Tucker

Kraft

“By the time Week 1 rolls around, I’ll be 10 months post-surgery and hopefully bulletproofed by then,” Kraft told reporters. Green Bay’s TE1 had seemed to be becoming their main weapon as the middle of the season came around before his Week 9 ACL tear. The Packers passcatchers will remain a headache for fantasy managers to figure out if Matt LaFleur remains head coach, but at least Kraft will offer a TE1 floor even if the weekly target volume fluctuates.

The worst was confirmed on Monday, as Kraft’s season now comes to an end. The third-year tight end will now land on IR with his injury. Kraft was on pace for the best season of his career, and already had two 100-yard games on his resume through the first nine weeks of the season. Kraft was on a 17-game pace for his first 1,000-yard season and will now set his sights toward another high-end season in 2026. Backup tight end Luke Musgrave is now expected to step up in Kraft’s absence, and has caught just nine passes for 88 yards this season on 10 targets. He won’t replicate the production we saw from Kraft, but Musgrave could prove to be sneaky waiver wire add in fantasy for managers still looking for a dependable option.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said after the game that Kraft’s knee injury “does not look good.” We fully expect the MRI to confirm a season-ending injury for the young tight end. It’s a devastating blow for the Packers, who had been relying on Kraft as their de facto WR1 this year. Kraft easily led the team with 30 catches for 469 yards and six scores heading into Week 9. Luke Musgrave will take his place in the lineup, though he is unlikely to replace Kraft’s production.

Kraft slammed his knee into the back of a Green Bay linemen on a running play and immediately crumpled to the ground. He stayed on the field for a while before limping off the field with the help of trainers. Kraft rode the cart to the locker room after a brief stay in the medical tent. While the team is listing him as questionable, it would be a surprise to see Kraft back on the field today.

Kraft set career highs in receptions (seven) and yards (143) while tying a career high with two scores, also gaining over 100 yards after the catch on National Tight Ends Day. He made two spectacular catches over defenders, the first of which went for his game-long 59-yard reception on the team’s first possession of the third quarter, kickstarting a ferocious second half performance to overcome a nine-point deficit at the break. Kraft continues to perform in the midst of a true breakout season, something that could continue against the Cover-3-heavy Panthers in Week 9.

Kraft led the Packers in targets, tallying 10 on the day and catching half of them. He was heavily used in the second half as the Packers completed a comeback victory, catching a seven-yard score from Jordan Love to open the fourth quarter. Kraft nearly broke free for what could have been a red zone score later in the fourth quarter, but let an outlet pass slip through his fingers. Love looks for him often as a yards-after-catch maestro over the middle of the field and in the flats. Kraft is firmly in the fantasy TE1 range for Week 8 against the Steelers.

The Packers’ star tight end remained efficient in this one, though his day could have been a lot bigger. Early on, Kraft faced tight coverage from Bengals CB Dax Hill in the end zone and let a contested target slap his hands before falling to the ground. A defensive holding penalty on CB Cam Taylor-Britt erased the target from the box score and set up Josh Jacobs for a rushing touchdown up the middle. Kraft remains a high-end TE1 against the Cardinals next week.

Kraft was targeted on only five of Jordan Love’s 43 pass attempts on a night 10 Packers drew a target, making the most of his opportunities by returning a tidy 11.2 yards per reception. He was utilized early in the screen game before the Cowboys started dropping linebackers to clog the middle of the field, clearly fighting through an emphasis of the opposing defense throughout the night. Kraft’s elite yards per target and yards per route run values keep him squarely as a TE1 in fantasy circles as the team heads to their Week 5 bye.

Kraft was limited in the Packers’ first two practices this week. He was upgraded to full on Friday. Kraft played on 91.4 percent of offensive snaps in Weeks 1 and 2, and was promisingly on the field for 86.4 percent of snaps in Week 3 despite entering the game with a knee injury and picking up an elbow injury along the way. He is a TE1 against the Cowboys this week.

Kraft survived an injury scare during practice last week and managed to suit up on Sunday. He did appear to be laboring through the knee issue at multiple points, but avoiding a DNP for the opening practice of Week 4 is a good sign. The elbow issue, however, is a new addition to his practice report. Fantasy managers should temper their expectations for Kraft while he works through the knee injury, but he should still crack most starting lineups versus a horrid Dallas defense.