Heading into Sunday, six teams will have already played. Of course, there are still many injury question marks for the remaining 13 matchups, enough to have some fantasy players scrambling at playoff time.
For reference, players might be classified on the team's final injury report of any given week as "questionable (Q)," "doubtful (D)" or "out." Besides the obvious designation of a player being ruled out, "questionable" indicates a player is uncertain to play, while "doubtful" means a player is unlikely to play.
Since the NFL did away with the "probable" designation two years ago, players who are expected to play on Sunday (or Monday) are simply removed from the injury report by the reporting deadline (Friday evening for Sunday games, Saturday afternoon for Monday night games).
For the purposes of this injury-related game preview, players will be grouped by position. Below each player's name, team, injured body part (as listed on the official NFL injury report), official game-status designation and game time (ET), the following elements are included: any known relevant details about the injury, the player's involvement in practice during the week and any additional notes to provide context around the player's status.
For anyone seeking more specific details about certain types of injuries, here is an illustrated injury glossary, which you also can find on the right side of the ESPN fantasy home page.
Also, please check out my Answering the Bell podcast in which we take a deeper dive into various medical topics with special guests, including experts in their respective fields, as well as athletes who have firsthand experience with various injuries or medical conditions. All episodes are archived here.
And now, on to the Sunday/Monday games preview.
KEY PLAYERS ALREADY RULED OUT: Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles (back); Odell Beckham, WR, New York Giants (quadricep); Kerryon Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions (knee); Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks (knee); Jordan Reed, TE, Washington Redskins (ankle/foot); DeSean Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (thumb); Bruce Ellington, WR, Detroit Lions (hamstring).
Quarterbacks
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers, ribs (off pregame injury report), 4:25 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Injured in Week 14
Practice report: DNP Wednesday; full Thursday-Friday
Notes: Roethlisberger exited the Week 14 game after taking a shot to the ribs, even going to the locker room for evaluation. But he was able to return and brought the Steelers within striking distance of a win. Reported to have a rib contusion, Roethlisberger acknowledged feeling discomfort early in the week. He was able to return to full practices after just one day off, however, and was ultimately removed from the team's pregame injury report, leaving no doubt as to his Sunday status.
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, right shoulder (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to injury report seven weeks ago
Practice report: Limited Thursday-Friday; full Saturday
Notes: In recent weeks, Newton's shoulder has been increasingly sore as the season has progressed, and it became a conversation point heading into Week 14. His throws have seemed off, and as he has struggled, so have the Panthers. The hope is that an additional day between games this week will serve him well, and he is expected to play Monday night.
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers, knee (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Sprained left knee, Week 1
Practice report: Full Wednesday-Friday (Note: The Packers did not conduct practice on Friday so the Friday report is an estimation)
Notes: Rodgers is a fixture on the injury report this season, ever since he suffered a knee injury in the team's first game, even though he has yet to miss a game. Although his mobility has improved, he still appears somewhat constrained, and the offense as a whole has rarely been in sync. All of this has led to Rodgers' taking a tumble in the fantasy rankings, and he falls outside the consensus top 10 this week.
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions, back (Q), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to injury report last week
Practice report: Limited Wednesday-Friday
Notes: Stafford played through his back ailment last week and is expected to do so again. Stafford has struggled even when hasn't been on the injury report this season, but the back issue certainly isn't helping matters. Nonetheless, he is known for being a gamer and has played through numerous injuries in the past. Expect him to do so again this week.
Running backs
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys, shoulder (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Injured in Week 14
Practice report: DNP Wednesday; full Thursday-Friday
Notes: Elliott took a big hit when he lowered his head against a defender while carrying the ball in Week 14, a move for which he was penalized and later fined by the league. He also injured himself and left the game briefly to be evaluated. Even though he was able to return to the game, he still appeared on this week's injury report, but after two full practices, he cemented his status for game day.
David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals, quadricep (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Injured in Week 14
Practice report: DNP Wednesday; limited Thursday; full Friday
Notes: Despite a mild quad injury that landed Johnson on the practice injury report, he was able to upgrade quickly and was removed from the pregame injury report. He will play, and his practice activity suggests he won't be limited in this matchup.
Adrian Peterson, Washington Redskins, shoulder (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Injured in Week 5
Practice report: Limited Wednesday-Thursday; full Friday
Notes: Peterson makes his standard appearance on the team's injury report for practice only to be removed in advance of the game. He will play as usual.
Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins, shoulder (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to injury report in Week 9
Practice report: Limited Wednesday-Thursday; full Friday
Notes: Drake has continued to play through this shoulder issue. This week, he upgraded to a full practice on Friday. It hasn't limited him yet and shouldn't again this week.
Matt Breida, San Francisco 49ers, ankle (Q), 4:05 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: On injury report since Week 4; DNP Week 14
Practice report: Limited Wednesday-Friday
Notes: Breida wants to play. The 49ers would probably like to minimize his exposure to significant injury. After battling through the ankle injury for the bulk of the season, Breida was held out last week after aggravating the ankle in pregame warm-ups the previous week. Now that he has been back in practice this week, it seems likely he will be eager to play. If he does -- and it appears he has a good chance of taking the field -- it stands to reason that the 49ers will continue to utilize Jeff Wilson after his strong outings the past two weeks. The tricky part for fantasy players is trying to surmise how a rotation between these backs would look.
Ito Smith, Atlanta Falcons, back/knee (Q), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added knee to injury report this week
Practice report: Limited Wednesday; full Thursday; limited Friday
Notes: Smith was making progress from the back injury that had him on the practice injury report, increasing his practice reps on Thursday. On Friday, however, he was limited again and was also listed with a knee issue. The addition of another injury on Friday's report and the questionable status makes for uncertainty, but coach Dan Quinn did say on Friday that he thinks Smith will play. Be sure to check pregame inactives here.
Chris Thompson, Washington Redskins, illness (Q), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to injury report with illness this week (Friday)
Practice report: DNP Friday
Notes: Thompson had finally been removed from the injury report after spending multiple weeks there with rib injuries only to find himself back on the list Friday due to illness. Although the team has him listed as questionable, the expectation is that he will be well enough to play against the Jaguars.
LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills, hamstring (Q), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Injured in Week 14
Practice report: DNP Wednesday; limited Thursday-Friday
Notes: McCoy left last week's game in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the game before the second half. The early exit for a running back with a history of hamstring injuries hinted at the potential for the injury lingering beyond a week. Although McCoy did participate on a limited basis both Thursday and Friday, the questionable designation indicates the uncertainty around his status. The risk of an in-game setback if he does play is also worth considering.
Chris Ivory, Buffalo Bills, shoulder (Q), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to injury report this week
Practice report: Full Wednesday-Friday
Notes: Ivory saw an increased workload after McCoy left last week's game. More play equals more exposure to injury, and Ivory ended the contest with a shoulder injury. The good news is that he did not miss any practice reps this week, so despite the questionable tag, Ivory appears on track to play.
James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers, ankle (D), 4:25 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: High ankle sprain in Week 13; DNP Week 14
Practice report: DNP Wednesday-Thursday; limited Friday
Notes: Conner sustained the injury late in the Week 13 game sat out last week's game and just returned to practice on a limited basis on Friday. It hardly seemed as if he had done enough to suggest he would play this week, and on Saturday, not surprisingly, the team downgraded him to doubtful. The good news is that his return to practice Friday indicates progress, but these injuries are slow to heal. It's too soon to say he's a lock for Week 16, and much will depend on how he fares on consecutive practice days next week. Meanwhile, Jaylen Samuels is expected to again start in his absence, although Stevan Ridley is also bound to see some action against his former team.
Wide receivers
Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons, foot/calf/illness (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added illness to injury report this week
Practice report: DNP Wednesday, Thursday; limited Friday
Notes: Jones participating in limited practice during the week is something fantasy players are accustomed to seeing, and it doesn't really raise red flags. This week, however, Jones was sent home from the facility with flu-like symptoms, and that is not a weekly occurrence. Jones return on Friday was a positive sign, and he was quickly confirmed for Sunday's game. Unfortunately for Jones, he will have to contend with Patrick Peterson on Sunday, when the Cardinals come to town.
Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings, ankle (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Injured Week 14
Practice report: Full Wednesday-Friday
Notes: Thielen left Monday night's game with an ankle issue and was considered questionable to return, but he did return, suggesting the injury was not serious. Full practices throughout the week would seem to confirm that notion, as would his removal from the pregame injury report. Expect Thielen to play as usual.
T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts, ankle (Q), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to injury report for ankle this week
Practice report: DNP Wednesday-Friday
Notes: Hilton was a game-time decision last week because of his shoulder. He not only played, he posted 199 yards receiving. Not bad for a guy whose status was in question until a couple of hours before kickoff. This week, he will be a game-time decision as the result of an ankle injury, and fantasy owners are hoping for a similar result, all the way around. The difference this week is that he was not able to participate in practice in any fashion; the team opted for rest over reps, and given Hilton's veteran status and rapport with his quarterback, this seems like the better move. Stay closely tuned to pregame inactives, as this will likely come down to the wire.
Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears, hip (Q), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to injury report this week
Practice report: DNP Wednesday; limited Thursday; full Friday
Notes: Robinson has been on the injury report intermittently for lower-extremity issues, most notably a groin injury that sidelined him for two games midseason. Coach Matt Nagy referred to Robinson's missed session Wednesday as "maintenance," and his return to full practice Friday would seem to bode well for his status. Nevertheless, fantasy players are advised to confirm his availability via pregame inactive reports.
Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks, hip (Q), 4:05 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to injury report three weeks ago
Practice report: DNP Wednesday; limited Thursday-Friday
Notes: Baldwin confirmed that this hip injury is indeed tied to the groin injury of three weeks ago. Last week, he was unable to practice and ended up missing the game. This week, Baldwin was able to practice both Thursday and Friday on a limited basis, and despite the questionable tag, he told reporters he expects to play Sunday against the 49ers.
Dante Pettis, San Francisco 49ers, foot (Q), 4:05 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to injury report this week (Thursday)
Practice report: Limited Thursday-Friday
Notes: A late addition to the injury report, Pettis was held to consecutive limited practice sessions. Although his production in Week 14 wasn't nearly what it was the previous week, Pettis showed he could still have his fair share of targets with Marquise Goodwin on the field. This is a late game, so fantasy players considering using him need to be sure to have a backup plan.
Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers, hamstring (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to the injury report 10 weeks ago; DNP Weeks 4-6; returned to action Weeks 8-9; DNP Weeks 10-12; returned to action Week 13
Practice report: Limited Wednesday; full Thursday-Friday (Note: The Packers did not conduct practice on Friday, so the Friday report is an estimation)
Notes: Cobb has not had any setbacks since his return in Week 13, but the Packers wisely continue to limit his practice reps early in the week. His removal from the pregame injury report indicates the team expects to have him on the field Sunday.
Marquise Goodwin, San Francisco 49ers, calf (Q), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to injury report this week (Thursday)
Practice report: Limited Thursday-Friday
Notes: After missing two games for personal reasons, Goodwin quietly returned in Week 14 to the tune of two receptions for 20 yards. He was then added to the injury report on Thursday, but his ability to continue practicing on a limited basis suggests this is not serious. Along with teammate Dante Pettis, Goodwin is listed as questionable. This is a late kickoff, so fantasy players are advised to have a backup plan if considering Goodwin as an option.
Jamison Crowder, Washington Redskins, ankle (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Injured in Week 5; returned to action in Week 13
Practice report: Limited Wednesday; full Thursday-Friday
Notes: Crowder remains on the injury report because of his ankle but has had no setbacks since his Week 13 return. His removal from the pregame injury report confirms his status for Sunday's game.
Tight ends
Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons, knee/ankle (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Added to injury report this week
Practice report: DNP Wednesday-Thursday; limited Friday
Notes: Hooper was listed with two body parts next to his name, but neither injury was serious enough to threaten his status for Sunday's game. Hooper is off the pregame injury report and will play on Sunday.
Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers, knee/thumb (off pregame injury report), 1 p.m. ET
Additional injury details: Injured in Week 11, fractured left thumb
Practice report: DNP Wednesday; limited Thursday; full Friday
Notes: This was Graham's exact practice participation and status heading into last week's game. Once again, he will play.