Yesterday, I wrote about 7 running backs that present with numerous risk factors for injury. Today, we move on to the 8 wide receivers with high risk for injury. Like yesterday’s post, all the players covered below have immense upside, and it will be up to you as the fantasy manager to determine if this upside outweighs potential risk.
Again, we are not trying to “predict” injury; that is not a practice. This article helps break down the known individual risk factors that are associated with higher rates of injury. I am a licensed physical therapist; my job is to help people recover from injury and prevent further injury. As I write this article, I am rooting for all of these players to stay healthy throughout the season, but the reality is this is the NFL, and players get hurt. Utilizing scientific research, we can gauge how prior injuries, age, and other individual factors can influence future injury.
If you find this article helpful, be sure to purchase the Fantasy Injury Team Injury Guide coming out soon!
Nico Collins: ADP WR7/OV12
Age: 26 Position: WR Height: 6’4 Weight: 222 Exp: 4
Injury Risk Rating
Collins is dominant when on the field, but through four years in the NFL, he has yet to play a full season. Prior injury is one of the main risk factors for future injury, and Collins has racked up seven different injuries in four years. What’s most challenging for Collins is that six of the seven injuries are lower body injuries that have high recurrence rates and high rates of influencing future injury.
In 2024, Collins missed five consecutive games due to a hamstring injury. An injury severe enough to keep him out five straight weeks will often lead to scar tissue development, loss of muscle elasticity, and strength. These impairments can be mitigated with proper rehab and training this offseason, but this will increase the risk for future injury. Two foot injuries, a groin injury, and a calf injury will also increase the risk of future injury.
Tee Higgins: ADP WR12/OV22
Age: 26 Position: WR Height: 6’4 Weight: 220 Exp: 5
Injury Risk Rating
Despite being just 26 years old, Higgins has racked up a LONG list of soft tissue injuries. Six hamstring injuries significantly increase the risk for more hamstring injuries, four ankle sprains tells us he likely is dealing with chronic ankle instability and is at risk for more ankle sprains, sprinkle in a surgically repaired shoulder labrum, a quad injury and a concussion and Higgins has one of the lengthiest and most concerning injury histories of any wide receiver. We all know Higgins can produce when on the field, but a player’s best ability is their availability. Higgins has numerous risk factors in the name of past injuries that threaten his availability in 2025.
Davante Adams: ADP WR18/OV32
Age: 32 Position: WR Height: 6’1 Weight: 215 Exp: 11
Injury Risk Rating
Adams is now 32 years old, which is an independent risk factor for injury. Anyone who has played as long as Davante will accumulate their share of injuries. Adams has been fortunate to avoid any major injuries so far, but has two hamstring injuries, three ankle sprains, three concussions, and a few other lower-body injuries sprinkled in. All of these factors will increase the risk of future injury, especially when combined with his age. Hamstring strains are the most notorious injury for wide receivers. Adams missed a few games last season with a hamstring injury (or he just wanted to be traded). Earlier in his career, he dealt with numerous concussions. Adams has been able to avoid concussions since 2017, but his history still increases the risk for future concussions. Similar to hamstrings, ankle sprains tend to recur, and Adams has had numerous ankle sprains. Overall, he is still very talented and can help your roster, but there is inherent risk.
Mike Evans: ADP WR20/OV38
Age: 32 Position: WR Height: 6’5 Weight: 231 Exp: 11
Injury Risk Rating
The future Hall-of-Famer enters his 12th season having missed only nine games in his career. His injury list is long, but he’s been able to battle through them and play well most of the time. Resilience in the face of injury is a gift that Father Time will begin to take away as an athlete ages. With Evans being 32 years old when the season starts, it will be much harder to fight through injuries he once could play through. Evans has seven hamstring injuries in his past; there is no doubt scar tissue has begun to develop, his muscle elasticity is declining, and these past injuries, combined with his age, will leave his hamstrings prone to more injury. Let’s hope Evans can continue to stay on the field and produce at a Hall-of-Fame level, but we must acknowledge the risk factors present.
Chris Godwin: ADP WR31/OV60
Age: 29 Position: WR Height: 6’1 Weight: 209 Exp: 8
Injury Risk Rating
Chris Godwin’s injury situation is one that all fantasy managers need to read up on. In the past four seasons, he has had two major season-ending injuries requiring major surgery. In 2021, his season ended with an ACL/MCL tear, and in 2024, an ankle dislocation. We already saw him suffer a subsequent hamstring injury in his first game back after the ACL/MCL injury. Hamstring injuries post-ACL are incredibly common. Now, he is attempting to return from an injury that often leads to chronic stiffness. The surgery itself should stabilize the ankle, but often people never regain full range of motion or explosiveness. Any mechanical compensations following surgery can alter forces through the rest of the leg, increasing the risk for soft tissue injuries.
Tampa Bay gave Godwin a contract extension this offseason, which many people will see as a vote of confidence. If you look closer, Tampa paid Godwin well before he was far enough along in his rehab process to know what he will look like coming off this most recent injury. Tampa also drafted Emeka Egbuka in the first round to bolster their receiver corps. Godwin has been awesome to watch throughout his career, and I genuinely hope he can return to play at a high level, but he has numerous major risk factors for injury, and it is unclear if he will return to his former elite level of play.
Chris Olave: ADP WR35/OV65
Age: 25 Position: WR Height: 6’0 Weight: 187 Exp: 3
Injury Risk Rating
FIVE concussions in four years is a major problem. Concussions are cumulative; one concussion makes a subsequent concussion more likely to happen. Five concussions make a sixth concussion WAY more likely to occur. Olave is at a very high risk for injury in 2025, and fantasy managers need to think about long-term consequences here. Research shows that subsequent concussions often take longer to recover from. Olave’s 5th concussion ended his season in week 9 last year.
Deebo Samuel: ADP WR40/OV76
Age: 29 Position: WR Height: 6’0 Weight: 215 Exp: 6
Injury Risk Rating
My goodness, Deebo Samuel is loaded with injury risk factors! Is age technically one? No… but it’s right on the cusp and certainly is not working in his favor. However, let’s examine his impressive injury list, which dates back to his college days. In total, Samuel has six separate hamstring injuries, totaling 17 missed games. With this volume of injury and time missed, it is highly likely that his hamstrings have lost extensibility, have laid down scar tissue, and are primed for future injury. Samuel also has multiple calf and groin injuries, both of which have forced him to miss some time. These muscle groups are also correlated with high recurrence rates, especially as a player ages. A handful of other injuries add to the complexity that is Deebo’s injury risk.
Ricky Pearsall: ADP WR41/OV80
Age: 25 Position: WR Height: 6’1 Weight: 189 Exp: 1
Injury Risk Rating
I love Pearsall’s opportunity this year with Deebo Samuel off to Washington and Brandon Aiyuk coming off an ACL/MCL repair; however, I cannot ignore the risk factors for injury that are staring right at us with Pearsall’s history. The shoulder stands out the most to me. Pearsall subluxed (not quite a full dislocation) his shoulder in college and has aggravated that shoulder numerous times, with reports of at least one other subluxation. He has not had surgery to repair the labrum or tighten the capsule, which tells us he is still at risk for more subluxations or dislocations. Research in the NFL shows a whopping 55% recurrence rate for shoulder dislocations, and while Pearsall’s injury was classified as a subluxation, the risk is still there for recurring shoulder injuries and the potential for it to worsen. Pearsall also has had hamstring issues as recently as this current offseason. Prior hamstring injuries considerably increase the risk of future injury.