NFL PUP List Updates: What to Know About These 3 Injured Fantasy Football Stars
The "PUP" list (Physically Unable to Perform). It is an injury designation that NFL teams can use. It is a cautionary move that a team can make where the player is able to partake in team activites, not inactivities physical practice itself. They do count towards the roster count, and the teams will expect said player back sooner rather than later.
The most important thing to know is that an NFL team can take a player off the PUP list at any time. Unlike the IR, a player can come back to play at any time. The roster move is often made ahead of training camp for a player dealing with an injury who is not yet ready to be a "full-go."
As of August 24, these are the players on or recently activated from the PUP list that will have a fantasy football impact of sorts.
George Kittle
As of Sunday, August 23, the 49ers have activated Kittle off of their PUP list. The expectation has always been for Kittle to play come Week 1. Per videos from training camp, Kittle looks very fresh off of his torn Achilles. It is certainly a pleasant surprise, as Kittle is ahead of the 9-12-month recovery timeline.
The task to be sorted now revolves around Kittle's Week 1 availability. The case is not as simple as "Kittle is healthy; he will play." The 49ers' Week 1 game is being played in Australia. The flight is over 14 hours long. To put Kittle on the airplane for that amount of time is a dangerous game, being immobilized for so long.
It is more likely than not that Kittle will play that Week 1 game. It is very likely that, if active, Kittle will be on some snap count limitation. Ultimately, this is a tight end to probably bench in Week 1 in favor of other options. If you do draft Kittle, make sure to stash a good backup such as Chig Okonkwo, Isaiah Likely, or Dalton Schultz.
Alec Pierce
There are no current updates on Pierce. He remains on the Colts' PUP list. The hope has been for him to play Week 1, but as the days pass, the chances of him playing are dropping, as they would.
It is commonly stated that Pierce is going to be well below 100% health upon return. He is dealing with muscle atrophy as a result of his March ankle surgery. In simpler terms, his mobility is limited, which has drastically affected Pierce's explosion as a top-tier yards-per-catch receiver in the NFL.
Alec Pierce - 3 factors in his favor:
— Deepak Chona, MD. SMA (@SportMDAnalysis) August 15, 2026
1 - Comments suggest expected return by Wk 1
2 - Colts knew about the injury when they extended his contract
3 - He played thru it for >1 yr and tried to treat w/o surgery, suggesting mild-moderate severity
Risk rising with each week…
Whether or not Pierce plays Week 1, he is not to be started until we see good football being played. The ceiling on Pierce is that of a mid-tier WR2 in fantasy football. Given the immense risk, Pierce ought to be drafted as a WR4, a player not to be relied upon on a weekly basis.
Zach Charbonnet
The Seahawks can wish upon Charbonnet's Week 1 return all they want. If he is active, he will be far from 100%. In my opinion, the Seahawks would be rash in letting Charbonnet play at less than 90% health. This is a team that drafted a high-end running back in Jadarian Price. Trust him to get the job done for now.
#Seahawks Zach Charbonnet - Comments suggest Wk 1 = possible, but suspect very unlikely. Data favors high re-injury risk before 9 months, which would be late-Nov. Project late-Nov return + 6 wk ramp up#Bears Luther Burden - Data favors Wk 1 w/o dip. Re-injury risk 10-15%
— Deepak Chona, MD. SMA (@SportMDAnalysis) August 23, 2026
4/8
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.