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Injuries are the bane of a fantasy football owner’s existence. The NFL does such an amazingly poor job at reporting and acknowledging injuries and thus it makes it incredibly difficult to find useful information.
But on Friday’s the NFL has an obligation to report the true status of each player on every roster. It’s the closest we’ll get to knowing who is in or out for this week in the NFL. So the thing to do is to use this information along with the daily practice reports to sort out who is likely to play and sit this week. Only after the status reports come out on Friday does the rest of the week’s activity really make sense.
So, every Friday I will be sending you reports of all at risk players across the NFL. I’ll include the players who are definitely OUT for the week as well as those who are definitely playing. So the focus will be on the questionable players for the week. These reports will tell you whether or not you can relax or wait for the NFL inactive reports on Sunday morning.
Let’s take a look at the Week 11 Practice Reports:
IN
DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers – Foot
Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings – Abdomen
Jerick McKinnon, RB, Vikings – Back
Brandon Marshall, WR, Bears – Ankle
Brent Celek, TE, Eagles – Ankle
Rashad Jennings, RB, Giants – Knee
Montee Ball, RB, Broncos – Groin
Ryan Mathews, RB, Chargers – Knee
Eric Ebron, TE, Lions – Hamstring
Stepfan Taylor, RB, Cardinals – Calf
Joseph Fauria, TE, Lions – Ankle
OUT
Jordan Cameron, TE, Browns – Concussion
Nick Foles, QB, Eagles – Collarbone
Brandon Bostick, TE, Packers – Hip
Donnie Avery, WR, Chiefs – Groin
Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals – Hip
Khiry Robinson, RB, Saints – Forearm
Pierre Thomas, RB, Saints – Ribs
Peyton Hillis, RB, Giants – Concussion
Ronnie Hillman, RB, Broncos – Foot
Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers – Ankle
David Ausberry, TE, Raiders – Foot
Edwin Baker, RB, Saints – Concussion
UP IN THE AIR
Devin Hester, WR, Falcons – Ankle
Hester has been dealing with ankle sprains for four of the past five weeks. He missed practice on Wednesday but did get in a limited session on both Thursday and Friday. With Harry Douglas back, Hester isn’t needed on offense but plays a major role in the Falcons return game.
Harry Douglas, WR, Falcons – Foot
It didn’t appear as though Douglas aggravated the foot injury that kept him out of most of the first half of the season last Sunday. But he did miss practice on Wednesday and was limited on both Thursday and Friday. Douglas is still fully expected to be active in week 11 though he should not be on anybody’s fantasy radar.
Arian Foster, RB, Texans – Groin
We here at Fantasy Alarm have been telling you for two weeks that Foster is not going to play this week. When he left the Texans week 9 game against the Eagles, anyone could see that this was a pretty severe injury. The bye week seems to confuse people as to the nature of players injuries. There is no way that Foster is going to play this week making Alfred Blue a terrific start against the lowly Browns rush defense.
Anthony Fasano, TE, Chiefs – Knee
Fasano left last weeks game with a knee bruise that has also kept him out of practice all week long. They are calling him a true game time decision for Sunday’s tilt with the Seahawks. If Fasano doesn’t play or is limited it would mean great things for Travis Kelce.
Reggie Bush, RB, Lions – Ankle
Bush is not going to play this week due to his sprained ankle that knocked him out of last weeks slugfest with the Dolphins. Head coach Jim Caldwell said this week that the team may rest Bush for a couple of weeks in order to get him back to full health for the stretch run. Expect Theo Riddick to take over the passing down role in the Lions offense against the Cardinals this week.
Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seahawks – Calf
Everything about Marshawn Lynch is an enigma. One week Lynch has a hamstring, the next he has a knee and earlier this week he missed practice due to a back ailment. But now he is questionable with a calf injury. The bottom line is that Lynch will play this week but you really should own Robert Turbin along with him just in case.
Delanie Walker, TE, Titans – Concussion
Walker got knocked the heck out by Baltimore Ravens safety Terrance Brooks last week suffering a pretty significant concussion in the process. I am doubtful that Walker will be cleared in time for the Monday night game and thus he cannot be counted on this week.
Player News
Panthers released TE Jordan Matthews.
Matthews converted to tight end a few years ago and hasn’t made much noise at the position. The change has, however, likely kept him in the league for a few more seasons. He appeared in four games with the Panthers last year but didn’t record any stats on offense. The Panthers also released or waived WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, and TE Colin Granger.
Dolphins released LS Blake Ferguson.
The team also waived CB Ryan Cooper Jr., DT Neil Farrell and OL Chasen Hines. Ferguson has been the team’s long snapper for five seasons and earned a three-year contract extension just before the 2023 season. He should be able to find work snapping footballs farther than the average snap elsewhere in the league.
DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman believes rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa “could make his earliest impact on special teams.”
It’s not much of a surprise, as most rookies cut their teeth with special teams duties. Twentyman mentioned return duties as a possibility, though the former Razorback never returned kicks or punts in college. At 6'4/212 with 4.43 wheels, TeSlaa is an explosive athlete who never translated his physical traits to on-field production at Arkansas. The Lions clearly saw potential for him to do so in the pros and traded two future third-round picks to move up to No. 70 overall for him. It’s going to be a slow burn for TeSlaa in the pros, making him a dynasty-only fantasy option.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.