AI Disclosure: this article is uniquely written by generative AI with edits for simplicity and brevity. We encourage you to skim this one to review just your section, and hope the KC Guyz get a kick out of the historical analysis.
That said, we did come up with the term “Injury Misery Index” and are quite proud of that.
An investigative report covering the 2020–2025 seasons.
Every September, 12 men convince themselves this is the year, but some lack the skill to predict player injuries.
We examined the league’s historical draft boards, waiver wire acquisitions, and trades to develop a formula that answers one question:
Who the least skilled at avoiding injuries?
Spoiler: it’s John.
The Injury Misery Index
Not all injuries are created equal.
Losing a first-round running back in Week 2 is substantially more devastating than losing your 14th-round backup tight end in November. Our formula therefore assigns a multiplier to each missed NFL regular-season game based on where the player was drafted.
| Draft round | Points per injury game missed |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | 5 |
| Round 2 | 4 |
| Round 3 | 3 |
| Round 4 | 2 |
| Round 5 | 1 |
| Rounds 6–10 | 0.5 |
| Rounds 11–15 | 0 |
For example, losing a first-round pick for 10 games earns 50 misery points. Losing a fifth-round pick for those same 10 games earns 10.
In addition, for important waiver pickups, traded players, and late-round drafted players who developed into regular starters, we assigned 1.5–2 misery points per missed game.
Two trades are noteworthy. Connor traded an already-injured Justin Jefferson to Sam in November 2023; Connor keeps the original injury penalty. Similarly, Connor traded injured Omarion Hampton to Trey in 2025, so the original penalty stays with Connor.
The Results:
1. John Gilmore: Least Skilled at Avoiding Injury
Misery Index: 356.5
His 2020 season remains one of the most remarkable exhibitions of medical misfortune in KC Guyz history. Unsurprisingly, John was that year’s biggest loser.
- Saquon Barkley, Round 1: Tore his ACL in Week 2 and missed 14 of the Giants’ 16 games. Barkley had averaged approximately 18.8 PPR points per game the previous season.
- George Kittle, Round 2: Appeared in eight of 16 games, missing eight, primarily with a foot injury.
- Kenny Golladay, Round 3: Played five games, missing 11 amid hamstring and hip injuries.
In 2021, John used his third-round pick on Gus Edwards, who tore his ACL in practice before the season began. John followed that by losing fourth-round pick Raheem Mostert after just one game.
Then came 2024. Rashee Rice suffered a knee injury in Week 4 and missed the remaining 13 games.
In 2025, John also saw third-round quarterback Jayden Daniels appear in just seven games and fourth-round receiver Terry McLaurin in 10.
The verdict: John’s injury history is not one unfortunate season. It’s a recurring organizational crisis.
2. Jordan Bosch: Greatest Draft Collapse OAT?
Misery Index: 304.5
In 2024, Jordan selected:
- McCaffrey, Round 1: Missed the first eight games with Achilles-related problems. Returned briefly, then suffered a knee injury in Week 13. Finished with only four appearances, missing 13 games.
- Kupp, Round 2: Missed four games due to an ankle injury, in Weeks 3–5 and 7.
- Collins, Round 3: Missed five consecutive games, Weeks 6–10, with a hamstring injury.
Jordan had already survived Jonathan Taylor missing six games in 2022, Keenan Allen missing seven that same season, and Mike Williams suffering a season-ending ACL tear after three appearances in 2023.
Even 2025 brought more trouble: second-round selection Bucky Irving missed seven games and first-round pick CeeDee Lamb missed three.
The verdict: Jordan is arguably the owner of the single worst top-three-round injury experience in league history. To his credit, he finished 4th that season.
3. Connor Lamb: The Show Breaks a Leg
Misery Index: 297.5
In 2020, Austin Ekeler missed six games and Julio Jones missed seven. Those were Connor’s first two picks.
In 2023, Connor landed Justin Jefferson with the first overall pick. Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 and missed the next seven games.
Connor also drafted Mark Andrews in the third round that year. Andrews suffered a significant ankle injury in Week 11 and appeared in only 10 games.
Then came 2025. Malik Nabers, first round, pick 12. After producing approximately 18.1 PPR points per game as a rookie in 2024, he tore his ACL in Week 4 and missed the remaining 13 games. He traded with Trey in October to acquire J.K. Dobbins; weeks later, Dobbins suffered a season-ending foot injury.
Fourth-round rookie Omarion Hampton also missed eight games.
The verdict: The organization is reportedly exploring whether draft picks can be purchased with extended warranties.
4. Ryan Zisman: Christian McCan’t Play
Misery Index: 253.0
In 2020, Ryan selected Christian McCaffrey with the fifth overall pick. McCaffrey played three games. Ryan’s third-round selection, Odell Beckham Jr., also suffered a torn ACL after seven games, while second-round selection Chris Godwin missed four. Even Dak Prescott, selected in the sixth round, suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5.
He still finished 2nd overall and 2nd in points.
Cooper Kupp missed the first four games of 2023. In November of that year, Ryan traded Collin for Joe Burrow; one week later, Burrowed suffered a season-ending wrist injury. Two years later, Ryan acquired Tyreek Hill from Andrew shortly before Hill’s devastating knee injury. In that same 2025 season, Brock Bowers missed 4 games, but Ryan still finished with most points and 1st overall.
The verdict: Ryan is somehow the most agile at taking lumps and still performing.
5. Chris Wahrman: Players Suffered Chris-Covid
Misery Index: 237.0
Consider 2020.
Chris selected Michael Thomas in the first round, one year after Thomas delivered a historic 149-catch season and averaged roughly 23.5 PPR points per game. Thomas then appeared in just seven games, missing nine. Chris used his second-round pick on Joe Mixon, who played only six games because of a foot injury.
In 2021, first-round pick Alvin Kamara missed four games, while fourth-round selection Kareem Hunt missed nine.
In 2022, fifth-round rookie Breece Hall appeared destined for a breakout campaign before suffering a torn ACL in Week 7. Hall missed the final 10 games.
And in 2025, Joe Burrow appeared in just eight games after a serious early-season toe injury.
The verdict: Chris belongs in the upper tier because his injury misfortune spans multiple seasons and includes repeated hits to premium draft capital.
6. Andrew Norton: Loses his Chubb and Must Adapt
Misery Index: 199.0
In 2021, Andrew traded away Ceedee Lamb (to Ryan) for Robert Woods who was averaging 15.2 ppg that season. Later that week, in practice, Woods incurred a season ending injury.
In 2022, Andrew suffered a five-game absence from first-rounder Ja’Marr Chase.
In 2023, Andrew used his first-round pick on Nick Chubb. His season ended after two games. It is the single largest weighted injury event identified in this investigation.
In 2025, fourth-round receiver Garrett Wilson appeared in only seven games.
The verdict: Andrew has been somewhat of a savant at avoiding player injuries.
7. Spencer Mobley: Death by a Thousand Questionable Tags
Misery Index: 190.5
Spencer’s worst season for accumulated early-round injuries was 2021. Saquon Barkley missed four games. Darren Waller missed six. D’Andre Swift missed four. Adam Thielen missed four.
Unlike some owners, Spencer didn’t experience one singular season-defining ACL disaster. Until 2025, when fourth-round running back James Conner suffered a season-ending foot injury after three appearances, missing 14 games. Doubling down on the misfortune, Spencer then acquired Drake London from Sam to see London miss 5 games later that season. Third-round receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. also missed five games.
The verdict: Spencer’s injury history is less spectacular than those at the top of the rankings, but it’s impressively annoying.
8. Travis Cotton: Needed a Miracle
Misery Index: 190.0
Travis had an especially unfortunate experience in 2024.
His second-round selection, Isiah Pacheco, fractured his fibula after Week 2 and missed nine games during his recovery.
His third-round selection, Brandon Aiyuk, suffered torn knee ligaments in Week 7 and missed the final 10 games.
Earlier losses included Lamar Jackson missing five games in 2022 and Tee Higgins missing five in 2023.
Then, in 2025, fourth-round tight end Sam LaPorta appeared in only nine games before a back injury ended his season.
The verdict: Travis has frequently demonstrated good taste in talented players and considerably worse skill with their injuries.
9. Collin Green: Unsurprisingly Injury Prone
Misery Index: 183.0
In 2021, he held the first overall pick and selected Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey suffered a hamstring injury early in the season, missed five games, briefly returned, and then suffered an ankle injury that ended his year with only seven appearances.
Chris Carson played four games before a neck injury ended his season, leaving Collin without his third-round pick for 13 games.
His subsequent history includes Stefon Diggs missing nine games after a torn ACL in 2024 and Mike Evans appearing in only eight games in 2025.
The verdict: Collin may not lead the cumulative rankings, but his 2021 first-overall McCaffrey selection belongs in the league’s injury Hall of Shame.
10. Matt O’Neil: Still the Great Escapist
Misery Index: 113.0
His most devastating moment came in 2020, when fourth-round receiver Courtland Sutton appeared in just one game. Sutton suffered a torn ACL in Week 2 and missed 15 games that season.
In 2021, Matt saw five missed games from Miles Sanders, seven from Julio Jones, and five from T.J. Hockenson.
His 2023 first-round pick Saquon Barkley missed three games, while Lamar Jackson missed four during the 2025 season.
The verdict: The evidence just suggests he has suffered less than he claims.
11. Trey Kennedy: A Walk in the Park (or Backyard)
Misery Index: 105.0
His best argument for sympathy comes from 2024. Second-round pick Puka Nacua missed five games due to a knee injury. Third-round receiver Chris Olave appeared in only eight games while dealing with concussion problems, missing nine. Fifth-round running back Kenneth Walker III missed six games.
That was undeniably a difficult season, and to Trey’s credit, he finished 5th overall.
But across six years, Trey’s earliest selections have generally escaped the catastrophic injury frequency suffered by his peers. There is one particularly interesting late-round exception.
In 2025, Trey selected Tucker Kraft in the 10th round. Kraft had averaged 14.6 PPR points per game. Then he tore his ACL in Week 9, missing the final 8 games.
And in 2021 Trey won Elijah Mitchell off the waivers with a $56 bid; Mitchell would go on to miss 5 games with injuries.
The verdict: His skill at injury avoidance may explain how he has appeared in three championships.
12. Sam Arends: Fewest Injuries for the Medically Trained
Misery Index: 78.0
In 2023, fifth-round running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles in Week 1 and missed the final 16 games.
In 2022, Darren Waller missed eight games and Hunter Renfrow missed seven.
In 2025, Sam traded both London (to Spencer) and Kittle (to John) before their injuries.
Sixth-round rookie Travis Hunter also appeared in just seven games.
The verdict: Don’t forget your annual checkup.
Final Verdict
Sam is the most skilled at avoiding injuries and like most things fantasy football, this is a skill-based component of the game he has mastered.
Unfortunately for our top 5 injury rankings, all but Jordan and Ryan have had to complete a league punishment. And, somehow, despite their injury ranking in the top 5, both Connor and Ryan have won a ring.
