NFL Preseason News: Too Many Hamstring Injuries

Justin Carlucci

Written by: Justin Carlucci

Published: Fri Aug 14, 2026, 8:00 am ET

Read Time: 6 minutes

Devonta Smith Receiving Prop

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The NFL preseason news keeps breaking in bunches. The games have just started, and hamstring injuries are already taking over the fantasy-football news cycle. Thursday brought updates involving an established running back, a high-upside rookie Saints' receiver, and two Philadelphia pass catchers whose absences are now becoming difficult to ignore. Now, halfway through the month, it's time to take NFL injuries a bit more seriously.

Let's break down the latest NFL training camp news and what it means before fantasy football draft season really kicks into overdrive. But before we dive in, check out the best NFL odds and fantasy football futures at our top online sportsbooks.

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Fantasy Football News Today: NFL Preseason Injuries (August 14)

Chuba Hubbard is the lead RB for the Panthers, but he has some help this season - NFC South Preview Picks Predictions

One of Thursday's biggest developments came from Carolina, where Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Chuba Hubbard is week-to-week with what he called a "legit" hamstring injury. Canales expressed confidence that Hubbard will be available for Week 1, but the team will be cautious with him in the meantime.

That immediately puts Jonathon Brooks in the spotlight. He is expected to start Carolina's preseason opener, and every additional Hubbard absence creates another chance for Brooks to make a case for a larger early-season role.

Brooks' ADP has moved up throughout the summer, particularly in best ball formats, and he is now going around pick 102.1 in consensus drafts. If Hubbard continues to miss practices or the Panthers give us another discouraging update, that price is going to climb again. You may not have much time left to get exposure at a reasonable cost.

Brooks can turn limited volume into a spike week, but Carolina probably does not want to give him 75% or 80% of the snaps. That seems especially unlikely given that Brooks logged just one college season with at least 100 carries and has only nine NFL rushing attempts.

Even if Hubbard misses extended time, I think a roughly 60/40 split in Brooks' favor may be the optimistic outcome. Carolina could easily bring in another physical veteran if Hubbard is sidelined for a few real games, and that would still put a cap on Brooks' weekly volume.

The fantasy takeaway: Brooks is rising, but don't draft him as if he is guaranteed to inherit a full workload. Hubbard remains relevant if healthy, although this is absolutely a backfield to watch over the next few weeks.

In other Panthers news, the team signed Darren Waller to bolster the tight end room. Waller had a cup of coffee with Miami last season and showed he still has some juice left in the tank. I like this move for Carolina, and he might be worth a last-round stab in your fantasy drafts.

Eagles' Star Receivers Absent For Seven Straight Practices

Devonta Smith

The Eagles may be calling this a cautious approach, but at some point, the missed-practice total matters. DeVonta Smith has now missed seven straight practices with a hamstring injury, while rookie Makai Lemon has also remained out with his own hamstring issue.

For Smith, I would put the concern level at about a medium. There is still a good chance Philadelphia is simply doing the smart thing with a proven veteran during August. Soft-tissue injuries are tricky, and there is no reason to rush a player as important as Smith through meaningless preseason practices.

Still, seven missed practices is not nothing. Preseason games have started, fantasy drafts are moving fast, and the calendar is getting deeper into August. We need to start treating every additional absence as more than a throwaway camp note.

Lemon is the bigger concern, and his absence is arguably more damaging to his immediate outlook. It's going to be a lot tougher for a first-year player to make up for lost time learning the offense and adapting to the NFL game speed.

The positive sign is that both players have reportedly done some pre-practice work, which suggests they may be nearing a return. But until they are participating fully, fantasy managers need to keep waving the red flags a little higher.

Jordyn Tyson Already Dinged Up

The Saints got a concerning update Thursday when rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson left practice early with a trainer. Early reports pointed to a hamstring issue, although later information suggested the injury was not considered especially serious.

That is good news — at least for now. Tyson had reportedly started practice strongly before the exit, and New Orleans needs all the early positive signs it can get from the talented rookie.

Tyson's ceiling has never been the question. The concern has always been durability. He dealt with hamstring strains in both legs during 2025, and his longer injury history includes a broken collarbone and a devastating left-knee ACL, MCL and PCL injury in 2022.

The early word from New Orleans was encouraging beyond Tyson's exit. Reports indicated that the Saints offense looked sharp, and Chris Olave had a big day. But if Tyson's hamstring issue drags into preseason action or creates another stretch of missed practice time, it will be impossible to ignore.

For now, I'm still willing to bet on Tyson's upside at his current cost. Keep an eye on this one though.

Puka Nacua Did What?

Puka Nacua left practice earlier this week, and multiple reports are claiming he has "soreness in his psoas." Stu Jackson reported that Rams head coach Sean McVay expects Nacua to be back at practice next week.

Hold on, we're not done yet! Multiple media outlets reported that Nacua was involved in some more offseason craziness at a Michael Rubin party. It's been quite the spring and summer for one of the league's best players.

NFL Training Camp News Continues

NFL training camp news, fantasy football injuries, and coach speak are going to be everywhere over the next month. The challenge is separating noise from real stuff.

Use camp reports to shape your fantasy football strategy, but don't let every headline send you scrambling. The goal is to spot value before the market fully adjusts and to stay ahead of the big injury and depth‑chart news that really changes things. It might be worth starting a running list of updates as draft szn approaches!

It's never too early to take a look at Super Bowl Odds. Check out what our friends at Lucky Rebel are offering!

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Justin Carlucci
Justin Carlucci

Carlucci spent nearly a decade as a reporter, editor, and on-air talent in the Poconos. His transition into the fantasy sports and sports betting industries began in 2016 with roles at Daily Fantasy Insider and Daily Roto Sharks, which led to positions at Better Collective (RotoGrinders). During this period, his work gained national recognition through regular contributions to the New York Post and featured appearances on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. Carlucci has also contributed to Fantasy Alarm and most recently served as Managing Editor at Third Planet Media (Props.com), where he led content strategy, editorial direction, and served as the forward-facing voice of the brand through live streams and podcasts. You can also find his work at Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life and Hard Rock Digital. He's for some reason a die-hard Titans and 76ers fan and has developed trust issues from "trusting the process." Follow him on X @ThejCarlucci!

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