THURSDAY NIGHT EXPECTATIONS
A.J. Green is not on this week's injury report. His snap count was limited last week against Jacksonville but his usage wasn't too far off what he would normally see (six targets, 3-44-1, not including one touchdown called back by penalty). He's a full go tonight and should be started as you normally would. Gio Bernard is listed doubtful, but has no chance to play tonight. I'll have more on him next Monday. Jordan Cameron is still not practicing and, as noted on Monday, should be considered out indefinitely until we see him increase his activity.
andrew hawkins | knee/thigh | QUESTIONABLE
Hawkins wants to play against his former team on Thursday night, but is considered a game time decision with thigh and knee injuries. He managed only a limited Wednesday walkthrough. The short week may prove too tough for him to overcome.
Fantasy expectation: I'd avoid Hawkins in lineups tonight, unless there are very reassuring reports in pregame warmups and you need a body in deeper PPR leagues. The matchup is strong, especially with slot corner Leon Hall out with a concussion for the Bengals. But there's too much risk of starting your Week 10 with a very low score to trust Hawkins is ready to see his usual usage.
Wes Welker (back - full), Mark Ingram (shoulder - limited), Reggie Bush (ankle - full), Frank Gore (hip - limited), Percy Harvin (heel - limited), Vincent Jackson (knee - DNP), Kenny Stills (thigh - limited), and Brandon Lloyd (hamstring - limited) are all expected to play but I'll watch their practice participation reports closely and update on Twitter and the Sunday AM Expectations feature as needed.
Pierre Thomas (shoulder/rib - DNP), Doug Martin (ankle - DNP), and Stepfan Taylor (calf - DNP) are very unlikely to play this week. I'll update with more next Monday.
TONY ROMO | BACK | DNP
Romo didn't officially work out on Wednesday, but was throwing passes before and after practice. I don't expect him to practice on Thursday either. But I think there's a much better chance of him playing this week than last. The lone rub is here is the Cowboys' Week 11 bye. If Romo isn't appreciably more comfortable by Saturday, an additional two weeks of rest may be prescribed. All things considered -- including Brandon Weeden's play and Jerry Jones' not-so-subtle media push -- I'm giving Romo a 90+% chance to play.
The additional days of rest, healing, and treatment should have allowed the pain and muscle spasm around his back fractures to calm significantly. There will still be discomfort and a risk of him leaving the game early if he takes another hit to the same area, but it's an injury that can be played through while healing. Expect moments of inaccuracy and ineffectiveness this week, however.
aaron rodgers | hamstring | full
The bye week left Rodgers' status up in the air a bit, but the full Monday unofficial workout and a full Wednesday practice mean Rodgers is good to go this week. He may be somewhat limited outside the pocket and is still within the window of a potential aggravation, but Rodgers will be a safe fantasy start barring a late week setback.
calvin johnson | ankle | full
By Sunday morning, Johnson will have had five weeks of rehab and recovery time without live game action. He told reporters Wednesday he was nearly 100% and there's little reason to worry about him this week. I believe he'll see as many targets as the Lions can get him against Miami's very strong pass rushers.
lamar miller | shoulder | limited
Miller's injury is reportedly an AC sprain. That's a painful injury for a running back to play through. But any Wednesday practice is a great sign in this situation. It makes no sense to allow Miller to risk a midweek flare up due to an unexpected hit or fall, so it's likely Miller has a very low grade injury. A mid-game aggravation cannot be ruled out, of course, but Miller seems to be on track to increase his practice participation and take a full work load in Week 10.
sammy watkins | groin | limited
Watkins left practice with a groin injury and, according to Adam Schefter, had a precautionary MRI for what is believed to be a minor injury. Midweek muscle strains are of particular concern for receivers, however. If Watkins is practicing in any capacity on Thursday, it's an excellent sign he'll be full go on Sunday. Don't be surprised if we're left hanging until Friday (and possibly Sunday) here, though. I'd hold Watkins out of your Thursday DFS lineups unless we get very positive Thursday practice news.
rashad jennings | knee | dnp
I was a little surprised Jennings didn't practice on Wednesday. He's been working through the conditioning process for two weeks now. High grade ligament injuries can take every bit of six weeks to scar and remodel and tighten up, however, and that may be where we are with Jennings. ESPN's Dan Graziano reported Wednesday that Week 11 is the target date for Jennings' return. There's no guarantee he meets that goal, but there's doesn't seem to be any chance he'll go this week.
fred jackson | groin | limited
montee ball | groin | limited
Both Ball and Jackson began the football-related activity and conditioning phase of their recoveries on Wednesday. I don't see a realistic chance either plays this week. Next week isn't a guarantee either, but consecutive conditioning workouts this week will be positive. I'll be impressed in Jackson can recover and condition and get enough strength back to play next Thursday night, but that's been his goal since the injury.
doug baldwin | groin | DNP
cecil shorts | hamstring | limited
Neither Baldwin nor Shorts have been ruled out this week. But there seems to be concern about Baldwin's availability and Shorts will reportedly not practice on Thursday. Friday participation will be huge for both.
Follow on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news, updates and analysis. Check back Sunday morning for my expectations on all of this week's game-time injury decisions.