I don't anticipate any unexpected Sunday morning debates like the one we faced with Roddy White last week, but there are a handful of wide receivers whose status won't be clear today. It's a week where the pregame notes and inactive lists aren't likely to help us. In these situations, I generally recommend benching a player with an unclear status if you've got an equally attractive option -- not rocket science, obviously -- but we'll consider each player individually below.
This column will focus primarily on skill position players. Check my Sunday AM IDP Notes feature for updates and expectations on injured defensive players.
NOTE: This column is a living document and will be updated throughout the morning. Major changes to the content will be in red. Check back often for additions as gameday inactives are announced and lineup / depth chart changes are reported. I'll also be retweeting those reports with quick bits of analysis, so make sure you're following @JeneBramel and checking my timeline on Twitter.
NOTE 2: I'll have lots more on Danny Amendola in tomorrow morning's Injury Rounds feature. If you missed my quick brain dump on the breaking news about his possible sports hernia, hip strain diagnosis and timetable, you can access it most easily here in our Forum (read from bottom up).
Larry Fitzgerald | hamstring | questionable
Fitzgerald "tweaked" his hamstring in practice Wednesday. Midweek muscle strains, even of very low grade, are tough to rehab and prep for play by Sunday. Fitzgerald reportedly looked better on Friday but is a game-time decision today.
Fantasy expectation: Fitzgerald may disappoint, but the matchup is too good to sit him in favor of any non-top 25 option if he's active today. We likely won't have any additional information on his status until the late game inactives are announced, though, so you'll need a roster hedge to keep him in your lineup.
1000 ET: Multiple league insiders are reporting that Fitzgerald is going to play today. That doesn't rule out some tightening after pregame warmup or a late decision to deactivate him. Make sure you have a hedge in place if you absolutely cannot fade a zero today.
1245 ET: Jay Glazer says Fitzgerald will try to play but estimates he's running at 80%. That's a bad setup for a receiver playing with Carson Palmer and increases the risk of an aggravation and missed games down the road. Look for another option and cross your fingers we're not talking about an extended absence this time tomorrow.
Julio Jones | knee | questionable
Roddy White | ankle | questionable
White's practice participation line is not reassuring (DNP, DNP, limited) and while he'll play, he's not likely to see his role increase from Week 1. As usual, there's nothing of value in the local or national media about Atlanta players, so it's hard to give a precise take on Jones. He's never been on the injury report with a knee problem in his NFL career, has been known to play through leg injuries in past seasons, made it through consecutive limited practices late this week and there are (as yet) no early morning whispers that he won't be ready today.
Fantasy expectation: Sit White until he practices fully on consecutive days during the week or we see him running his usual route tree again on gameday. With luck, we won't be have a repeat of White's Week 1 Sunday morning worries with Jones today. I think he's safe to start as you normally would.
1130 ET: Both White and Jones are active. There were no unexpected reports on their pregame warmups. Start Jones, but White is a desperation WR3 only. Be happy if he proves me wrong and he shows he's ready to see his usual number of targets sooner than expected.
Dez Bryant | foot | probable
Bryant practiced fully all week and had a reassuring MRI after last Sunday night's injury. He'll play and should see his usual workload today. I had more about Bryant's likely injury and a general take on why you shouldn't always fear the worst when you hear foot strain on Wednesday.
Fantasy expectation: Start Bryant as you normally would. He's not without risk of aggravation and faces a tougher-than-average corner matchup in Brandon Flowers, but neither concern is enough to sit Bryant this week.
Jermichael finley | toe | probable
Finley has a turf toe condition of unknown severity. He suffered the injury very early in the first quarter last week and was able to finish the game, though it was evident that he had difficulty slowing and cutting quickly at times. I'm not sure what "treatment" he may have had in Minnesota this week. I believe it was more of a specialist opinion than treatment, though it's possible he could have had a cortisone shot or was sized for an orthotic shoe insert. Turf toe injuries are painful and slow to heal and I expect Finley to be limited today. Still, all signs are that he'll be on the active roster and starting.
Fantasy expectation: I'd sit Finley today if you have another tight end with top ten upside. He had eight targets last week, but he's usually a high variance play and the Packers are healthy at wide receiver. Consider him a boom-bust TE1 with a lower than usual floor today.
1015 ET: Will Carroll of the BleacherReport has a source expressing concern about Finley finishing the game today. That's more reason to look use an alternative if you have one.
Reggie Bush | finger / groin / knee | probable
Bush is already dealing with multiple potential nagging injuries after Week 1. The thumb dislocation wasn't associated with significant ligament damage or a fracture. While it may hinder his ball security and ability to catch the ball cleanly, it shouldn't affect his playing time. The groin injury is slightly more worrisome, though it didn't appear to limit him last week and the three consecutive full practices this week are a very good sign.
Fantasy expectation: Joique Bell is going to see time again, but it's reasonable to expect Bush to see 20+ touches this week. I don't see the Lions getting the kind of lead in Arizona that would allow them to rest Bush in the second half. He's a borderline RB1 option in non-PPR leagues with more upside in PPR setups.
Jamaal Charles | quad | probable
The injury is reportedly more contusion (charley horse) than strain. While a contusion can be slow to heal, it's an injury that's much less likely to be aggravated or result in a cascade injury than a strain. Charles was rested for treatment until Friday when he was able to fully practice. He'll play today.
Fantasy expectation: Without knowing the full extent of the bleeding in Charles' quad, it's impossible to know the chances he'll struggle today. But the full Friday practice and early week insistence from multiple sources (including Charles himself) that the injury was minor is enough for me to consider him a RB1 today.
Daryl Richardson | foot | probable
Richardson is on the injury report with a foot injury, though early week reports suggested that it was his toe that needed to be wrapped during the game last week. Fisher gave him Wednesday off, but Richardson increased his practice participation steadily through Friday. There's always some risk with foot / toe injuries with running backs, but he's going to play today.
Fantasy expectation: I'm a little nervous about Richardson. The report of a toe wrap puts a turf toe diagnosis on the table and other foot injuries can be trouble for a running back. The practice participation is reassuring enough to keep Richardson in your lineup as a flex play, but I think he's a marginal RB2 play in Atlanta. If you're in a PPR league and have the option to flex your RB2 or RB3, I'd strongly consider a wide receiver over him in those flex slots.
Cecil Shorts | groin | probable
I'd feel better about Shorts if the team had allowed him to practice fully on Friday. Gus Bradley told reporters Friday that Shorts will start after a "nice" week of practice. There aren't any precedents for Shorts playing (or not playing) through a muscle strain, but it's likely he'll start with a plan to see his usual workload today.
Fantasy expectation: There's the potential for a lower-than-expected floor for Shorts this week, especially on the road. But the Oakland secondary is bad and Shorts had the bulk of his big weeks in last year's breakout season with Chad Henne under center. He's worth considering as a boom-bust WR3 this week.
Dwayne Allen | hip | Doubtful
Allen's injury looked like a hip pointer on television replays. That can be a very painful injury, especially if it involves a bone bruise or the contusion is pressing on the nerve that runs through the area. He was downgraded to doubtful yesterday and is not likely to play.
Fantasy expectation: I expect Allen to be inactive today. If he somehow makes the active 53, he shouldn't be in your lineup.
Best of luck in your fantasy games this weekend. I'll be back on Monday morning with updates on the status of Rob Gronkowski and Roddy White and will review the Week 2 injuries in the Monday Injury Rounds column. Follow me on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking news and analysis during the games today.
