Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford has missed the past two games with a shoulder injury. He practiced in full on Thursday and is expected to go against the New England Patriots this week.
From a fantasy perspective, this amounts to a hill of beans. Based off his previous performance and the Eagles lack of recent success, there is no reason to rely on Bradford in any format this week.
Despite some internal drama regarding what actually took place on Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger should be good to go. Still in the league's concussion protocal, Big Ben has past through the early stages, meaning he should be under center when the Steelers take on Indianapolis this weekend.
With Chris Johnson likely out for the season and Andre Ellington ruled out for Sunday's game, rookie running back David Johnson will likely get a bulk of the touches for Arizona. This makes him a solid RB2 option against the St. Louis Rams. It's also an opportunity for the talented rookie to prove he can handle an every-down role in Bruce Arians offense.
Buffalo Bills running back Karlos Williams did not practice on Thursday after suffering a shoulder injury against the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Williams is unlikely to go this week, which means that LeSean McCoy should see even more opportunities.
McCoy put up 101 total yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs in Week 12. He's tallied 16-plus touches and 100-plus total yards in each of the past five games. Despite taking on a Houston Texans defense that ranks in the top-10 of the NFL against fantasy running backs, McCoy is a big-time play this week.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns suffered a concussion last week and is still in the league's protocal. Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olson admitted on Thursday that Hurns is unlikely to go against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
With an average of over seven targets per game this season, Hurns will be sorely missed. This is an indication that Allen Robinson will be even more highly-targeted than we have seen in the past. He's a top-end fantasy option this week.
Another player to keep an eye on here is Bryan Walters, who who has put up 30 receptions for 350 yards in 10 games this season.
New York Jets corner Darrelle Revis is unlikely to play for a second consecutive week after suffering a concussion back in Week 11. Having to take on Odell Beckham on Sunday, this puts the Jets in a bad spot. It's also a clear indication that the New York Giants receiver is going to be an absolute fantasy stud come the weekend.
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert, who suffered a stinger against the St. Louis Rams last week, didn't practice on Thursday and is highly unlikely to go against the Cleveland Browns come Sunday.
While Eifert has only seen seven targets over the past two games, he's been a major part of the Bengals success this season. If he's unable to go, the expectation here has to be that Cincinnati will find a way to utilize Giovani Bernard more in the passing game. Bernard put up 13 receptions on 16 targets in the two games prior to last week when he was held to two catches for 51 yards.
Despite being listed as questionable with an ankle injury, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is expected to play Thursday against the Green Bay Packers. While a Thursday game would normally constitute a short week, Detroit last played on Thanksgiving. This means Johnson should still remain a viable fantasy option. Johnson put up 81 yards on six catches the first time these two met and is coming off a three-touchdown performance against the Philadelphia Eagles last week.