Last Minute Decisions: Injury Report: Week 11

Week 11 of the NFL season is here, and the Rotoworld crew has everything you need to have a winning week. Patrick Daugherty answers your lineup questions with his Week 11 Rankings, Nick Mensio tells you who to start and who to fade in Start’ Em or Sit ‘Em, and Evan Silva breaks down every matchup in his award-winning Matchups Column.

As for me, I am here to shed some light on the most important injury situations facing fantasy owners heading into the weekend. The sister resource to this column is the Rotoworld News Page, which will have every single inactive and all the late-breaking news up to kickoff and beyond. I also occasionally tweet about football @RMSummerlin. 

Early Games
Broncos @ Bears
*Alshon Jeffery (groin, shoulder) did not practice Thursday or Friday and is likely to sit despite being listed as questionable. Same goes for Matt Forte (knee, questionable), although Forte was able to get in a limited session Friday. With the Bears protecting injury information like it is the formula to unlock time travel, we likely will not know either’s status until Sunday. Eddie Royal (knee) remains out. If Jeffery does miss, Marquess Wilson would be the No. 1 receiver. Shea McClellin (knee) and Pernell McPhee (knee) are both questionable.

*Peyton Manning was ruled out early this week with plantar fasciitis in his left foot and a rib-cage injury. Brock Osweiler will start in his place. Osweiler is much more mobile than Manning, and he should be able to run an offense which looks more similar to Gary Kubiak’s system in Baltimore and Houston. He is an interesting streaming option, especially with Emmanuel Sanders (ankle/finger, questionable) expected to play. Antonio Smith (hip) and Vance Walker (shoulder) are questionable, and DeMarcus Ware (back) is out.

Bucs @ Eagles
*Sam Bradford (shoulder, concussion) and Ryan Mathews (concussion) are out. Mark Sanchez will start in Bradford’s place and is a reasonable streaming option. With Mathews out, DeMarco Murray is a legitimate threat for 30 touches. Even in a tough matchup, he is a solid RB1 and a decent GPP play. Darren Sproles could see a small bump in usage, but he is still not worth using in standard formats. Jason Peters (back) did not practice Friday and is listed as questionable. Jerome Couplin (shoulder) is out.

*Despite practicing in some capacity since Week 8, Austin Seferian-Jenkins (shoulder, questionable) has still not been cleared, and coach Lovie Smith said Friday, “He’s not healthy.” At this point, it would not be surprising if Seferian-Jenkins landed on injured reserve. It will be interesting to see if we get the full story on the injury this offseason. Vincent Jackson (knee, questionable) is expected to be a game-time decision, but the Bucs have been extremely cautious with injuries. Jackson will likely sit, and Mike Evans should once again be in for a big workload. Ali Marpet (ankle), Evan Smith (knee) and Jacquies Smith (ankle) are questionable. Josh Shirley (calf) is doubtful, and George Johnson (calf) is out.

Cowboys @ Dolphins
*With Jelani Jenkins (ankle) and Spencer Paysinger (neck) doubtful, the Dolphins need Koa Misi (abdomen, questionable) to suit up. Even if Misi plays, Miami should be very thin at linebacker and even weaker against the run. Brice McCain (knee) is questionable, and Ja’Wuan James (toe) is out.

*Darren McFadden (questionable) suffered a groin injury in Wednesday’s practice and was limited Thursday and Friday. McFadden said he is “fine” and said the limited practices were only a “precaution,” and VP Stephen Jones said McFadden is fully expected to play. Despite looking like he will play, this is a reminder McFadden was never likely to hold up under the kind of workload he has seen the last month. Rod Smith looks like the backup right now, but newly-signed Robert Turbin could take over the No. 2 job as early as this week. Both are underwhelming to say the least, but Turbin could be a back-end RB2 if McFadden misses any games down the stretch. He is an interesting stash. Dez Bryant has a litany of injuries, but he is probable and will play. Bryant is a great WR1 play with Tony Romo back. Morris Claiborne (hamstring), Brice Butler (hamstring) and Ryan Russell (abdomen) are out. Kyle Wilber (toe) and Jeremy Mincey (thigh) are questionable.

