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peyton manning | ankle | dnp
Manning didn't practice today but is expected to play this week. A followup MRI showed no additional damage to his right ankle and any knee soreness he may have had is a minor concern. Manning could have some difficulty driving throws off his back foot or getting to the target point on zone stretch runs, but the Broncos will find ways to limit his exposure in the pocket. His floor is a little lower than usual, but I wouldn't fear the injury unless there's a late week surprise.
jimmy graham | foot / elbow | limited
Limited snap counts are going to be a possibility for Graham for the next few weeks. His torn plantar fascia is not going to heal until the season ends. For fantasy purposes, it may not matter. Graham has proven that his strong upside / floor combination can weather a relatively low snap count. It's reasonable to expect the same this week.
roddy white | shoulder | limited
White isn't fully healthy yet. He's still taking an extra step in his routes and struggling to get to top speed. But he looked better last week and played almost every snap despite the Falcons being down by three scores for the entire second half. This week, he's still limited in practice. But the ankle and hamstring injuries are off the injury report. I think that's a positive sign in his recovery. Instead, he's listed with a shoulder injury. The Atlanta medical staff was looking at White's neck and shoulder area at one point last week, but cleared him to return. We might not yet see White return to a full practice this week, but I think he's very close to returning to trustworthy fantasy status -- assuming he can avoid any aggravations of his hamstring strain.
percy harvin | hip | limited
All indications are that Harvin will play this week but work on a snap count. In order to be active, he'll need to complete a full week of practice. If he does and has no soreness after game contact, I expect he'll be cleared for a much larger role after the Seattle bye week.
vernon davis | concussion | limited
Davis has been talking to the media and was cleared to practice in a non-contact jersey on Wednesday. Unless he has a recurrence of symptoms, he'll very likely be cleared by the independent neurologist in time to practice Friday and play this weekend.
tony gonzalez | toe | dnp
I don't expect to hear any meaningful information from Gonzalez or the Falcons this week. We don't know which toe is injured or what type of injury Gonzalez has. I'm working under the assumption that Gonzalez is a game-time decision at best. Though he's been able to use his flawless technique and skill to catch passes without separation for much of this season, the most likely types of toe injuries will make it even more difficult for him to produce. He'll need to be practicing fully to convince me he'll be able to handle his usual workload this week.
shane vereen | wrist
The Patriots don't play until Monday night and haven't released their first injury report of the week yet. Vereen was seen in pads on Tuesday, however, and is expected to return to play. He'll need to get back in football shape, but his cardiovascular condition shouldn't be an issue and there's no major risk of an aggravation of his wrist injury. His production will be much more dependent on the New England game plan than his injury.
terrelle pryor | knee | dnp
Pryor admitted his MCL sprain hindered him last week. It may be another 1-2 weeks before he feels his joint is fully stable. For a mobile quarterback who uses both designed runs and scrambles to pad his numbers, it's a tough injury to overcome. It may only be 50-50 that he plays this week, but I'd like to see a full practice and more optimism in locker room interviews before trusting Pryor to be his usual self in pads.
michael crabtree | achilles | pup
Crabtree hasn't been activated off the PUP list yet, so the Niners do not have to list him on the injury report. Beat writer reports suggest he's still in the limited category, but Crabtree hinted that he might be able to play as soon as this week. He's still not running routes at full speed and may not be cleared for full contact yet. I think Week 12 is a more likely return date for him and it'll likely be another 2-4 weeks before we see San Francisco give Crabtree enough snaps and targets to be consistently fantasy relevant.
stevie johnson | groin | dnp
darren mcfadden | hamstring | dnp
I'll be surprised if either Johnson or McFadden practice or play this week. McFadden's aggravated hamstring injury is more likely to be a four week injury than a two week injury. Johnson has played through groin injuries effectively before, but the cascade is clear. From back to hamstring to groin strains to both sides, Johnson doesn't have the ability to effectively compensate for any injury now. Although Robert Woods is likely out again with a high ankle sprain, I think the Bills will have no choice but to rest Johnson this week.
calvin johnson | knee | dnp
vincent jackson | knee | limited
maurice jones-drew | knee | dnp
These situations could grow into a larger concern by the end of the week, but I think these three players fall under the category of veteran maintenance. I'll track the practice participation and locker room interviews closely. Check back Sunday morning for any change in their expectations.
Follow on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news, updates and analysis. Check back Sunday morning for my expectations on Arian Foster, Roddy White and this week's other game-time injury decisions.