Fantasy Football 2025 Cheat Sheet for Injured Players and Holdout Candidates

Zach BuckleyAug 12, 2025

Fantasy football seasons can go awry at any time for virtually any reason.

While most things that happen during an NFL campaign are out of a fantasy manager's control, one thing they can determine is how much risk they're willing to carry into the start of a season.

Every roster will inevitably be hit by injuries, but managers have the option of selecting players who are currently injured or not. Keeping up with the availability theme, there are also players who are trapped in contract disputes that could keep them off the field early and perhaps out of rhythm for a while.

We'll look into the most notable players who are already dealing with availability concerns, then close with cheat sheet positional rankings to help you find alternatives.

Promising Development for James Cook

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The Buffalo Bills have yet to give James Cook the contract extension he's seeking. Maybe things will start trending that direction, though, now that he's back on the practice field.

Cook returned to action Tuesday after sitting out the last four days of practice and the team's first preseason game. That isn't necessarily the sign of an impending agreement, but you'd think his return would at least suggest the relationship between him and the team is in at least a decent spot.

As long as he's practicing now, that should get him on schedule to be ready to roll for Week 1. And fantasy managers would be thrilled if that's the case, since he was one of the more productive backs in the league last season, tallying 1,267 scrimmage yards and 18 scores.

While the touchdown count felt fluky (he had nine touchdowns over the previous two seasons combined), he's still a featured and talented playmaker in a potent offense. Managers typically draft him with confidence, and that should be the case again this season if negotiations don't get in the way.

All Quiet on the Terry McLaurin Front

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Terry McLaurin, Washington's WR1, isn't practicing with the team. He is technically on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury, but he's also awaiting a contract extension—or a trade out of town.

While dialogue is ongoing, and a deal could be reached at any time, things don't sound super promising. Yahoo's Charles Robinson recently opined that "it's fair to consider that this standoff is capable of making it all the way to the first week of the regular season without McLaurin stepping foot onto the practice field."

That's a nightmare scenario for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that McLaurin's return to the practice field wouldn't immediately make him ready for game action. He figures to need at least a couple of weeks to ramp up for no-restriction usage, meaning the early season outlook for him and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is murkier than anyone would like.

Hopefully, there's a resolution sooner than later, but nothing beyond well wishes and crossed fingers would lead anyone to believe that's the case. McLaurin is typically a fantasy asset, but the longer this hold-in lasts, the further he falls behind the elite class at wide receiver.

Joe Mixon's Foot Injury Threatens Week 1 Status

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The foot injury that Joe Mixon suffered during an offseason workout could delay his season deubt.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport previously reportedly Mixon's injury could sideline him for "an extended period of time." While the Texans plan to re-evaluate him closer to the regular season, Rapoport added it's possible Mixon could be sidelined to start the season.

Considering this injury has lingered a while now, this is moving into full-fledged red-flag status. Whenever Mixon returns to action, he should be worth rostering if he's anywhere near 100 percent. He missed three games last season and still found his way to 1,325 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns.

However, his absence could open the door for Nick Chubb to make his mark. Injuries have wrecked his last two seasons, but he was basically a fantasy elite before then. Between 2019 and 2022, he averaged 1,336 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores.