Between vague injury designations, coy press conferences, and coaches treating a player's availability like it's classified information, fantasy managers have spent the week trying to decipher what "we'll see" actually means - looking at you, Coach Kubiak. Fortunately, practice participation and historical injury data tend to be a little more forthcoming.
So while NFL teams continue trolling our fantasy lineups, let's cut through the noise and figure out who's actually playing in Week 3, who's worth the risk, and who belongs on your bench.
Understanding the NFL's Injury Report
(per Dr. Bramel - Footballguys OG)
"The injury report released by the NFL is [made up of] two reports. The first is the Practice Participation report, which lists which injured players practiced and their participation level. It also includes players who rested or missed practice for non-injury-related reasons. The second is the Game Status Report, which gives the probability that a player will play, i.e., Questionable, Doubtful, Out. The Practice Participation Report is released every day of the week (Monday through Saturday). The Game Status Report is released with the Friday participation report (Wednesday for Thursday games, Saturday for Monday games). In this feature, I'll include the Game Status Listing and my expectations of their likelihood of playing."
- Gameday Decision = this is going to come down to how the player feels in pre-game warmups
- Trending Doubtful = Likely Inactive
- Trending Probable = Likely Active
- Ruled Out = This player has already been ruled out; get him out of lineups!
If you are reading this article on Saturday, come back Sunday morning as more updates trickle in over the next 24 hours.
Current Status on High-Impact Injured Players
Gameday Decision
- WR DJ Moore
- WR Michael Pittman Jr.
- TE Brock Bowers
Trending Doubtful
- WR Zay Flowers
- WR Puka Nacua
- QB Tyson Bagent
Trending Probable
- QB Sam Darnold
- WR Jalen Coker
- RB RJ Harvey
- RB J.K. Dobbins
- WR Mike Evans
- RB Saquon Barkley
Ruled Out
- WR Nico Collins (hamstring)
- RB Rico Dowdle (toe)
- RB Jonah Coleman (ankle)
- TE Chig Okonkwo (hamstring)
- QB Jaxson Dart (knee - IR)
- QB Jayden Daniels (elbow)
- WR Caleb Douglas (ankle)
- WR Alec Pierce (ankle - IR)
- RB Jonathon Brooks (core - IR)
- TE Dallas Goedert (knee)
- TE David Njoku (fibula - IR)
- TE Charlie Kolar (arm)
* Key: Player, Team | Injury | Game Status Listing | Playing Projection
Sunday 1:00 PM EST Games
QB Sam Darnold, Seattle | Hip/Glute | Questionable | Projecting Active
Sam Darnold practiced in full on Thursday and, by all accounts, will be active in Week 3. When this injury occurred, I was concerned it would be a multi-week absence, but it appears Darnold avoided a serious injury. I wouldn't expect his hip to limit him much, but I am concerned a similar type of hit/tackle could cause an extended absence.
WR Jalen Coker, Carolina | Ankle | Questionable | Projecting Active
Jalen Coker's outlook for Week 3 was looking shaky after he missed practice Thursday. However, Coker returned Friday as a limited participant and appears to be on track to play Sunday.
After Coker's hot start to the season, I'd keep him in fantasy lineups if he's active, especially considering ankle injuries carry a low Injury Burden Score - my metric that combines post-injury changes in fantasy production, snap share, and target share to estimate how much an injury typically impacts a player's fantasy value after returning. This low score suggests ankle injuries generally have a limited impact on those areas once a player is back on the field.
WR Michael Pittman Jr. | Foot | Questionable | Projecting Inactive
Michael Pittman Jr. was limited this week with a foot injury, and we also got some details on the specifics.
Ian Rapoport on Michael Pittman Jr.'s injury: "My understanding is he's dealing with a flare-up of his plantar fascia in his feet. So, something that can be incredibly uncomfortable. Something that also doesn't go away and is going have to be something we're gonna keep an eye on." #Steelers #NFL
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) September 23, 2026
This is a specific injury designation, and I don't have much data on it because we don't often see it, although I suspect it happens more than is reported. What I can tell you is it's a painful injury that takes time and rest for symptoms to calm down- typically 2-4 weeks. The fact that Pittman is doing something is encouraging, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him rest for another week.
WR DJ Moore, Buffalo | AC Joint Sprain | Questionable | Projecting Active
DJ Moore has had a few extra days to recover from his AC joint sprain in Week 2 since the Bills played on Thursday night. When minor, most AC joint sprains result in 0-1 weeks missed but still carry a high risk of re-injury. Based on historical trends in practice reports, it's basically a 50/50 shot a player starts when limited on the final practice report. I suspect Moore plays, but luckily you should know well before kickoff and have a pivot option with the early slate.
TE Chig Okonkwo, Washington | Hamstring | Out | Inactive
Chig Okonkwo has not played since Week 1 as he continues to recover from a hamstring strain. I suspect he returns to practice next week, and his participation will provide more clarity on his Week 4 availability. I don't expect his absence to be much longer.