Raiders @ Lions
*Calvin Johnson (ankle) is probable after getting in limited sessions Thursday and Friday. Johnson is averaging over eight targets a game the last five and has a great matchup this week. He is a solid WR1. Nevin Lawson (concussion) is questionable. He was limited on Friday, indicating he still has not completed the concussion protocol. Lawson is not an imposing matchup, but if he sits, Michael Crabtree would get an almost unbelievably good matchup against either Crezdon Butler or Bill Bentley. Crabtree is a must start in seasonal leagues, and though he will be high owned, he is a great DFS play. Don Carey (back) is also questionable, and Gabe Wright (ankle) is out.

*Rodney Hudson (ankle) returned to limited practices Thursday and Friday, but he is questionable. Tony Bergstrom would earn his second start in a row at center if Hudson sits. Lee Smith (wrist) is doubtful, and Neiron Ball (knee) is out.

Colts @ Falcons
*Leonard Hankerson (hamstring, probable) will make his return after missing two games. Hankerson had some value earlier in the season, but he was disappointing even before the injury. If anything, Hankerson’s return hurts Jacob Tamme’s streaming value. Robenson Therezie (hamstring) is out.

*With Andrew Luck (kidney) out for likely the next month, Matt Hasselbeck will start. Hasselbeck is no more than a low-ceiling QB2, but he targeted T.Y. Hilton 22 times total in two starts earlier this year. On a fast track in Atlanta, Hilton is a good DFS play at a discounted price. Mike Adams (ankle) is out, and he does not look particularly close to returning after missing practice all week. The Colts were bad against tight ends with Adams in the lineup, and they might be even worse with him sitting. Phillip Dorsett (ankle) is also out, and Josh McNary (groin) is questionable.

Jets @ Texans
*Brian Hoyer (concussion) is out as expected. T.J. Yates will get the start, but he is not a reasonable streaming option even with DeAndre Hopkins (knee, probable) making ridiculous catches. Hoyer has a good chance to return next week against the Saints. He will be a great streaming option in that matchup. Kareem Jackson (ankle) is also out. Akeem Dent (hamstring) and Chris Polk (hamstring) are questionable.

*Ryan Fitzpatrick (probable) will start just nine days removed from surgery to repair torn ligaments in his thumb. Fitz is as reliable as any QB2 out there, and he will have the services of both Brandon Marshall (toe/ankle, probable) and Eric Decker (knee, probable). Bilal Powell (ankle, probable) will be back to serve as the third-down back. Dion Bailey (ankle) is out, and Sheldon Richardson (hamstring) and Buster Skrine (shoulder, hand) are questionable.

Redskins @ Panthers
*Philly Brown is doubtful after injuring his shoulder in Thursday’s practice. Devin Funchess has grown from the receiver who looked lost early in the season to a dependable option for Cam Newton, and he should see a big bump in snaps with Brown out. Funchess is a good stash in season-long formats, and he is an okay GPP dart throw in DFS. Charles Tillman (knee) is also doubtful, and Andrew Norwell (hamstring) is out.

*Trenton Robinson (hamstring) is out. Terrance Knighton (migraines) and Keenan Robinson (shoulder) are questionable. Half the roster is probable.

Rams @ Ravens
*Kelechi Osemele (knee) is questionable after missing Friday’s practice. With Jeremy Zuttah on injured reserve with a torn pectoral, Baltimore cannot afford to be without Osemele. Justin Forsett’s value will be dinged if Osemele sits.

*Both Robert Quinn (hip) and Chris Long (knee) look like game-time decisions after being listed as questionable. Quinn missed Week 9 and has been ineffective when playing the last month, and Long has not played since Week 5. The Rams need both back healthy and effective. Tim Barnes (concussion) and Justice Cunningham (finger) are questionable. Rob Havenstein (calf) is doubtful. The Rams are extremely banged up along the offense line, and that has to ding Todd Gurley at least a little.

