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Injury concerns heading into the Sunday and Monday games can be critical. Every Saturday, this entry will be dedicated to those players who appear on the official weekly NFL game status injury report and will discuss how their respective statuses may impact fantasy teams. For those who may 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 per week, identifying the body part that is involved in the injury. For detailed information on how to interpret injury report language 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 on Friday evening. Teams playing on 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, which leaves 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, I 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). At the end of each positional section, there is a subgroup of players, "Players off game status injury report." The probable tag no longer exists, so players who would have been listed as probable in previous years 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, since 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 to 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. The Texans and the Bengals played on Thursday night, but everyone else has yet to play, and their fantasy-relevant injured players are represented here. Good luck in Week 2, everyone!
Late games:Running backs Players off game status injury report: Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins, knee: Ajayi will play, but his presence on the injury report because of his knee is concerning, given his history. A torn right ACL and meniscus in college likely led to some of the changes on imaging that caused concern over the long-term health of Ajayi's knee at draft time. Coach Adam Gase said Ajayi had been dealing with soreness "for a while" but also downplayed any immediate concern. It doesn't appear there is anything to worry about with regards to Ajayi's status this week, but this is something to monitor going forward. Matt Forte, New York Jets, knee/abdomen: Forte was on the injury report last week because of his knee and played, as expected. This week, he remains on the report because of his knee, but an abdominal ailment was added alongside his name. Forte was still a full participant in practice each day and is expected to again take the field this week. Wide receivers Odell Beckham, Jr, New York Giants, ankle, (Q): Another week, another questionable designation in a late game for Beckham because of his ankle injury sustained in the preseason. The difference this week is that he has made some real progress in practice -- as in, he actually returned to practice. On Thursday, Beckham was listed as limited, but he did begin route running and performed some directional movements, an indication of progress. His session with reporters after practice led to much discussion about what might be the actual timetable for his injury recovery, but it is perhaps more important to focus on what his actual activity is versus artificial timelines.Timetables are typically broad and generalized, a measure of comparison to give the injured athlete a range of outcomes based on how others have recovered previously. Considering that everyone heals differently and that the player's individual health history, along with his response to treatment, activity progression, position played and other variables, ultimately dictates his return, it's best not to rely too heavily on one timeline quoted without the benefit of context. Looking at Beckham's activity progression, it did improve from Thursday to Friday, when the Giants held a more intense padded practice. He was again listed as limited, but according to ESPN.com's Jordan Ranaan, Beckham was running routes at roughly three-quarter speed and even managed a one-handed catch in the end zone during a drill. Coach Ben McAdoo told reporters after practice Beckham "responded well to treatment" and indeed did more Friday in practice than Thursday. Ranaan believes Beckham is likely to play Monday night, and his uptick in activity over last week would certainly support his improved chances of suiting up. Will Beckham be at 100 percent health? Probably not, given that he is still limited in his practice work and is still receiving treatment, but the criteria for him to play remains the same: an ability to function combined with minimal risk of a setback. If the medical staff believes he has met this criteria as of Monday night -- and the Giants still have an uptempo practice to go on Sunday -- then Beckham will be given the clearance to play. His status will still officially come down to a game-time decision, so fantasy owners need to have a backup plan in place in the event things take a different turn before Monday's kickoff. Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins, knee, (Q): No one likes to see a late addition to the injury report, especially when that addition comes as late as Friday. Landry was placed on the report as a limited participant because of swelling in his knee but is considered likely to play. With two days between Friday's report and game time, there is certainly time for treatment to help move Landry along, and there is no travel involved, also a bonus, since the Dolphins have been in California all week. The unknown is just how effective Landry will be if he does have any limitations because of his knee. It will be important to check pregame inactives, and this game has a late start. Terrance Williams, Dallas Cowboys, ankle, (Q): After not participating in practice Wednesday or Thursday because of a left ankle injury, Williams returned to limited practice Friday and was heavily taped according to ESPN.com's Todd Archer. His involvement in Friday's practice is an encouraging sign, and his questionable listing leaves the door open for him to play in Denver. It's worth noting that this game has a late afternoon start. Players off game status injury report: Golden Tate, Detroit Lions, finger: Tate was spotted wearing a splint on his ring finger after last Sunday's game, which immediately raised questions about his status heading into Week 2. He was limited at Thursday's practice session but was upgraded to full practice Friday. For his part, Tate dismissed the injury, stating there was no fracture and that he expected to play Monday night. Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders, knee: Cooper played last Sunday after appearing on the injury report early in the week. This week, his practice followed a similar pattern -- limited Wednesday and full Thursday and Friday -- and again he was removed from the pregame injury report. Expect Cooper to start as usual on Sunday.
