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Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating the holiday this week. Safe travels and enjoy the time with friends and family.
darren mcfadden | hamstring | questionable
I'll lead with the most notable skill position player with an injury question during the Thursday games -- Calvin Johnson is probable and is a must start; Brandon Bostick has yet to be cleared for contact and is unlikely to play. I'm very surprised that the Raiders may be planning to activate and play McFadden, who didn't practice at all last week and took only a few reps leading up to the Thursday game. Rashad Jennings is clearly going to get the bulk of the carries, but every touch for McFadden will put him at risk of yet again aggravating a hamstring injury that's unlikely to be fully healthy. Unless you're in a superflex or very deep league, McFadden is not a fantasy option this week.
matt forte | knee | DNP
Unlike Keenan Allen last week, Forte's hyperextension was a true hyperextension. He was able to return to the game last week after missing parts of two series, but isn't practicing today. There hasn't been any discussion in the Chicago locker room about the need for an MRI, so it's likely today's missed practice is a day of veteran rest and treatment. But Forte has had MCL sprains to both knees in the past and missed time, as well as a PCL sprain at Tulane. We'll know more after tomorrow's practice report.
knowshon moreno | ankle | DNP
There were conflicting reports about Denver's level of concern about Moreno's injury on Monday. That's not surprising for what's being reported as a bone bruise near the ankle. It's a painful injury that may not have fully evolved within the first 24 hours. Depending on whether the bruise is on the inside of the ankle (worse than outside) or accompanied by a large amount of soft tissue swelling and bleeding, there may be a wide range of possibilities for Moreno's treatment and practice plan. Like Forte, much more about Moreno's availability for Week 13 will be known after tomorrow's practice report.
zac stacy | concussion | DNP
Stacy didn't officially practice today but beat writers saw him participating both in a few walkthrough reps and doing some exercise on the side. That confirms that he's progressing favorably through the return to play protocol. If he has no symptoms tomorrow, he'll be on track to increase his activity in time to be cleared for contact this week.
percy harvin | hip | limited
Expect to see Harvin listed as limited on most Wednesday for the rest of the season. Pete Carroll said last week that Harvin would not have a limited snap count after the bye. That doesn't mean that Harvin is a lock for 40+ snaps and double digit targets, however. A full practice before the end of the week would be reassuring for him.
julius thomas | knee | limited
Thomas was reportedly moving well in practice today, though he's still listed as limited. That's three consecutive limited practices for Thomas and a good indication that he's feeling comfortable with the stability in his knee. As of Wednesday, it's looking very good that Thomas returns to play. Look for a full Friday practice from Thomas to confirm he's over the sprain.
darren sproles | ankle / knee | no official report
The Saints do not have to provide an official practice report until Thursday as they play on Monday night and there's been no comment from Sproles or the team on his progress. There were no indications of a long term injury last week, however, and the working assumption was that Sproles would have had a better chance to play had the Saints not played on a short week.
jordan reed | concussion | limited
Reed was cleared for a limited practice and is moving forward on the concussion protocol. We should know his status well in advance of gameday; if he fully practices by Friday, he has been cleared to play.
michael crabtree | achilles | activated off PUP
Crabtree has been getting in what would likely be listed as limited practices over the past two weeks. The Niners activated him off the PUP list and, barring a midweek setback, intend to ease him back into the lineup this week. That's a sign that he's healthy enough to play, but not at all a guarantee that he'll be effective. Expect to see 10-25 snaps and only a handful of targets in his first weeks back.
ryan mathews | hamstring | DNP
Mathews aggravated a prior hamstring strain this week. There was some brief optimism on Twitter after Mathews was seen walking without a limp today, but I think he's a longshot to play.
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Kendall Wright (limited - ankle), Hakeem Nicks (limited - abdomen), T.Y. Hilton (DNP - shoulder), DeAngelo Williams (quad - limited) and Antonio Gates (limited - hamstring) are all tentatively expected to play this week, but all deserve close monitoring for their injuries. The news is less promising for Chris Ivory (limited - ankle), with whom there seems considerably less optimism from those following the Jets.
Follow on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news, updates and analysis. Check back Sunday morning for my expectations on Wes Welker, Adrian Peterson and this week's other game-time injury decisions.