Injury concerns regarding players heading into the Sunday and Monday games can be critical. Each Saturday, this entry will be dedicated to those who appear on the official NFL game-status injury report and how their status might impact fantasy teams.
For those who might be new to this blog: Injury reports provide some insight into a player's status. The NFL requires teams to submit practice injury reports several times a week, identifying the body part involved in the injury. This year, there has been a change in the language of injury reporting, per the league office. The most notable change is the removal of the "probable" designation. For more detailed information on the changes and what they mean, click here.
Early in the week, the practice injury reports indicate whether a player did not practice, was limited in practice or was a full participant in practice. On Fridays, all teams file a game-status injury report assigning one of the following designations: questionable, doubtful or out. The designations listed here reflect the injury reports filed with the league office Friday evening. Teams playing Monday night do not have to issue their designations until Saturday. The explanation for each designation is as follows.
Out: This is the easy one: The guy is not playing Sunday.
Questionable (Q): This remains the most dreaded player designation. By definition, it means a player is "uncertain to play." How uncertain is uncertain? There is no percentage or measurement scale, leaving this classification rather vague. Whether a player ends up active or inactive often comes down to a game-time decision based on how he feels on game-day morning or how he performs during warm-ups. Final inactives are due 90 minutes before kickoff.
Doubtful (D): The doubtful designation means a player is unlikely to play that week. Rarely does a player labeled as doubtful end up playing, unless he experiences a major turnaround before game time.
Each week in the Saturday blog, we run down a list of key fantasy players, by position, who appear in the Friday injury report along with the injured body part as listed on the report, player status and any relevant developments or insight. The primary fantasy positions are covered (quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end).
This season, at the end of each positional section, there is a subgrouping of "Players off game-status injury report." The probable tag no longer exists, so players who would have been listed as probable in previous seasons are now simply removed from the report. This means there will be players who appear in the practice injury reports during the week but will not appear on the game-status report Friday because they are presumed active for game day. They are included in this blog so that fantasy owners can see where players who were on the practice injury report during the week have been upgraded in advance of the games.
At the end, key fantasy players listed Friday as "out" for the week's games will appear as a group.
Three games will have been played in advance of Sunday. On Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens had the early kickoff and the Minnesota Vikings traveled to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers for the night game. There are 12 games to be played on Sunday and two games on Monday.
Good luck in Week 16, everyone!
Wide receivers
Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders, ankle, (Q), Monday night: Two weeks ago, Cooper tried to play on an ankle that was still hurting from a Week 12 injury, and it didn't take long for him to aggravate it. In fact, Cooper exited the game early and did not practice at all last week, then sat out the Week 15 game. When he failed to practice on Thursday this week, it appeared he was headed for another absence. But Cooper did return to a limited session Friday and followed it with another limited session on Saturday. Although he is listed as questionable, coach Jack del Rio said there is a "good chance" the Raiders will have him available, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Michael Gehlken.
Deandre Hopkins, Houston Texans, toe, Monday, 4:30 p.m. ET: Nothing to see here. Hopkins has been listed for several weeks because of the toe injury but has played through it and will do so again on Monday.
Braxton Miller, WR, Houston Texans, concussion, Monday 4:30 p.m. ET: Miller missed two weeks with a concussion and did not practice at all heading into Week 15. This week he was a full participant in practice each day and was removed from the team's pregame injury report, indicating his clearance to play.
Cordarrelle Patterson, hip, Oakland Raiders, Monday night: Patterson has been managing this hip ailment for multiple weeks, and this week is no different. A full practice Friday preceded his removal from the pregame injury report, and he is set to play against the Eagles on Monday night.
Out
This space is intended for a list of key players, not including those who have been moved to injured reserve status, who are officially listed as "out" for the upcoming game.
Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers, calf: As expected, Brown is out this week with a calf injury sustained last Sunday night.
Rex Burkhead, RB, New England Patriots, knee: Burkhead injured his knee in Week 15, and there was relief that it was not an ACL injury. Nonetheless, he is dealing with a sprain that will require some recovery time. He did not practice this week and, unsurprisingly, is out Sunday.
Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos, ankle: Sanders' ankle has clearly continued to bother him and forced him to exit last week's game intermittently. After originally being listed as questionable, Sanders did not make the trip with the team and was downgraded to out on Saturday.
Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars, ankle: Lee said this is the exact same injury he suffered in the preseason and left little doubt that he would be missing some time. He sits out this week and could miss additional time.
DeSean Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ankle: Jackson was in a walking boot and on crutches after injuring his ankle last week. He did not return to practice and, as expected, is missing this week's game.
Be sure to check out Fantasy Football Now on Sunday on ESPN2 at 10 a.m. ET (note new start time) -- a full three hours of news and analysis, with last-minute inactives, rankings, injury impact and more!
Already kicked off
Quarterbacks
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, right shoulder, 1 p.m. ET: Newton is reportedly as healthy as he's been all year ... and it shows. Now looking like the versatile quarterback everyone remembers from 2015, he still gets some reps off during the week to rest his shoulder. No one doubts he will be on the field Sunday against the Buccaneers.
Running backs
James White, New England Patriots, ankle, (Q), 1 p.m. ET: White popped up on this week's injury report after a low-volume outing in Week 15, when he caught two passes but was on the field for just 20 snaps. An ankle injury is the ailment of note for White, and it resulted in him being limited in practice throughout the week. With him coming into Sunday listed as questionable, it's possible the Patriots could take this decision all the way up to pregame warmups. With Rex Burkhead already ruled out, it appears Mike Gillislee -- who has been a healthy scratch for the bulk of the second half of the season -- will likely take the field. If White plays at less than full health, the question then becomes how much the team will choose to utilize him.
Matt Forte, knee, and Elijah McGuire, illness, (Q), 1 p.m. ET: Forte is questionable every week because of his knee, but since Week 12 he has suited up. His production has been up and down, but it is certainly not aided by his knee health and his shared workload with two other backs. McGuire is one of those two backs, and he enters this week's game as questionable because of an illness. He did not practice at all this week, so it should not be assumed that he will be healthy enough to go. If all three backs are active -- Forte, McGuire and Bilal Powell -- the three-way timeshare is the opposite of fantasy-friendly. Even if two of the three are a go, it is difficult to anticipate the division of work.
Samaje Perine, Washington Redskins, groin, (Q), 1 p.m. ET: Ugh. Between the struggle with injuries at every position -- including at running back -- and the late addition of Perine to the injury report, this team has to be just hoping the season will come to a close soon. Perine injured his groin in practice and was added to Thursday's injury report. He did not practice Friday, but the team left the door open for him to play Sunday by listing him as questionable. Knowing that Perine will not be at full health even if he does take the field, Kapri Bibbs (in just his second game with Washington) may end up getting the bulk of the workload.
Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers, hand, (Q), 1 p.m. ET: Ekeler broke the ring finger in his left hand, but he was on the practice field this week, albeit sporting a large club-like cast over the hand. After limited sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, Ekeler upgraded to full practice on Friday. According to ESPN.com's Eric Williams, Ekeler is expected to be a game-time decision. But it's worth noting that given his limitations with the injury, his role, if he's active, would likely be confined to special teams.
Damien Williams, Miami Dolphins, shoulder, (D), 1 p.m. ET: Williams participated on a limited basis in practice each day this week, but coach Adam Gase noted there were certain elements that were still causing discomfort for Williams. Presumably, those elements involve contact. The doubtful tag points to Williams being not quite ready for game situations, and he is expected to sit this week. Kenyan Drake will continue to function as the primary back.
LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills, knee, 1 p.m. ET: This is nothing new for McCoy. Limited reps during the week (including an off day Friday) allow McCoy to have fresher legs on Sunday. He has certainly been consistently productive, and the Bills have hardly shied away from him on game day, to the delight of fantasy players who have him on their roster.
Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals, concussion, 1 p.m. ET: Mixon was upgraded to full practice daily this week and also received clearance to return to game action. Barring a setback, Mixon will play against the Lions Sunday, his first game since suffering the injury in Week 13.
Isaiah Crowell, shoulder, and Duke Johnson, shoulder, Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET: Both Browns backs have been regulars on the injury report because of shoulder injuries this year. Most weeks both are cleared from the pregame injury report, as they are this week, meaning both are expected to be available.
Theo Riddick, Detroit Lions, wrist, 1 p.m. ET: Riddick had surgery on both wrists a year ago, so seeing him on the injury report because of a wrist ailment was worthy of concern. Apparently, this is nothing serious, since Riddick was a full participant in practice each day and he has been removed from the pregame injury report.
Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons, concussion, 1 p.m. ET: Coleman was cleared from the concussion protocol midweek and participated fully in both Thursday and Friday practices. His removal from the pregame injury report indicates the team expects him to play Sunday in the Falcons' critical matchup against the Saints.
Kerwynn Williams, Arizona Cardinals, quadriceps/ribs, (Q), 4:25 p.m. ET: Williams has been playing through a rib injury ever since he had to pick up the workload with the movement of Adrian Peterson to injured reserve. Last week he added a quad injury to the mix, perhaps the reason for his absence from both Wednesday and Thursday practices. Williams did return to a limited session Friday and is expected to play on Sunday. Fantasy players should always have an option to replace him if his status changes; that option may be Elijhaa Penny, who stepped in late in last week's game when Williams was hurt.
Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars, quadriceps, 4:05 p.m. ET: Fournette sat out last week's game due to quad soreness. Given that his ankle has been an issue intermittently, it certainly made sense for the Jaguars not to risk further injury exposure by putting Fournette on the field too soon. This week he returned to practice as a full participant on three consecutive days. His level of involvement in practice is encouraging as it relates to expectations for Sunday, as is his removal from the pregame injury report.
Wide receivers
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints, hamstring, (Q), 1 p.m. ET: There isn't much information to share here as Thomas was a Saturday addition to the injury report. Obviously a player being added to the injury list one day before the game with a soft tissue injury is worrisome, and there is no indication as of yet just how severe this injury is. Fantasy players will want to stay tuned to pregame inactives, as the decision on whether Thomas plays may come down to warmups.
Devin Funchess, Carolina Panthers, shoulder, (Q), 1 p.m. ET: Funchess is again listed as questionable this week after missing two practices. He has been playing through a sore left shoulder, one that is no doubt increasingly sore after a big hit last week that forced Funchess to exit the game briefly. He is the primary receiver for the Panthers now that Kelvin Benjamin is with the Bills, and the team is doing its best management during the week so that Funchess can suit up on Sunday. Expect him to play in this home game against the Buccaneers.
Chris Hogan, New England Patriots, shoulder, (Q), 1 p.m. ET: Hogan sat out the Week 15 game after his return in Week 14 proved to be more challenging than perhaps anticipated. Consider that Hogan didn't even return to practice until the week in which he returned to play, more than a month after the original injury. Despite being on the field for 55 offensive snaps in his return game, Hogan caught just one pass (on five targets). After resting in Week 15, Hogan returned to only limited practices this week, suggesting he is still not at the point of readiness for all that game action entails. It would not be a surprise if Hogan ends up on the sideline for another week.
Kelvin Benjamin, Buffalo Bills, knee, (Q), 1 p.m. ET: By now fantasy players are aware that Benjamin is playing in the presence of a meniscus tear and it is going to challenge him throughout the remainder of the Bills season. He continues to practice on a limited basis, with the goal of taking the field Sunday, but his productivity in games has been limited as well.
DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins, ankle, (Q), 1 p.m. ET: It came as a bit of a surprise when Parker sat out Wednesday's practice with an ankle injury after six catches on a season-high 12 targets in Week 15. Although his ankle was rolled up on during the game, Parker did not leave following the injury, nor was there an announcement about an injury following the game. When Parker did not practice again Thursday, it appeared his status might be in jeopardy. But he returned Friday to a full session, alleviating some concern. Despite the questionable tag, Parker is expected to play -- something coach Adam Gase indicated earlier in the week.
Jamison Crowder, Washington Redskins, hamstring, (Q), 1 p.m. ET: Crowder has been on and off the injury report across the season because of his hamstring, but he has managed to suit up every week since resting in Week 9. After practicing on a limited basis each day, it appears Crowder has a good chance to take the field once again. Those who have him on their rosters will want to be sure to check pregame inactives.
Ted Ginn, New Orleans Saints, rib, 1 p.m. ET: Ginn was a bit of a surprise inactive last week with a rib injury. Earlier in the week, he told reporters that X-rays showed no fracture, and he was able to practice on a limited basis each day. Ultimately the team did not deem him ready to return. This week he was able to put in a full practice prior to the team removing him from the pregame injury report. His status is not in question this week, and with the late injury to fellow receiver Michael Thomas, his readiness could be that much more important.
