Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford QB, Lions: ankle injury
Matthew Stafford has dealt with an ankle injury for weeks now, but he tweaked it in the Lion’s Thanksgiving loss to the Vikings. Luckily, he has had a few extra days to heal this week. While he isn’t in danger of missing Week 13, Stafford is going to end up on the sidelines if he continues to take big hits. This lingering ankle problem could affect Stafford’s ability to move inside the pocket and could even affect his ability to drive through passes when making long throws. He is an Elevated Injury Risk.
Tom Brady QB, Patriots: Achilles injury
Tom Brady took Wednesday off to rest his Achilles but returned to practice on Thursday. He is not in danger of missing any time, but it’s possible the injury affects his mechanics on long throws.
Jameis Winston QB, Buccaneers: shoulder sprain
Jameis Winston resumed throwing at practice on Wednesday, and coach Dirk Koetter said that Winston will start 
Week 13 against the Packers. This will be his first game back after a three game absence. According to the Inside Injuries algorithm, Winston is close to being healthy, but he could still use another week of throwing in practice. Three days of practice is not enough to get back into shape after three weeks on the sidelines. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers lost starting C Ali Marpet and RT Demar Dotson to season-ending injuries last week, which puts Winston in a vulnerable position with the O-line at less than 100%.
Cam Newton QB, Panthers: thumb strain
Newton was limited in practice again this week with a right thumb strain. The Panthers’ passing game struggled last week, which was likely caused by a combination of Newton’s injury and the lack of receiving options left in the Panthers’ lineup. We can expect Newton’s thumb strain to bother him for at least the next week or two. Neither Newton nor any Panthers receivers should be trusted fantasy options until he is healed.
Running Backs
Christian McCaffrey RB, Panthers: shoulder injury
Christian McCaffrey suffered a shoulder injury when he took a big hit in last week’s game against the Jets. The injury held him out of practice on Wednesday, but he was able to return on Thursday. When asked about McCaffrey’s shoulder injury on Wednesday, coach Ron Rivera said, “We’ll see tomorrow.” The fact that McCaffrey practiced Thursday is a good sign, but the Panthers have said they won’t make a final decision until Saturday. If he does play, he won’t be healthy. According to the Inside Injuries algorithm, he needs two weeks to recover. His shoulder injury will affect him more than it would most other running backs due to his usage in the passing game.
Aaron Jones RB, Packers: MCL sprain
Aaron Jones returned to a limited practice on Wednesday after suffering an MCL sprain in Week 10. Jones reportedly did not do much at practice Wednesday or Thursday, but Packers’ running back coach Ben Sirmans said they won’t know Jones’ status until Saturday. Jones is closing in on his four week Optimal Recovery Time, but he still needs an additional week of rest before he is healthy. He is an Elevated Injury Risk if he plays Sundays.
Ameer Abdullah RB, Lions: neck injury
We aren’t sure when he sustained this injury, but any neck injury is a concern. Abdullah didn’t practice on Wednesday, and he wasn’t spotted on the practice field on Thursday either. Fortunately, he returned to practice on Friday, which means he is truly questionable for Sunday’s game. A mild to moderate neck injury requires 2-3 weeks of recovery time, putting Abdullah at less than 100% for Week 13.
Adrian Peterson RB, Cardinals: neck injury
Adrian Peterson also popped up on the injury report with a surprise neck injury. He looked healthy against the Jags last week, so we thought this may just be an excuse for a rest day. But Peterson missed practice again on Thursday and Friday. Like Abdullah, this could be something more serious. AP is one of the few guys in the league who can miss practice all week and still suit up on Sunday, but he is still in danger of missing Week 13.
Lamar Miller RB, Texans: knee injury
Lamar Miller sat out Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury but was able to return on Thursday to get in some limited reps. It’s likely that Wednesday’s absence was a rest day coming off a Monday night game. He is on track to play against the Titans on Sunday, but he remains a High Injury Risk. The Inside Injuries algorithm is calculating a two week Optimal Recovery Time. Miller won’t be healthy if he plays in Week 13.
Doug Martin RB, Buccaneers: concussion
Doug Martin is still in the league’s concussion protocol and has been all but officially ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Packers. He has not practiced this week and will need to be cleared by an independent neurologist before he can play.
LeSean McCoy RB, Bills: knee injury
LeSean McCoy apparently tweaked his knee at the end of Thursday’s practice and did not participate in practice on Friday. The Bills seem so convinced that McCoy will play on Sunday that they don’t even have him listed on the final injury report. McCoy has played without practicing before, so this isn’t necessarily anything new for Buffalo’s No. 1 back. The biggest concern here is McCoy’s injury history. Most recently, a wrist injury limited him at the start of the season but he was never forced to miss any games. He also missed 2 games in 2015 with a knee injury.
