The Footballguys Injury Index contains injury timelines and fantasy performance outcomes specifically for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends from 2017-2023. Altogether, there are over 2,000 injuries in the database. However, to avoid any confusion, it is important to lay some ground rules. I am not saying that this is exactly what will happen. I do not have a crystal ball, nor should this report be used as one. Like most things in life, context is important. Every injury is unique.
Enjoy.
Sections of the Footballguys Injury Index
Chance to Play, Questionable vs. Doubtful
Chance to Play, Practice Participation
Games Played and Positional Volatility
Fantasy Performance and Re-Injury Rate by Position
Injury Index: Fantasy Performance and Re-Injury Rate by Position
This is the section of the Footballguys Injury Index where we dig a bit deeper and see how different injuries affect a player's fantasy production. For example, High Ankle Sprains are notoriously bad for running backs, but are all injuries this devastating? Additionally, you'll get an analysis of how specific injuries might affect different positions. While a Shoulder Injury might be minor for a wide receiver, it's likely to negatively impact quarterback production.
- Re-Injury Rating was calculated based on the percentage of players who experienced the same injury in the same season after returning. There are four buckets: Very High High, Medium (Med), and Low.
- Fantasy production (FPTS % Change) was based on how a player performed the first week following the injury compared to their Healthy Average (Fantasy points per game when not injured). It includes instances where a player did or did not miss time.
- An additional section examined fantasy production when the player missed at least one week with injury (Time Missed Fpts %) to gauge how more serious injuries affected performance.
- When the sample size was sufficient, the Lingering Effects Rating was used. This averages fantasy production for the remaining games post-injury to determine if some injuries tend to linger longer and negatively impact performance. The scores were placed into High, Med, or Low buckets.
When the sample was not large enough to portray an accurate picture, "NA" was set as a placeholder.
Injuries like a torn ACL or a ruptured Achilles are not listed below. Those are season-enders.
Quarterbacks
| Injury | Avg Time Missed (Weeks) | Players who did not miss time (%) | Players who missed 5+ weeks (%) | Re-Injury Rating | Fpts % Change (+/-) | Time Missed Fpts % (+/-) | Lingering Effects Rating | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foot Injury | 4 | 40 | 20 | Low | NA | NA | NA | 5 |
| Low Ankle Sprain | 2.2 | 44 | 11 | Low | NA | NA | NA | 9 |
| High Ankle Sprain | 4.2 | 10 | 20 | High | NA | NA | NA | 10 |
| Calf Strain | 2.4 | 0 | 0 | Low | NA | NA | NA | 6 |
| Knee Injury | 3.4 | 12 | 29 | Med | 9.4 | 20.3 | Low | 17 |
| Hamstring Strain | 2.3 | 17 | 17 | High | -17.6 | -15.6 | High | 6 |
| Hip Injury | 3.7 | 29 | 29 | Low | 18.1 | NA | NA | 7 |
| Elbow Injury | 4.8 | 50 | 33 | Low | 5.4 | NA | NA | 6 |
| Hand Injury | 4.1 | 18 | 41 | Low | -16.3 | -17.8 | Med | 17 |
| Shoulder Injury | 3.7 | 17 | 38 | High | -7.5 | -7.4 | Low | 24 |
| AC Joint Sprain | 3.4 | 25 | 33 | High | -14.4 | -14.2 | Med | 12 |
| Back Injury | 4.4 | 29 | 43 | Low | -38.9 | NA | NA | 7 |
| Rib Injury | 1.7 | 6 | 1 | Low | 3.1 | 53.4 | Low | 12 |
| Concussion | 1.4 | 7 | 1 | Med | -1.8 | 11 | Low | 18 |
Running Backs
