Rome Odunze, Ja’Marr Chase, And 3 Other Week 1 Fantasy Football Injury Updates

The latest injury news regarding some of the biggest names in fantasy football ahead of Week 1 of the NFL season.

Jun 11, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) run on the field during Minicamp at Halas Hall. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Many big name fantasy players have carried injury designations going into Week 1 of the NFL season. With that, here are the latest injury updates regarding five of the most notable players in fantasy football and the impact their injuries may have.

Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) and wide receiver Ja'marr Chase (1) chat during practice at the Paycor Stadium practice facility in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have been dealing with injuries over the past couple of weeks; Higgins has been dealing with a foot injury, and Chase has been dealing with a knee injury. Neither of those two injuries appears to be serious, as it was announced that they are both set to play in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Last season the Buccaneers allowed the sixth most passing yards per game, 238.2. That could be a recipe for both WRs to have good fantasy performances in Week 1. 

Malik Nabers

Jul 30, 2026; White Sulphur Springs, WV, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) walks on the field after practice during training camp at The Greenbrier Resort Sports Performance Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

WR for the New York Giants, Malik Nabers, is possibly on track to make his first appearance since suffering an ACL injury in Week 4 of the 2025 season. He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. He is currently listed as questionable for the Giants' Week 1 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter.

If Nabers does suit up, he is a must-start in Week 1. Last season against Dallas, he had nine receptions for 167 yards and two TDs. In PPR formats that week, he finished as WR2. In 2024, in two games, he had a combined 20 receptions and 184 receiving yards against the Cowboys. 

Jonathon Brooks

Dec 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (24) walk on to the field before the game at Bank of America Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Carolina Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks has missed practice recently with what has been labeled “general tightness”. He was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday of this week but fully participated on Friday. 

Brooks has recently been cleared to play on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. According to Panthers beat writer Sheena Quick, he will also not be on any sort of snap count. Fantasy managers should still be wary of plugging him into lineups, as he will be sharing the backfield with RB Chuba Hubbard. He was listed as Carolina’s RB1 for Week 1 earlier in the week over Brooks.

Rome Odunze

Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) leaves the field following a game against the Green Bay Packers in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

WR1 for the Bears, Rome Odunze, status has been in question ever since he left practice early on Sep. 3 with a calf injury. He has been practicing in a limited capacity on Wednesday and Thursday and is set to practice again on Friday. Bears beat reporter for the Chicago Tribune, Sean Hammobnd, said the following on X on Friday, Sep.11.

“Ben Johnson said Rome Odunze will practice today. The training staff will assess where he's at after practice and make a decision from there. Johnson noted that there's a long season ahead.”

If Odunze misses time, WR2 for Chicago, Luther Burden III, should see a good boost in volume in the Bears' pass game, along with another highly-touted player in fantasy in 2026, TE Colston Loveland.

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