Last week, I wrote about game-time decisions and how to decide whether a player who isn't fully ready to practice should be in your fantasy lineup. That may come in handy this week for the long list of players that will be limited by injury but may not know how much until Sunday morning. I'll quickly update the injury situations on all these players today, with the hope that the Sunday Injury Expectations feature will have more specific and detailed information.
INSIDE THE INJURY REPORT
Reggie Bush | knee | full participation
Bush was still wearing a sleeve today but practiced fully. If there's no swelling in his knee overnight, it's very likely that he'll be ready to go this week in his usual role. It also reassures that the injury was not cartilage related.
LeSean McCoy | ankle
Michael Vick | ankle
The Eagles haven't released an official participation report as I publish this. I'll update when they do. Both McCoy and Vick will be listed at least as a limited practice, with both expected to play. One media member noted that McCoy was walking with a heavy limp after practice today. I'll be watching his progress closely this week, but you should prepare for a lighter than usual workload for him in Week 4.
C.J. Spiller | quad | full participation
Spiller and Doug Marrone told reporters that his injury was minor on Monday and this practice report backs that up. It won't be surprising if Spiller is limited tomorrow, even if there are no concerns. Fred Jackson is likely more of a threat to Spiller's fantasy value than the quad contusion.
Rob Gronkowski | arm / back | limited participation
The weekend report that Gronkowski's arm was holding him back didn't fit with the decision to activate him from the PUP list. It made sense that he was closer to returning than not. Gronkowski was again in pads today, but this time he was allowed to talk with the media. Though he deferred and didn't give any specific answers, most came away with the impression that he's more likely to play this week. We're not likely to get any information from the team or Gronkowski, but there are enough national and local media members who have been on target with New England injury news that we should have a strong guess by Saturday.
Ray Rice | hip flexor strain | limited participation
Limited practice participation is different from team to team. Local media members who were at practice today suggested that Rice was much closer to full participation than not. Rice talked to the media after practice and told them he plans to play. Expect to see him back, though possibly in a 50-50 timeshare with Bernard Pierce, this week.
Andre Johnson | shin | DNP
Gary Kubiak said that Johnson was very sore today and is already referring to him as a game-time decision. The Texans didn't give any specifics on Johnson's Monday MRI, saying only that he has a bruise. That leaves open the possibility of both a bone bruise and soft tissue hematoma. Neither injury is easy to run with and would limit Johnson all week. The best case scenario here will be a gradual increase in practice participation all week, but it's looking like a Friday partial participation at best. Have a backup plan in place in case the Texans training staff isn't able to get the swelling out of Johnson's leg in time.
Vincent Jackson | ribs | DNP
Early reports of Jackson undergoing a battery of tests sounded worrisome, but all subsequent reports are that his rib injury is minor. It's hard to know how significant Jackson not practicing today may be with the bulk of the media attention today focused on the benching of Josh Freeman. I'd lean toward projecting Jackson to play this week, but I'll have more after his Thursday and Friday practice reports.
Larry Fitzgerald | hamstring
Fitzgerald wasn't his usual self last week and ran a limited route tree, but made it through the game without a setback. He's still at risk of an aggravation during practice or the game, but he seems to be improving while playing through his low grade strain. I'm still waiting for an official report on his practice participation today.
Vernon Davis | hamstring | limited participation
It's been suggested that Davis rested last week in preparation for this week's Thursday night game against a divisional opponent. The increase in practice participation supports that argument and most expect he'll play tomorrow night. However, Davis isn't fully practicing and his sideline demeanor in Seattle looked like a player with a concerning injury. There's no guarantee he'll get his usual targets or play with his usual effectiveness tomorrow. Consider him a boom-bust TE1.
Roddy White | ankle | DNP
We're getting closer to White's return to form, but my recommendation is unchanged. He's not a fantasy option until we see him practice fully (preferably on consecutive days) or the Falcons allow him to run a full route tree on Sundays.
Danny Amendola | groin | limited participation
I wrote extensively on Amendola's injury on Monday morning. Though he was back practicing in pads today and is now three weeks into his rehab from a torn adductor tendon, I still think this will prove to be a 4-6+ week recovery. Amendola has a long history of pushing the limits of an optimistic recovery timetable, however, and it'll be interesting to see what local observers have to say about his progress next week.
Daryl Richardson | foot | full participation
Richardson was listed as full participation on Thursday and Friday last week and probable on the injury report. A late Sunday morning note from a trusted local media source (Jim Thomas, St. Louis Post-Dispatch) suggested that Richardson wasn't doing nearly as much in practice as the official report suggested and Richardson left the game after just two snaps. He was again listed as full participation after yesterday's practice, the last full practice before tomorrow night's game. It's risky to use him as more than a flex option, but Richardson and the local sources all seem more optimistic than last week.
Le'Veon Bell | foot sprain | full participation
Bell has practiced fully for two consecutive weeks and Mike Tomlin strongly suggested that he'll play (and could start) this week. Ben Roethlisberger wasn't as optimistic with Bell's progress after today's practice , but I expect Bell to be active. Wait until you see how he responds in a game behind a makeshift interior line before trusting him as more than a desperation flex.
Miles Austin | hamstring | DNP
The Cowboys called Austin's hamstring minor on Monday. While it may be accurate that Austin has a low grade strain, no hamstring injury for Austin is minor. He's had more significant strains, setbacks and aggravations and the Cowboys have been ultra-conservative with his rehab phase in the past. Don't be surprised if he sits this week.
Terrell Pryor | concussion | DNP
The NFL's standard return to play protocol can be navigated in five days if a player has no symptoms shortly after the injury. It's a very good sign for Pryor's availability that he was cleared for exercise today. He'll still have to pass multiple exercise tests, a neurocognitive computer exam and be cleared by an independent neurologist, but he has a chance to be cleared for Sunday. We'll know more by Friday.
AROUND THE TRAINING TABLE
Steven Jackson's injury is now being called a hamstring strain. Regardless, it's still a 3-4 week injury. ... Stevie Johnson has a hamstring injury. He's played through low grade injuries before, but we'll need to watch his practice participation closely. ... Steve Smith returned from a hip pointer last week and should play in Week 4. ... Nate Burleson had surgery for a broken arm and will likely be out at least 8-10 weeks. ... Chris Ivory aggravated a hamstring strain last week and could be out for multiple weeks. ... Kenny Britt has a fractured rib. ... Jordan Reed missed practice today with a quad contusion and could be limited this week. ... Brandon Weeden will miss another week with a thumb sprain. ... Christian Ponder's Week 4 status is unknown after last week's rib injury.
IDP ROUNDS
There were lots of significant defensive injuries last week. Anthony Spencer (microfracture surgery), Henry Melton (ACL), Jason Jones (torn patellar tendon), and three Arizona outside linebackers (Sam Acho, Lorenzo Alexander and Alex Okafor) are out for the season. Cameron Wake suffered a sprained MCL that could keep him limited to situational pass rushing duty this week, if he plays at all. Patrick Willis will likely miss tomorrow night's game with a groin injury. Duke Iheancho continues to battle an ankle injury. Mario Williams reportedly has a mild ankle sprain.
Follow on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news, updates and analysis. Check back Sunday morning for my expectations on Rob Gronkowski, LeSean McCoy, Andre Johnson and the week's game-time injury decisions.
