Updated: Friday, Sept. 4, at 16:44 p.m. EDT
The NFL’s new reserve/COVID-19 list was created for players who have either tested positive or have been exposed to the virus and require quarantine.
In addition to this designation, the NFL players are permitted to opt out of the 2020 season amid the pandemic. It has affected fantasy football minimally in the early stages. The league set a deadline of seven days after the safety agreement was reached, leaving players until Wednesday, Aug. 5, to make their permanent decision for the upcoming year.
Update: The official deadline is Thursday, Aug. 6, at 4 p.m. EDT.
Being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list is temporary. During the regular season, the duration is three weeks. In training camp, players must pass three tests in five days to be permitted back into the team facilities. It’s unclear if the players will require a “ramp-up phase” of getting back into shape before putting on pads.
The opt-out designation, however, lasts the entire season. Per NFL rules, the league will not disclose whether players on the reserve list have tested positive or were exposed to infected persons, so fantasy football owners will be taking some sort of a guess as to assessing value of returning assets.
Fantasy football players on Reserve/COVID-19 list
- Jacksonville Jaguars RB Ryquell Armstead (9/4)
- Miami Dolphins CB Xavien Howard (activated 8/28)
- Green Bay Packers PK Mason Crosby (activated 8/16)
- Green Bay Packers TE Jace Sternberger (activated 8/17)
- Cincinnati Bengals WR John Ross (sick child, activated 8/23)
- Philadelphia Eagles OT Lane Johnson (activated 8/11)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn (activated 8/9)
- Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (activated 8/4)
- Detroit Lions WR Kenny Golladay (activated 8/5)
- Detroit Lions TE T.J. Hockenson (activated 8/9)
- Pittsburgh Steelers WR James Washington (activated 8/7)
- Jacksonville Jaguars OT Jawaan Taylor (activated 8/2)
- Minnesota Vikings LB Anthony Barr (activated 8/3)
- Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford (activated 8/4 after false-positive)
- Jacksonville Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew (activated 8/4)
- Miami Dolphins DE Shaq Lawson (activated 8/7)
- Philadelphia Eagles LB Nathan Gerry (activated 8/9)
Players opting out of 2020 fantasy football season
- Kansas City Chiefs RB Damien Williams
- Green Bay Packers WR Devin Funchess
- Philadelphia Eagles WR Marquise Goodwin
- New England Patriots RB Brandon Bolden
- New England Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower
- New England Patriots SS Patrick Chung
- Chicago Bears DT Eddie Goldman
- Buffalo Bills DT Star Lotulelei
- Minnesota Vikings DT Michael Pierce
- New York Jets LB C.J. Mosley
- New York Giants OT Nate Solder
- Kansas City Chiefs OG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
- New England Patriots FB Danny Vitale
- New England Patriots OT Marcus Cannon
- Detroit Lions WR Geronimo Allison
- Denver Broncos OT Ja’Wuan James
- Miami Dolphins WR Allen Hurns
- Arizona Cardinals OT Marcus Gilbert
- Miami Dolphins WR Albert Wilson
- San Francisco 49ers WR Travis Benjamin
- New York Jets WR Josh Doctson
- Jacksonville Jaguars CB Rashaan Melvin