Early games: Quarterbacks Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings, knee, (Q):This might be the surprise of the week. Bradford's Monday night performance may have been one of the most impressive of his career, and there was no obvious indication of an injury. Yet he turned up on Wednesday's injury report as a limited participant because of his knee and remained that way throughout the week. As ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Friday, there was enough concern on the part of the Vikings to have Bradford undergo an MRI on his left knee, the same knee that has had its ACL reconstructed twice. While the results were considered negative, as in no major new injury, it's worth noting that imaging of a knee that has been through that extensive injury and surgery is not truly "normal," sometimes making the interpretation of these images more challenging. It is also reasonable to expect that a knee that has been through the trauma of back-to-back major injuries and surgeries is more susceptible to episodes of swelling, soreness and stiffness as a result of associated wear and tear on the joint. How that translates for Bradford can be both discomfort and a compromised ability to perform at his position. He obviously needs to be able to step firmly into his throws when in the pocket and move outside the pocket nimbly enough to protect himself in the face of pressure. His questionable designation indicates the team wants to wait until game time to make the definitive call. On Friday, Mortensen reported the Vikings were "cautiously optimistic" about his status for Sunday, although Case Keenum did spend extra time after practice working with wide receiver Adam Thielen. On Saturday, the Vikings promoted quarterback Kyle Sloter to the active roster from the practice squad, raising the concern level about Bradford's Sunday status. According to ESPN.com's Courtney Cronin, Bradford is traveling to Pittsburgh, suggesting this will truly be a game-time decision. Players off game status injury report: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, right shoulder: Newton made it through Week 1 unscathed, and while he may have been a bit rusty (after all, Newton played just one series in the preseason), his shoulder was not an issue. Newton did turn up on the injury report Thursday as limited, but coach Ron Rivera reassured everyone that this is just a reflection of the team managing his work through the week. Rivera called this "the new normal" for Newton, so we can expect to see him limited one day during the week going forward. Running backs Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears, shoulder, (Q): Howard was a late addition to the injury report Wednesday as a limited participant because of his shoulder. A fall onto his shoulder in last Sunday's game is responsible for Howard's appearance here, but the fact he remained limited throughout the week combined with his questionable status does raise the level of concern. It's worth pointing out that there doesn't seem to be much concern about his status coming from Chicago. It's also worth noting that the Bears were among the teams in 2016 whose players often took the field on game day, despite being listed as questionable. Still, a shoulder issue in a running back is not something to be dismissed entirely, since the shoulder is often a point of contact when encountering the defenders tasked with bringing the player to the ground. If Howard has any difficulty raising his arm, it could present a challenge in the pass-catching department, and depending on the level of discomfort and/or weakness in the shoulder, it could make blocking -- and therefore pass protection -- difficult. Everyone saw what Tarik Cohen could do last week; there could be more of that this week if Howard is limited by the shoulder. Players off game status injury report: LeSean McCoy, wrist/groin and Mike Tolbert, knee, Buffalo Bills: McCoy appeared on the injury report early in the week because of a sore wrist, which he quickly dismissed as nothing serious. He was a full participant both Wednesday and Thursday, so there was no worry about his status. On Friday however, McCoy was held out of practice and a groin injury was added next to his name. Bills coach Sean McDermott said this was a scheduled rest day for McCoy and expressed confidence the running back would handle his usual workload against the Panthers. The hope is that the groin issue is truly nothing of concern and that Sunday's game will not turn it into something that becomes a concern going forward. Tolbert also makes an appearance on the practice injury report because of his knee, but he participated fully each day and has been removed from the pregame injury report. He's facing his former team this week so, yes, he will play and he's got some motivation. Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks, ankle: Rawls was held out of the team's Week 1 contest, as he continued his recovery from a high ankle sprain. Coach Pete Carroll expressed confidence early this week that Rawls would be well enough to play in Week 2, however. His full practices and his removal from the injury report further support the notion that Rawls will make his regular-season debut Sunday when the Seahawks host the 49ers. Duke Johnson Jr., Cleveland Browns, chest: Despite being listed on the injury report with a chest injury, Johnson was a full practice participant throughout the week. His removal from the pregame injury report indicates he is expected to play. T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars, hamstring: Yeldon was held out Week 1 after being limited all week in practice, recovering from the hamstring injury he sustained in the second week of the preseason. This week, Yeldon upgraded his practice to full each day, and his removal from the pregame injury report indicates the Jaguars believe he is ready to take the field.  