Fantasy Football 2024: Cheatsheet for Injured Players and Holdout Candidates

Several factors go into drafting a successful fantasy football team. A little good fortune never hurts, but managers should strive to find value, avoid busts and mitigate risks, especially in the early rounds.

Injuries are difficult to predict, of course, but managers can avoid reaching for players who are already injured or who may otherwise be unavailable at the start of the regular season.

Star Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson, for example, is recovering from a torn ACL and realistically may not see action until after the team's Week 6 bye. Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, meanwhile, remains away from the team while seeking a new contract.

Holdouts rarely bleed into the regular season, but managers would be wise to at least plan for that possibility.

Below, you'll find a look at some of the latest injury and holdout information, what it could mean for the 2024 season and a positional cheat sheet that can help establish alternatives to potentially unavailable stars.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was one of last year's breakout fantasy stars. While the Arizona State product had his first 1,000-yard campaign in 2022, he exploded in 2023 just as Brock Purdy emerged as an upper-tier fantasy quarterback.

Aiyuk finished the 2023 season with 75 catches, 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. His high-end production, though, has led to him seeking high-end compensation.

The 26-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and wants to be paid like one of the league's top receivers. The 49ers haven't acquiesced to his demands yet, but they have reportedly reengaged in contract talks after listening to trade offers.

According to Dianna Russini, Matt Barrows and David Lombardi of The Athletic, the 49ers have "opened up" contract negotiations with Aiyuk following a recent sit-down with team officials.

In the meantime, Aiyuk has staged a "hold in," meaning he's reported to training camp but hasn't fully participated in practices. While Aiyuk will find no benefit to sitting out the regular season, managers should be prepared for that possibility or for Aiyuk to land in a different offense this season.

Lamb is currently being valued as one of this year's top fantasy receivers—if not WR1 outright. That's not surprising, as Dallas' receiving corps isn't exactly loaded with other targets, and Lamb is coming off a 135-catch, 1,749-yard, 12-touchdown season.

Unlike Aiyuk, though, Lamb is flat-out holding out for a new contract and was placed on the reserve/did-not-report list to open camp. He wants a new deal—likely one that equals or surpasses Justin Jefferson's new market-leading contract—and the Cowboys have yet to flip the switch.

"I don't have any urgency to get it done," franchise owner Jerry Jones said, per NFL.com's Grant Gordon.

While the Cowboys aren't racing to put pen to paper, they would certainly prefer to have the All-Pro in the fold.

"Now I understand completely the angst that's happening when you're anxious about and someone says anything about whether you're missed or not. Well, CeeDee, you're missed, OK?" Jones said on Sunday's pregame show (h/t ESPN's Todd Archer).

An in-season holdout is unlikely, though Lamb may be a bigger threat to do it than Aiyuk. He can make an argument for being the best receiver in the NFL and could decide that playing on an $18 million salary isn't worth the injury risk.

Lamb's situation is worth monitoring, not only for managers considering the talented wide receiver, but also for those with an eye on Cowboys QB Dak Prescott.

There are a few injury situations worth watching after the opening week of the preseason. New York Giants rookie receiver Malik Nabers, for example, suffered an ankle injury in practices, though he's only considered "day-to-day" with the ailment.

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Marquise Brown suffered a shoulder injury in his preseason opener, and that one appears more serious.

"He'll miss some time," head coach Andy Reid said, per ESPN's Adam Teicher.

Second-year Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs is also dealing with a hamstring injury.

The biggest injury to track, however, is the calf strain that continues to impact 49ers star Christian McCaffrey. The reigning rushing champ does believe that it isn't a serious issue.

"If we had a game, I would play," McCaffrey told SiriusXM NFL Radio.

It's worth noting, however, that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow dealt with a similar injury last offseason. While he did play in Week 1, he clearly wasn't himself until closer to midseason.

We're still inclined to place McCaffrey at the top of our RB cheat sheet—he did rack up 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns last season, after all. However, managers should be aware that there's real risk involved in taking him at the top of Round 1.

McCaffrey might not get off to the hot start that most expect, and for managers drafting him, taking Elijah Mitchell as a handcuff is a must.

Quarterback

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

3. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

5. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

6. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

7. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

8. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

9. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

10. Brock Purdy San Francisco 49ers

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Running Back

1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

2. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

3. Breece Hall, New York Jets

4. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

5. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

6. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

7. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

8. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs

9. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

10. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Wide Receiver

1. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

2. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

3. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions

5. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

6. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

7. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

8. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals

9. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders

10. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets

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Tight End

1. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

3. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

4. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

5. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills

6. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

7. Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars

8. Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys

9. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

10. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

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Defense/Special Teams

1. Baltimore Ravens

2. New York Jets

3. San Francisco 49ers

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

5. Cleveland Browns

6. Kansas City Chiefs

7. Dallas Cowboys

8. Houston Texans

9. Buffalo Bills

10. Miami Dolphins

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Kicker

1. Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

2. Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs

3. Ka'imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans

4. Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys

5. Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles

6. Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins

7. Jake Moody, San Francisco 49ers

8. Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills

9. Matt Gay, Indianapolis Colts

10. Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons

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*Rankings based on points-per-reception scoring.