medical evaluation with fantasy football practicality and good-natured, conversational delivery. Dr. Chona brings a fact-based, data-driven approach, while Ryan is upbeat and accessible, focusing on actionable advice: whether to draft/avoid/increase a player’s priority. The episode is fast-paced and loaded with direct takeaways—particularly useful on the eve of fantasy football drafts.

Actionable Takeaways

• Fade Chris Godwin and Joe Mixon: Recovery is uncertain, and fantasy production is not likely to meet expectations.
• Watch 49ers Receivers: Aiyuk likely won't help much until fantasy playoffs; Pearsall is good to target for breakout potential.
• Monitor Stafford's Situation: All Rams pass-catchers are elevated risk due to Stafford’s medical background.
• Draft Achane in Round 2 if you’re okay with minor injury risk; prioritize safe floors elsewhere.
• Leverage Spears’ absence by targeting Tony Pollard; Spears is not advisable as a stash.
• Count on Najee Harris and Jaden Reed to be ready for Week 1, but monitor snap counts and performance in early weeks.

For those prepping for their fantasy drafts, this episode serves as a focused, up-to-date “injury roundup”—arming managers with the latest science-based projections for the NFL’s most fantasy-relevant players.