Wide receivers Michael Campanaro, Baltimore Ravens, ankle, (Q): In light of the hamstring injury that sent pass-catching running back Danny Woodhead to injured reserve, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco hinted that Campanaro could see some increased action. Days later, Campanaro showed up on the injury report as limited and is now questionable to play. Unfortunately, injuries have been his nemesis, and this does nothing to reverse that trend. Josh Doctson, Washington Redskins, hamstring, (Q): While no one is starting Doctson on fantasy rosters this week, many are keeping an eye on him in anticipation of whether he will ever become the player he was projected to be out of the NFL draft. If he doesn't progress out of this puzzling cycle of being quasi-injured, we may never know. Last year was a lost season for Doctson because of his Achilles-related issues. This year, a hamstring problem has been present since training camp. Last week, Doctson appeared to be making progress, as he practiced fully each day and was removed from the injury report. This week, he returned to limited practice sessions and comes into the game as a question mark. Coach Jay Gruden said earlier in the week that Doctson was "just tight," but Gruden also made it clear that Doctson's playing time would be limited if he could not get into a regular practice rhythm. It's certainly a curious situation and one that doesn't appear as if it will be resolved any time soon. Even if Doctson plays this week, his utilization may be limited. Players off game status injury report: Jamison Crowder, Washington Redskins, hip: Last Sunday, Crowder was listed as questionable, apparently to his surprise. He played without issue and was a full participant in practice each day this week, despite his presence on the injury report. His removal from the pregame injury report Friday indicates there is no question this week as to his status. Kenny Britt, Cleveland Browns, knee: Britt is a repeat of last week: He appears on the daily injury report but practiced fully throughout the week. Again, he was removed from the pregame injury report in advance of Sunday's contest. According to ESPN.com's Pat McManamon, Browns coach Hue Jackson said Britt will get his normal allotment of plays this week. Tight ends Players off game status injury report: Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills, shoulder: Clay is likely to get veteran off days intermittently as the Bills help him to manage his knee health across the season. His appearance on the injury report this week was notable for having him listed with a shoulder injury. After a limited practice Wednesday, Clay returned to full work Thursday and Friday, suggesting this is nothing serious. 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. Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts, right shoulder: Luck's offseason surgery and absence throughout the preseason is well documented. Luck has still not returned to practice, although he was spotted outside watching practice. Meanwhile, the Colts' most recent quarterback acquisition, Jacoby Brissett, is expected to get the start Sunday against the Cardinals. Danny Amendola, WR, New England Patriots, concussion/knee: Amendola's role increased last week with Julian Edelman out for the season after tearing his ACL. Unfortunately, he physically may not be able to handle the increased injury exposure, as evidenced by both the concussion and knee injury he sustained in Week 1. He did not practice all week and is out for this week's game. The big challenge for fantasy owners is trying to identify which offensive player(s) will see increased work as a result. John Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals, quadriceps: After not appearing on the Week 1 injury report, Brown not only resurfaced this week with an aggravation of the quad injury that bothered him in the preseason, he was not a practice participant the entire week and was ultimately ruled out in advance of this week's game. The comments from coach Bruce Arians were telling as far as Brown's status going forward is concerned. Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers, back: Williams did take a step forward by returning to practice with the team this week. It was only one day (Friday), and it was a limited effort, but it is the beginning of getting back to real football activity. We will continue to monitor his activity. Devontae Booker, RB, Denver Broncos, wrist: Booker continues to increase his involvement in practice -- working primarily with the scout team but also getting a handful of reps with the first and second team -- which points to his nearing a return. He is now practicing without a protective device on his wrist in limited efforts daily. Don't be surprised if he enters the mix of the Denver backfield next week. Be sure to check out Fantasy Football Now, Sundays on ESPN2 and the ESPN APP at 10:00 a.m. ET. (note new start time -- a full three hours of news and analysis) for last-minute inactives, rankings, injury impact and more!
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