Fantasy Injury Updates: Latest news on Dak Prescott, Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., more before 2021 fantasy football drafts

Dak Prescott, Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., and Courtland Sutton have all been high-end fantasy football starters in the past, but each suffered serious injuries that significantly cut short their 2020 seasons. As they make their ways back from injury, fantasy owners aren’t sure what to expect, especially early in the season. That creates headaches during the draft and makes preseason injury updates worth their weights in gold. 

Fortunately, all received positive reports lately, and we have the latest news below. Before diving into those, get an updated look at Michael Thomas’ fantasy value here; for a look at whether you should Deshaun Watson, go here; for position battle news, click here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy

DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2021 Cheat Sheet

Dak Prescott injury update

At a long last, we finally receive good news out of Dallas on Prescott (shoulder). For the first time in nearly a month, he participated in team drills on Wednesday, and he will no longer be on a pitch count leading up to the Cowboys Sept. 9 opener at Tampa Bay.

After Prescott missed 12 games last season with a brutal ankle injury, he also dealt with a right shoulder ailment. His return to a normal practice schedule signals good signs for him and his overall fantasy outlook.

Prescott is our No. 6 ranked QB, and his ADP will start to rise with the positive news.

2021 PPR FANTASY RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker | Top 200

Is Saquon Barkley playing Week 1?

Barkley (knee) returned to practice Thursday, albeit wearing a red non-contact jersey. After tearing his ACL last season, he suffered a slight setback earlier in the offseason. Many have assumed Barkley may not return to practice at all before Week 1 arrives, so this is pretty significant news despite being a relatively “minor” step. Still, he might carry an injury designation into Week 1, so it’s important to monitor his situation over the next few weeks. 

Of all injured players, Barkley is one of the riskiest guys to draft, purely because of how high he is coming off the board (late first/early second). Fortunately, it’s unlikely he misses or is limited for more than a game or two.

Barkley is our No. 4 standard RB and No. 3 PPR RB.

2021 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Each team

Odell Beckham Jr. injury update

Continuing our theme of returning to practice, Beckham (knee) also participated in 11-on-11 drills Thursday. Up to now, he mostly only participated in individual drills and some work on a side field. This signals he should be fully ready for Week 1, but like Barkley, keep an eye out for news moving forward.

We knew Beckham had injury concerns heading into the season, so this news shouldn’t have much of an effect on his fantasy draft value. He’s still an elite talent with a ton of upside, but in a run-centered offense with an emerging defense, it’s tough to have a great feel for his floor and ceiling.

Beckham is our No. 21 standard WR and No. 24 PPR WR.

2021 STANDARD FANTASY RANKINGS:
Quarterback  |  Running back  |  Wide receiver  |  Tight end  |  D/ST  |  Kicker  |  Top 200

Courland Sutton Injury update

This weekend, Sutton will play in his first live action his he tore his ACL last September. It’s freshening to hear he will suit up and get games reps before Week 1. When we last saw Sutton over a full season, he produced a WR17 finish in his sophomore season with the likes of rookie Drew Lock and washed Joe Flacco throwing him the ball. The upside is there, and he can comfortably be viewed as a solid WR3, at worst.

FANTASY DRAFT STRATEGY:
​Snake Draft | Auction | Best Ball | Dynasty/Keeper | IDP

Sutton is our WR25 in standard and  WR28 in PPR.