Fantasy Football 2018: Latest Injury News and Expert Reaction

Many fantasy football players are days away from their annual draft, and as final rankings and charts are being prepared, injury information is needed to make the best possible choices.

It's often impossible to know how a player will perform after an injury report. Some players can play through significant pain while others cannot.

As fantasy players prepare for their drafts, here's a look at some of the key injury news and how teams and experts are reacting to it.

RB Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

New York Giants' prized rookie Saquon Barkley is perhaps the key to the team's performance in 2018, but he has had a hamstring injury in training camp and his performance has been limited in preseason games.

The Giants have not wanted to risk a more serious injury, and fantasy experts believe that Barkley is among the most valuable performers in the league.

CBS fantasy experts David Richard and Jamey Eisenberg both list Barkley as the No. 6 player on their draft boards, even though they label him as questionable for the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Barkley was cleared for individual drills Aug. 22 but spent most of the time on a side field with other rehabbing players, according to Rotoworld. Barkley participated in half-speed 11-on-11 passing drills.

"It felt good to actually get to participate in indys a little bit and the practice drills," Barkley said, per Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com. "I'm feeling strong. I'll continue to strengthen it. The strength staff and trainers have been doing a great job with me, conditioning me over there getting me ready for the game or the next time I'm able to play."

Eric Gay/Associated Press

WR Alshon Jeffery, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have had hope that Alshon Jeffery would be in the lineup when they open the season against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 following offseason shoulder injury. They still have that hope, but it may not be much more than that at this point.

Jeffery is still on the PUP list, although he was seen with a helmet at practice earlier this week, according to Eagles beat writer Jeff McLane.

It may be best to stay away from Jeffery until the later rounds of the draft since he is unlikely to be at his best in the early part of the season.

Jeffery is the Eagles' most dangerous receiver and figures prominently in the season-long game plan. However, his early-season status makes his selection a challenging move for fantasy owners. Fantasy Pros lists Jeffery with an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 57th.

RB Sony Michel, New England Patriots

Sony Michel was drafted in the first round by the Patriots (31st overall), and that makes it difficult to make a decision on this rookie from Georgia.

He underwent a minor knee procedure earlier this summer, but he comes into the NFL with a long injury history that includes an ACL tear, a shoulder injury, hand fracture, forearm fracture, other knee injuries and multiple ankle injuries, according to RotoExperts.com.

That website referred to Michel as a "walking injury time bomb," and while that may be an accurate assessment, he was drafted by Bill Belichick. The New England head coach did not get to his status as perhaps the No. 2 head coach in the history of the NFL behind Vince Lombardi by making mistakes. 

Michel figures prominently in the Patriots' game plan, and the belief here is that he will get his share of touches until he wears out. His fantasy selection may come with a warning, but he will be productive for Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.

RB Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts

Marlon Mack should be the Colts' No. 1 running back this season, and his ability to play consistently will have an impact on quarterback Andrew Luck as he attempts to return to top form following his shoulder injury.

The 22-year-old suffered a hamstring strain in the Colts' preseason opener, and NFL insider Jason LaCanfora described the injury as "manageable."

Mack should have a good chance to be back for the Colts' season opener against the Bengals, according to Andrew Walker of Colts.com.

WR Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks

Doug Baldwin is unlikely to see any action in the preseason because of a knee injury, but he is just as likely to be in the Seahawks' lineup for the season opener.

The belief is that Baldwin is the best weapon that Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson has at his disposal and that he should be in the lineup for the Week 1 game against the Denver Broncos.

While opposing defenses are likely to focus on Baldwin, he is good enough to defeat double-coverage and make the tough catches in traffic.

Head coach Pete Carroll said Baldwin "ramped up" conditioning last week in training camp, and there have not been any significant problems since then, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.