Wide Receivers
DeSean Jackson WR, Buccaneers: foot injury
A foot injury held DeSean Jackson out of Wednesday’s practice, but it’s unclear when exactly he sustained the injury. He looked healthy during Sunday’s game where he caught 8-of-11 targets for 60 yards. It’s possible that this was just an excuse for Jackson to get in a rest day, especially given that he returned to practice on Thursday, but Jackson’s injury history is a bit of a concern. He has a long list of lower body injuries in the past three years including multiple hamstring, knee, ankle, and foot injuries. Jackson has been a High Injury Risk all season. A mild foot sprain requires 2-3 weeks of recovery time, but anything more serious would require upwards of five weeks to completely heal.
Alshon Jeffery WR, Eagles: foot injury
Alshon Jeffery has been on fire as of late, scoring five touchdowns in his last four games. Unfortunately, he popped up on the injury report with a foot injury. He practiced on Wednesday in a limited capacity, which is a good sign for his Week 13 availability, and was removed from the injury report altogether on Friday. A soft tissue foot injury would only need a week of recovery time, but a mild sprain would require two weeks of rest. If he is dealing with a mild (grade 1) foot sprain, limiting his practice reps this week wouldn’t be enough to get him 100% healthy by this weekend. Jeffery has a long list of hamstring, calf, and groin injuries, but this is his first foot injury in recent years.
Devin Funchess WR, Panthers: toe injury
Devin Funchess jammed his toe last week against the Jets, but he is not in much danger of missing Week 13. He missed practice on Wednesday to get in some rest but returned on Thursday. Given that the Panthers have an important matchup with the Saints this weekend, we doubt he sits even if he isn’t feeling 100%. Playing through the injury could cause it to linger, and Funchess’ performance could drop if he’s still dealing with painful symptoms this weekend. He is a High Injury Risk.
Rishard Matthews WR, Titans: hamstring strain
Matthews sat out Week 12 after suffering a hamstring injury in practice last Thursday. He only returned to a limited practice on Friday, which lends us to believe he is dealing with a mild to moderate hamstring strain. The Optimal Recovery Time is 3-5 weeks, and he won’t be healthy to play for Week 13.
DeAndre Hopkins WR, Texans: foot injury
DeAndre Hopkins was limited at practice again this week with a foot injury. He was limited last week with the same injury but played Monday night with ease. He won’t be able to shake the issue until he takes the time to rest it, but he is not in danger of missing Week 13.
Julio Jones WR, Falcons: ankle injury
Jones was limited at practice this week with the same ankle issue that has bothered him for weeks now, but he is not in danger of missing Week 13. He may be in and out of the game at times, but he’s going to play and will continue to have a very high ceiling.
Jordan Matthews WR, Bills: knee injury
Matthew’s knee injury is still a concern going into Week 13. He was able to play last Sunday but was limited to 2-of-3 targets for 15 yards. Matthews has been limited in practice this week but again doesn’t appear to be in danger of sitting out this weekend. With Kelvin Benjamin (knee) out, Matthews should see increased usage, but his health has gotten in the way. It also doesn’t help that he hasn’t seemed to click with Tyrod Taylor yet.
Danny Amendola WR, Patriots: knee injury
Danny Amendola has been limited with a hyperextended knee for weeks now but hasn’t missed a game. This week doesn’t appear to be any different. He is not in danger of missing Week 13, but he has been held to 40 yards or less for the last five of six games. Amendola’s knee is affecting his performance, and he isn’t going to put up much fantasy value until he takes the time to rest and heal. He is an Elevated Injury Risk.
Antonio Brown WR, Steelers: toe injury
Antonio Brown was added to the injury report on Friday. He did not practice, but there isn’t any concern at this point about his status for Monday night. His fantasy owners should keep a close eye on his practice participation on Saturday, but for right now he should still be considered a must start. Inside Injuries did drop him to an Elevated Injury Risk, but his injury shouldn’t slow him down too much. Even if his performance does drop slightly, he remains one of the best receivers in the game. If he is active he needs to be in lineups. Brown has not missed a regular season game since 2012.
Tight Ends
Greg Olsen TE, Panthers: foot fracture
Greg Olsen aggravated his fractured foot during his first game back on Sunday. X-rays came back negative, which means he avoided another break. Olsen met with Dr. Robert Anderson, who performed surgery on Olsen’s foot, and was “deemed OK.” While the Panther insist he did not sustain any further damage, Olsen appears to have suffered some sort of setback. He did not practice Wednesday or Thursday but was able to return on Friday. There is a chance he plays in Week 13 but he won’t be healthy.
Jimmy Graham TE, Seahawks: ankle injury
Like Julio Jones, Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham rarely practices in full but his Sunday status is never in question. The veteran has had four touchdowns in the past three games despite the injury. Play him with confidence.
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