Afternoon Games
Packers @ Vikings
*Adrian Peterson (hamstring, probable) was never in question. Eric Kendricks (ribs, probable) should return this week. Matt Kalil (toe) and Robert Blanton (back) are questionable.

*Eddie Lacy (groin) should make his return this week, but coach Mike McCarthy has confirmed he will still play behind James Starks. This could be close to an even timeshare, which hurts the value of both players. Jared Abbrederis (rib, chest) made some noise last week as the No. 4 receiver, but he took a big hit on his final catch and is out this week. Ty Montgomery (ankle, questionable) is likely to sit out after suffering a setback in practice. T.J. Lang (shoulder) and Micah Hyde (hip) are questionable.

49ers @ Seahawks
*Marshawn Lynch (abdomen) is listed as questionable after missing practice all week, but coach Pete Carroll said he is “on the positive side of questionable.” Lynch should play although the lopsided predicted score could limit his touches in the second half. Lynch is still a start in seasonal leagues, but he is only a tournament option in DFS. Paul Richardson (hamstring) and Bruce Irvin (knee) are out.

*Carlos Hyde is out again with a stress fracture in his foot, and at this point it is hard to figure out why the 49ers have not placed him on injured reserve. Shaun Draughn, who looked competent before the bye, will lead a committee in Hyde’s place, but Draughn is tough to trust in Seattle. Anquan Boldin (hamstring) is expected to make his return despite a questionable tag, but he can be left on the bench against the Seahawks with Blaine Gabbert under center.

Chiefs @ Chargers
*Antonio Gates (knee, hip) is questionable, but he should play. Ladarius Green (ankle, questionable) also has a chance after returning to practice Friday, but he did not sound optimistic. With Malcom Floyd (shoulder) already ruled out and Green likely to join him on the sidelines, Dontrelle Inman could return WR3 value in PPR leagues. D.J. Fluker (questionable) is almost certainly out after suffering a concussion at Wednesday’s practice. Corey Liuget (foot) is also questionable.

*Ben Grubbs (neck) and Allen Bailey (calf) are out. Tyvon Branch (foot, thigh) and Ramik Wilson (ankle) are questionable.

Sunday Night
Bengals @ Cardinals
*Michael Floyd (hamstring) and John Brown (hamstrings) are both questionable. Floyd seems unlikely to play after missing practice all week, and he could be a decoy even if active, a la Brown in Week 8. Brown has a better chance to play, but he admits his hamstrings “haven’t healed” the way he would like and have “hampered” him the last several weeks. Brown was held without a catch last week. With both Floyd and Brown struggling, Larry Fitzgerald (ankle, probable) should be peppered with targets. Jaron Brown is also worth a look in deeper leagues. Mike Iupati (neck) and Markus Golden (ankle) are questionable. Jonathan Cooper (knee) is doubtful, and Cory Redding (ankle) is out.

*Adam Jones (foot), who has been one of the best corners in the league this season, is doubtful, and Michael Johnson is also doubtful after suffering a back injury in practice this week. The Bengals’ strong pass defense should be more vulnerable Sunday night, but Arizona is not in great position to take advantage with their receiver corps banged up. Pat Sims (knee) is also doubtful.

Monday Night
Bills @ Patriots
*Julian Edelman (foot) is unlikely to play again during the regular season. Danny Amendola should take on the majority of his role, but there have been rumblings Keshawn Martin (hamstring) could play a role if he is healthy. Martin practiced on a limited basis Thursday and Friday. Jamie Collins (illness) does not look likely to play after missing both practices to start the week.

*Kyle Williams (knee) has already been ruled out for Monday night. Karlos Williams (illness) was limited Thursday, but coach Rex Ryan thinks he will be able to play Monday night. Williams has scored in every game he has played in the NFL. Leodis McKelvin is also dealing with an illness, but he has not been able to practice at all this week.  

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