Julio Jones, ankle/thumb, and Mohamed Sanu, knee, Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET: Jones is a gamer. This is not news to anyone. Still, there are concerns when his name appears on the injury report as to how effective he will be. As coach Dan Quinn said this week, an even less than fully healthy Julio is still world-class. True as that may be, the better news is that Jones was able to run and plant well enough to convince the team that he is ready to play despite the ankle injury. Catching passes in practice on Thursday and Friday in limited sessions helped alleviate concern about his ability to catch the ball despite a thumb injury. His teammate Sanu is also on the injury report because of a knee issue, but he put in a full practice Friday and is also ready to play.
Robby Anderson, New York Jets, hamstring, 1 p.m. ET: Anderson has been on the injury report for three weeks now because of a hamstring ailment, but he has been able to play. His removal from the pregame injury report indicates his readiness to play, but the rapport that existed between him and Bryce Petty last year has yet to resurface.
Allen Hurns, Jacksonville Jaguars, ankle, (Q), 4:05 p.m. ET: With Marqise Lee already ruled out for the Jaguars this week with an ankle injury, the status of Hurns becomes much more interesting. Hurns has been out since suffering a high right ankle sprain in Week 10, when he then crawled off the field on his hands and knees so as to help the team avoid a clock runoff. This week he returned to practice on a limited basis and acknowledged that he is not likely to be fully healthy for the remainder of the season. His status for Sunday may come down to a game-time decision, but fantasy players should keep in mind that even if Hurns does take the field, it is likely to be in a limited capacity.
John Brown, Arizona Cardinals, toe, (Q), 4:25 p.m. ET: Brown has struggled with a variety of injuries, most recently a turf toe problem that has cost him four consecutive games. He is improving and hopes to play Sunday after practicing on a limited basis daily. He went through a similar routine last week but was ruled out in advance of the game. For fantasy purposes, it is hard to rely on Brown not only because of the potential for the injury to limit him if he does play but also because this game has a late start.
Marquise Goodwin, back, and Trent Taylor, shoulder, San Francisco 49ers, 4:05 p.m. ET: Both Goodwin and Taylor cropped up on the injury report this week, but neither is at risk of missing this game. This week will present a tougher challenge for the 49ers' pass-catchers, as they face a strong Jaguars defense. But both players will be on the field.
Tight ends
Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, hip/knee, (Q), 1 p.m. ET: Brate has appeared on the injury report already this season because of his hip; this week he adds a knee ailment after sustaining a new injury in the team's Monday night game. An additional injury on a short week is not ideal, but on the positive side, Brate did participate in daily practices, albeit on a limited basis. It's also worth noting that after Brate injured his knee Monday night, he did return to the game. It appears he has a chance to play, but fantasy players will want to be sure to check pregame inactive reports.
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs, illness, 1 p.m. ET: Kelce was sidelined with an illness this week and returned for only one limited practice session. Thankfully, the team removed him from the pregame injury report, so there is no doubt as to his availability Sunday.
Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers, foot, 1 p.m. ET: Well, he's back. In Week 15, Olsen looked like the Greg Olsen everyone knew and loved prior to the 2017 season. Most importantly, he didn't seem to be affected at all by his foot, seeming more like a player who could focus on football instead of what was happening between his leg and the ground. As to whether he can replicate last week's effort, there is no way to predict, but it certainly feels like the chemistry between Olsen and quarterback Cam Newton is returning. Imagine that, just in time for fantasy championships.
Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills, knee, 1 p.m. ET: The mention here has become routine for Clay. With Tyrod Taylor back under center, Clay's production has again picked up. He is coming off a strong week, and Taylor may be inclined to look to him more often than he did the last time they faced the Patriots. Fantasy players would appreciate it.
Garrett Celek, San Francisco 49ers, knee/rib, (Q), 4:05 p.m. ET: "Celek time" is a thing in San Francisco now that new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has developed some chemistry with his tight end. Celek has a touchdown in each of the team's last two games, but he picked up a rib injury last week to go with the knee ailment he was already managing. Things don't get easier, with the Jaguars coming to town Sunday, but Celek's limited practice sessions daily suggest he will try to play. This is a late game, and fantasy players will want to have an alternate plan in the event he is a scratch.
Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks, knee, 4:25 p.m. ET: Graham has played through knee and ankle issues ever since he first appeared on the injury report weeks ago. His productivity has fluctuated wildly, and the last two weeks have been, well, not good. His removal from the pregame injury report confirms he will again be available. Fantasy players have to hope he will net more than minus-1 yard of offense (his total last week against the Rams) when he faces the Cowboys.