Coming off a Thanksgiving week when there were three games played on Thursday and a number of players on the injury report, this week’s Thursday night game preview injury report feels very light. The Dallas Cowboys head to Minnesota to face the Vikings and none of the Cowboys’ skill position players appear on the injury report -- not even wide receiver Dez Bryant, who has been a relative fixture there throughout the season.
The biggest injury issues for Dallas coming into Thursday night are on its defense. It does appear they may be getting safety Barry Church back, as he participated in limited practices throughout the week. He is listed as questionable on the injury report after missing the past four weeks with a forearm fracture. If he does play, he will have his forearm wrapped with a protective shell (much like Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis wore in last year’s Super Bowl), but his hands will be free.
The Minnesota Vikings have a player on the injury report whose status is of interest to many fantasy owners: wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Listed officially as questionable with a knee injury, Diggs sat out Week 12 (a Thanksgiving Day game for the Vikings), so he has had an additional week to recover since the team last played. Diggs was able to practice each day this week, progressing from limited to full on Wednesday, and his upward trending practice status suggests he will play, barring a setback. Fantasy owners should always check pregame inactives to verify a questionable player’s status.
If Diggs returns, he will have his quarterback, Sam Bradford, throwing to him. Bradford was on the practice injury report this week because of an ankle injury, but he also was a full participant Wednesday after two limited sessions earlier in the week. Bradford was removed from the game-status injury report and is expected to make his usual start.
Wide receiver Adam Thielen was also listed on the injury report, because of his shoulder, but he was a full participant throughout the week and is off the pregame injury report. Thielen should be able to play without limitation, giving him increased value if for some reason Diggs ends up being inactive.
For questions about the new injury reporting language, click here.