| Injury | Avg time missed (weeks) | Players who did not miss time (%) | Players who missed 5+ weeks (%) | Re-injury Rating | FPTS % Change (+/-) | Time Missed FPTS % (+/-) | Lingering Effects Rating | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foot Injury | 2.2 | 11 | 25 | Very High | -16.5 | -11.3 | Med | 20 |
| Turf Toe | 2.9 | 0 | 13 | Low | -12.6 | -12.5 | NA | 8 |
| Low Ankle Sprain | 1.9 | 20 | 10 | Med | -10.8 | -18.6 | Med | 50 |
| High Ankle Sprain | 3 | 15 | 23 | Med | -14.9 | -13.1 | Med | 40 |
| Calf Strain | 2.5 | 23 | 31 | Med | -22.4 | -40.6 | High | 13 |
| Knee Injury | 3 | 35 | 21 | High | -18.2 | -21.6 | Med | 81 |
| MCL Sprain | 4.4 | 0 | 29 | High | -8.4 | -8.3 | Med | 17 |
| Meniscus | 7.3 | 0 | 57 | High | NA | NA | NA | 7 |
| Hamstring Strain | 2.6 | 18 | 16 | Med | -23 | -20 | Low | 44 |
| Quadriceps Strain | 1.8 | 33 | 10 | Med | -30 | -36.1 | Med | 21 |
| Hip Injury | 1.7 | 60 | 13 | High | -24.8 | -23.9 | Med | 15 |
| Groin Strain | 1.5 | 47 | 12 | Med | 1.5 | -4.4 | NA | 17 |
| Rib Injury | 2 | 26 | 11 | High | -19.2 | -23.2 | Low | 19 |
| Shoulder Injury | 1.6 | 46 | 9 | Med | -10.3 | 0 | Med | 35 |
| AC Joint Sprain | 3.7 | 0 | 22 | High | -9.5 | -9.5 | High | 9 |
| Concussion | 1.6 | 30 | 17 | Low | -10.2 | -9 | Low | 30 |
Wide Receivers
| Injury | Avg time missed (weeks) | Players who did not miss time (%) | Players who missed 5+ weeks (%) | Re-injury Rating | FPTS % Change (+/-) | Time Missed FPTS % (+/_) | Linger Effects Rating | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foot Injury | 4.3 | 26 | 32 | High | -12.3 | -26.3 | High | 34 |
| Turf Toe | 2.4 | 37 | 16 | High | -11.5 | -26.3 | Low | 19 |
| Low Ankle Sprain | 1.4 | 61 | 13 | High | -20.5 | -25.6 | Med | 54 |
| High Ankle Sprain | 5 | 9 | 49 | High | -11.5 | -17.2 | Low | 23 |
| Calf Strain | 1.6 | 45 | 10 | High | -25.3 | -6 | Med | 20 |
| Knee Injury | 2.2 | 42 | 15 | Low | -11.8 | 1.2 | Low | 93 |
| MCL sprain | 4.5 | 0 | 27 | Low | NA | NA | NA | 11 |
| Hamstring Strain | 2.6 | 22 | 22 | High | -20.8 | -2.8 | Low | 123 |
| Quadriceps Strain | 2.1 | 45 | 16 | Med | -14.2 | -25.5 | Low | 31 |
| Hip Injury | 1.3 | 67 | 13 | Low | NA | NA | NA | 24 |
| Groin Strain | 1.6 | 36 | 8 | Med | -29.3 | -35.8 | High | 39 |
| Core Injury | 5.2 | 20 | 50 | High | -11.1 | -29.7 | Med | 20 |
| Rib Injury | 1 | 45 | 0 | Low | -31.6 | -11.1 | Low | 22 |
| Back Injury | 2.1 | 38 | 10 | Low | -23.3 | -24.3 | High | 21 |
| Shoulder Injury | 1.1 | 58 | 3 | Med | -15.5 | -9.8 | Low | 38 |
| AC Joint Sprain | 3.7 | 20 | 20 | High | -13.8 | -16.6 | Med | 15 |
| Hand/Wrist Injury | 1.9 | 38 | 20 | Low | NA | NA | NA | 16 |
| Concussion | 1.4 | 25 | 5 | Med | -26.1 | -33.6 | Med | 77 |
Tight Ends
| Injury | Avg time missed (weeks) | Players who did not miss time (%) | Players who missed 5+ weeks (%) | Re-injury Rating | FPTS % Change (+/-) | Time Missed FPTS % (+/_) | Linger Effects Rating | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foot Injury | 5.3 | 12 | 53 | High | -27.4 | -25.4 | Med | 17 |
| Low Ankle Sprain | 2.1 | 34 | 16 | Med | -37.8 | -45.5 | High | 38 |
| High Ankle Sprain | 5.2 | 0 | 57 | Low | -13.2 | -13.2 | High | 7 |
| Calf Strain | 1.9 | 37 | 5 | Low | -25.3 | -6.5 | Med | 19 |
| Knee Injury | 1.6 | 45 | 13 | Med | -8.8 | 1.2 | Low | 47 |
| MCL sprain | 4 | 0 | 27 | Med | -48 | -48 | Med | 15 |
| Hip Injury | 1.8 | 47 | 20 | Low | NA | NA | NA | 15 |
| Hamstring Strain | 4 | 25 | 38 | High | -20 | -21.5 | Low | 24 |
| Groin Strain | 1.4 | 50 | 6 | Low | -23.8 | -28.3 | Low | 16 |
| Rib Injury | 1.3 | 60 | 10 | Low | NA | NA | NA | 10 |
| Back Injury | 2.3 | 38 | 19 | Med | -36.8 | -28.1 | Low | 16 |
| Shoulder Injury | 1 | 35 | 0 | Med | -2.8 | -2.7 | Med | 20 |
| Concussion | 2.4 | 7 | 15 | Low | -13.9 | -8.8 | Low | 27 |
