One of the advantages of fantasy football over other sports is the fact that we have so much time in between games to digest information and make decisions about whether to start a player dealing with an injury.  What happens on Wednesday or Thursday in practice does not necessarily translate into what happens on Sunday or Monday.  This injury report is a snapshot in time so make sure you follow up on the status of these players before kickoff on Sunday.  So without further ado, here is the first edition of the fantasy football walking wounded for 2016.

T.Y. Hilton (WR-IND)

The Colts placed Hilton on the injury report with a knee issue which forced him to miss practice on Thursday.  He is coming off a Week 1 performance where he caught six passes for 79 yards but was held out of the end zone.  Hilton is Andrew Luck’s main target so it is somewhat alarming that he missed practice all of a sudden.  You will need to check back in for further updates over the next couple days to see whether he will take the field against Denver on Sunday.

Rob Gronkowski (TE-NE)

It’s the same old story with Gronkowski.  He is questionable for this week’s game against Miami after hardly doing much at practice on Thursday.  Fantasy GMs will need to have an alternative ready to go again because his status for Sunday’s game is in serious jeopardy.  Let this be a lesson to you – don’t draft a tight end in the first round…ever.

Larry Fitzgerald (WR-ARZ)

Arizona is handling Fitzgerald with kid gloves as they give the veteran receiver plenty of rest during the week.  He has a knee issue but it is nothing to be concerned about heading into Week 2 against Tampa Bay.  Fitzgerald continues to be a valuable fantasy option coming off a big performance last week with eight catches including two touchdowns.  He should absolutely be in your starting lineup as a WR2 or WR3 depending on the depth you have.

Demaryius Thomas (WR-DEN)

Thomas presents quite a dilemma for fantasy GMs this week as he is currently dealing with a hip injury which puts his status for Sunday in jeopardy.  He will have a very favorable matchup against a poor Indianapolis secondary, but at less than 100% he doesn’t have the same appeal as he did last year with a better quarterback delivering him the ball.  He could be a game-time decision on Sunday so you will likely have to make a decision on him before Denver kicks off in one of the later games in the day.

DeAngelo Williams (RB-PIT)

The Steelers did not reveal a reason why Williams didn’t practice on Wednesday but the likely theory is that they were simply giving him some rest.  Williams had a monster game on Monday night racking up 143 yards rushing with two touchdowns.  He is a legitimate RB1 and could be Pittsburgh’s best backfield option even when Le’veon Bell comes back.  He’s a must-start this week against Cincinnati and was one of the biggest value bargains in all drafts heading into the season.

Devonta Freeman (RB-ATL)

Freeman practiced in full on Thursday after being in a limited capacity on Wednesday with a quad injury.  He will be ready to go this Sunday against Oakland but his playing time could be seriously diminished after Tevin Coleman was given such an extensive role.  The Falcons should have a field day with Oakland’s defense so Freeman should be in your starting lineup, but his reliability as a RB1 is all but gone at this point.

Spencer Ware (RB-KC)

With Jamaal Charles still out, Spencer Ware is a solid RB1 option heading into Week 2 against Houston.  Ware is coming off of a huge game where he had 70 rushing yards and 129 receiving yards, so he has established himself right now as a fantasy force.  It remains to be seen what will happen when Charles comes back, but for now ride Ware’s waves as he practiced in full on Thursday and will be on the field this Sunday.

Arian Foster (RB-MIA)

Foster has a well-documented injury history and is still currently dealing with a hamstring issue, but he returned to practice in full on Thursday.  He will be ready to go this Sunday against New England and should be in your lineup, but temper your expectations.  Foster was not very productive last week against Seattle and will likely face a similar fate against the Patriots.

J.J. Watt (DL-HOU)

Watt is dealing with a back injury which limited his participation in practice on Thursday.  He does not appear to be in any danger of missing this week’s game against Kansas City, but any type of back injury could limit his effectiveness.  He was held to just one tackle and no sacks last week, so fantasy GMs in IDP leagues will need more production from the best defensive player in the league.

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Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service, and is also the co-host of the Fantasy Alarm podcast. You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment),