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The day has finally come -- maybe. Rob Gronkowski is likely to play today. There's room for one last surprise, however, so stay tuned to this feature and Twitter this morning for any breaking updates. The expectations are also reassuring for Calvin Johnson and Adrian Peterson.
This column will focus primarily on skill position players. Check my Sunday AM IDP Notes feature for updates and expectations on injured defensive players.
NOTE: This column is a living document and will be updated throughout the morning. Major changes to the content will be in red. Check back often for additions as gameday inactives are announced and lineup / depth chart changes are reported. I'll also be retweeting those reports with quick bits of analysis, so make sure you're following @JeneBramel and checking my timeline on Twitter.
rob gronkowski | arm / neck | questionable
Gronkowski has reportedly been cleared to play by all medical parties, but the final decision is up to him. There's still a chance -- albeit very slight -- that Gronkowski isn't mentally ready to play. In reality, that's now clearly been the issue all along. It's unlikely that anything medical has changed in the past seven days in his arm. Gronkowski has reportedly been his usual beasting self in practices over the past month and taken multiple weeks of contact. So there should be no conditioning issues. That and the state of the New England offense, especially around the red zone, argues strongly that Gronkowski will be used early and often on his return. If Gronkowski is limited today, it's going to be a confidence issue. And that's something Gronkowski has rarely had.
Fantasy recommendation: Don't commit to Gronkowski until you confirm he's on the active roster. But if he's active, he belongs in your lineup unless you have the luxury of a clear top three option -- Tony Gonzalez, Vernon Davis, Julius Thomas -- and can see how Gronkowski performs. Even then, it's hard to sit Gronkowski.
Adrian Peterson | hamstring | probable
Peterson had his practice reps limited by a "tight" hamstring this week. He's listed probable and will play Monday night unless his pregame warmup goes poorly. Hamstring injuries usually cost running backs at least one week of explosiveness and change of direction, but Peterson has played effectively through muscle strains in the past and the descripton of his injury reads like a very low grade injury. He's not without risk, but it's impossible to keep him out of a fantasy lineup.
Fantasy recommendation: Plan to use Peterson as you usually would on Monday night. Only an in-game aggravation is likely to slow him down today.
CALVIN JOHNSON | KNEE | probABLE
After another confusing press conference from Jim Schwartz on Monday, the news has been all positive on Johnson this week. He's made it through three consecutive limited practices and reportedly been moving better as the week progressed. That's similar to the story we heard this time last week, however, and Johnson didn't look comfortable during last week's game. Pregame warmup details will be helpful here, but expect Johnson to be closer to his usual workload today.
Fantasy recommendation: Johnson carries some risk today, but start him as you usually would barring a surprise during pregrame warmups.
cecil shorts | sc sprain | questionable
Shorts has a sternoclavicular sprain. It's not the same high-grade injury that kept Ben Roethlisberger and Danny Amendola out multiple weeks, but it will be tough to play through effectively. Shorts will have pain when he lifts his arm away from his body in any plane and it's an area that's tough to pad and protect against contact with tacklers and the ground. Pain-killing injections could help, but Shorts will struggle today if he goes. Expect his targets to be limited due to difficulty gaining separation and it's likely he'll need come off the field to regroup after being tackled.
Fantasy recommendation: Consider Shorts only if his pregame reports are glowing and Justin Blackmon is inactive. Even then, he's a boom-bust option at best.
c.j. spiller | ankle | probable
Spiller increased his practice participation all week, including his first full practice in weeks on Friday. Spiller has said he's not 100% yet. More importantly, Doug Marrone doesn't feel Spiller is all the way back yet. We've seen what that means for Spiller's usage over the past two weeks and it's not promising. Spiller has home-run upside given his ability to break a long run on any carry, but the rotation with Fred Jackson in running situations and Tashard Choice in receiving situations will again limit his touches.
Fantasy recommendation: Spiller remains a boom-bust fantasy option until we see him used more in the passing game or getting a 55-45 split or better with Fred Jackson in carries.
justin blackmon | hamstring | questionable
Blackmon didn't practice Friday. That's often a worrisome sign, but the Jaguars have dressed and started players who haven't practiced on Friday this year and Blackmon told reporters this week that he's playing today. Obviously, that's not a certainty until he makes it through pre-game warmups and is put on the active roster. The usual caveats apply to Blackmon -- he's at risk of an aggravation at any time, his route tree could be limited -- but his late week confidence is a good sign.
Fantasy recommendation: If Blackmon is active, he's safe to use in lineups. The San Diego secondary and likelihood that Cecil Shorts will be out or severely limited should keep Blackmon's targets high.
brandon jacobs | hamstring | questionable
Jacobs is considered a game-time decision, but he did not practice on Friday. Though there's a chance Tom Coughlin and the medical staff are managing his reps, that's generally a bad sign for most running backs. He carries the usual risk of in-game (or pregame) aggravation, and potentially more so than other players due to his age and previous durability history.
Fantasy recommendation: There's a high risk of an in-game setback and the Monday night start makes reacting to a game-time decision nearly impossible. Unless you're in a flex league and have a viable hedge, sit Jacobs this week.
michael vick | hamstring | questionable
Vick again practiced fully on Friday, but he had ruled himself out of today's game on Thursday. Chip Kelly wouldn't commit to a quarterback on Friday, but it's very unlikely Vick suits up as more than an emergency quarterback today. If he does, there's a high risk of an in-game setback or a quarterback change if Vick is ineffective. The full practice is a good sign that Vick could return for Week 8, but that may depend as much on the play of Nick Foles as Vick's health.
Fantasy recommendation: Sit Vick even if he's active and starting today.
jake locker | knee / hip | questionable
The Titans list Locker questionable, but most indications have him playing today after a full Friday practice. He's had a bulky knee brace on and is clearly not as mobile as usual, but reportedly wants to play. There's no guarantee he'll finish the game and faces a tough road matchup without much of a running game, so he's a risky fantasy option in multiple dimensions.
Fantasy recommendation: Sit Locker except where desperate in 2 QB leagues.
Best of luck in your fantasy games this weekend. I'll be back on Monday morning to review all the Week 7 injuries in the Injury Rounds column. Follow me on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking news and analysis during the games today.
