A slew of pass-catchers headline Monday's injury roundup, and we receive a little more clarity out the wideout position in Detroit. T.Y. Hilton and Evan Engram have been no strangers to the injury report, while popular sleeper Irv Smith Jr. receives bad news before the start of what many hope will be his breakout season. Check below to read the latest updates as fantasy drafts and Week 1 of the regular season approaches.
For some other important draft-day considerations, get an updated look at Michael Thomas' value here; for a take on Deshaun Watson's fantasy value, go here; for whether Saquon Barkley is worth a first-round pick, read here; and for position battle news, click here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2021 Cheat Sheet
T.Y. Hilton Injury Update
Hilton reportedly aggravated a neck injury last week in practice, and he’s now set to miss the start of the regular season. His injury is related to a disk issue, and at age 31, it could be a problematic issue to lingers far beyond what people expect. We do not have a specific timetable for his availability at this time.
Michael Pittman Jr. is listed as one of our sleeper WRs heading into this season, and now he’s sharpied in as the No. 1 WR for Indianapolis until further notice. It remains to be seen if he will step up to the challenge, but the opportunity is clearly there. Beyond that, Parris Campbell, Zach Pascal, and Mo Alie-Cox/Jack Doyle are candidates for more targets.
2021 PPR FANTASY RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker | Top 200
Irv Smith Jr. Injury Update
Smith will undergo surgery to fix a meniscus injury. After playing two drives with the first-team offense against Kansas City, there was no indication he sustained an injury, but it’s now revealed he’ll likely miss the start of the regular season. It’s unclear exactly how long Smith will be out, but we should get more information as Week 1 approaches.
Tyler Conklin looks to be the starting tight end in Smith’s absence, but he presents a much lower ceiling out of that spot. He’s still not someone who’s worth a roster spot unless you’re in a deep league.
Smith is barely hanging on in our top 200, so but his breakout season is all speculative. The injury muddies up his fantasy prospects.
2021 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Each team
Breshad Perriman Update
All offseason, there has been constant chatter about the Lions’ No. 1 WR job and how it was wide open for a number of players. Will it be Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyrell Williams, Khalif Raymond, or Quintez Cephus? Maybe, but now we know it won’t be Perriman.
Perriman was the first player cut this week, and the most notable cut of the offseason when it comes to fantasy relevance (albeit not super relevant).
The aforementioned group of Lions WRs won’t be affected much in our rankings, but they do now have a clearer path to the No. 1 job in Detroit and at least roles as fantasy streamers.
2021 STANDARD FANTASY RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker | Top 200
Evan Engram Injury Update
Engram left the field in the Gaints’ last preseason game with what appears to be a calf injury. The severity of the injury is unknown at this point, but his injury history is daunting, making him a risky player at the position.
FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:
Snake Draft | Auction | Best Ball | Dynasty/Keeper | IDP
Engram has failed to live up to his stellar rookie season and isn’t a guy you should be heavily targeted in the first place. If he misses time, Kyle Rudolph is slated to be the starter if you’re dead set on having a Giants tight end (weird flex).