Reece James
26-Year-Old
Chelsea
Premier
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Injuries continue to define James's young career, limiting him to just 19 appearances last season, still his highest total since the 2021/22 campaign. His production was a little hit or miss, mostly due to inconsistent minutes because of injury concern. He returned from injuries in January and slowly ramped up his minutes on the pitch, but he rarely started or played extended minutes in back-to-back games. His upside is evident as a defender who gets forward and takes a random set or two, but injury concern and minutes remain a big problem in season-long fantasy.
Returns to bench
James (hamstring) is on the bench for Monday's clash against Nottingham.
ANALYSIS
James has been included in the squad after missing the last seven matches across all competitions due to the hamstring injury, with the green light coming ahead of Monday's game despite the coaching staff opting for a cautious approach by keeping him among the substitutes rather than handing him an immediate starting role. The versatile defender has started 20 of his 27 Premier League appearances this season, and while Malo Gusto is set to continue at right-back for now, James's presence on the bench offers a valuable option whether deployed there or in a defensive midfield capacity. His return to the starting lineup is expected to follow in the coming fixtures once the coaching staff are fully satisfied the hamstring issue has settled.
James has been included in the squad after missing the last seven matches across all competitions due to the hamstring injury, with the green light coming ahead of Monday's game despite the coaching staff opting for a cautious approach by keeping him among the substitutes rather than handing him an immediate starting role. The versatile defender has started 20 of his 27 Premier League appearances this season, and while Malo Gusto is set to continue at right-back for now, James's presence on the bench offers a valuable option whether deployed there or in a defensive midfield capacity. His return to the starting lineup is expected to follow in the coming fixtures once the coaching staff are fully satisfied the hamstring issue has settled.
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More Fantasy News
Could return Monday
James (hamstring) could return to the squad for Monday's game against Nottingham Forest, according to interim manager Calum McFarlane. "Reece is back in training, and Levi [Colwill] is back in training also," McFarlane stated at his pre-Forest press conference. Both are looking good, which is really positive. We're still a little way out from the game [on Monday], so we'll see how they do in the next few training sessions but are looking promising."
ANALYSIS
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Will remain out vs Man Utd
James (hamstring) is ruled out for Saturday's clash against Manchester United as he has not yet fully recovered from his injury, according to coach Liam Rosenior. "Reece is a little bit further away."
ANALYSIS
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Will miss City game
James (hamstring) is out for Sunday's match against Manchester City, according to manager Liam Rosenior. "Reece has been running today."
ANALYSIS
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Progressing well, not yet ready
James (hamstring) is making good progress in his recovery but is not yet ready to return, according to coach Liam Rosenior. "Reece is getting along really well but he's not ready yet."
ANALYSIS
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Won't return until after break
James (hamstring) isn't expected back until after the international break, manager Liam Rosenior confirmed Thursday. "With Reece, we're going to look more after the international break. It's not serious, but there is something in his hamstring [scan] and it's something we'll monitor after the international break."
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Interested in joining Benfica?
James is exploring his possibility once his Chelsea contract expires and Benfica is one of the teams he'd be interested in playing for, according to Football Transfers.
ANALYSIS
James has struggled with injuries for the better part of the last two seasons, and even if he remains an important player in the Chelsea hierarchy, don't be surprised if he decides to leave the club in the future. The 24-year-old defender is exploring through his representatives the possibility of joining Barcelona or Benfica.
James has struggled with injuries for the better part of the last two seasons, and even if he remains an important player in the Chelsea hierarchy, don't be surprised if he decides to leave the club in the future. The 24-year-old defender is exploring through his representatives the possibility of joining Barcelona or Benfica.