NFL Player News

Thomas (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game in Chicago, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Marquez Callaway (ankle) and Emmanuel Sanders (reserve/COVID-19) also will miss the game, leaving Tre'Quan Smith and Deonte Harris as the Saints' top options at wide receiver. Thomas was a limited practice participant Thursday and Friday, perhaps inching toward a return for Week 9 against Tampa Bay or Week 10 against San Francisco. He still hasn't played in a game since the season opener.

Robinson (concussion) has been downgraded to doubtful for Sunday's game against the Saints, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

The initial 'questionable' designation did seem a bit optimistic, considering Robinson was held out of practice all week and will be just six days removed from suffering a concussion come Sunday. Javon Wims is the favorite to fill in as a starting wideout, but it'll likely be a team effort to replace Robinson's average of 10 targets per game. A 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff means official confirmation on Robinson's active/inactive status may not be available until around 3:00 p.m.

Miller (hip/groin) was a limited practice participant Friday, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Miller has been banged up for most of the season but still hasn't missed a game. He had season highs for targets, catches and yards last week, also scoring his second TD of the year in a blowout win over the Raiders. Miller should have a significant role Monday night against the Giants, as fellow wide receiver Chris Godwin (finger) isn't expected to play.

Shepard (shoulder/toe) was a limited practice participant Friday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Shepard returned from a four-game absence for last Thursday's loss to Philadelphia, hauling in six of eight targets for 59 yards and a touchdown. His ability to log limited practices Thursday and Friday suggests he's on track to play in Monday's game against Tampa Bay, but the wide receiver does have a rather worrisome injury history, beyond even the recent issues. Shepard also has a tricky matchup this week, facing a Bucs defense that's given up the ninth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers. It remains to be seen if the Giants give him a game designation when they release their final injury report Saturday.

McKenzie (ankle) does not carry an injury tag for Sunday's game against the Patriots.

McKenzie began the week with two limited practices, but he upgraded to a full session Friday. He'll resume handling his usual depth role in Buffalo's receiving corps while also taking the occasional snap out of the backfield.

Ridley (foot) is considered day-to-day after getting an MRI, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

It seems the wideout got good news from both X-rays and an MRI, with the Falcons hoping to have him back for Week 9 against the Broncos. It'll help to have 10 days between games after a Thursday contest, but Ridley nonetheless figures to show up on the injury report next week. He was forced out of Thursday's win over Carolina after 23 snaps, catching three of four targets for 42 yards before his departure.

Brown (knee) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game at Cincinnati, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

For the second straight week, Brown didn't practice Thursday before returning as a full participant Friday and avoiding a designation in advance of Sunday. Thus, he'll be available this weekend against a Bengals defense that has allowed 9.0 yards per target to wide receivers (ninth worst in the NFL) this season.

Robinson missed another practice Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints.

It wouldn't be totally unheard of for a player to pass through the concussion protocol and play in a game without logging any practice time, but Robinson faces the added challenge of doing it on a short week, having suffered the brain injury during Monday's loss to the Rams. A 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff will make things more difficult for fantasy managers if the wideout's availability comes down to a game-time decision, and there's also potential for strong winds to impact passing in the Saints-Bears game. On the other hand, Robinson is averaging 77.7 yards and 10 targets per week, so there's still plenty of upside even in suboptimal circumstances. If he ends up missing the game, Javon Wims would be the most likely fill-in starter, while a slew of players could see added targets.

Chisena (undisclosed) is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Green Bay.

Even if he suits up, Chisena's impact is likely to be limited to special teams situations. His contributions on the stat sheet through six games have been limited to one fumble recovery.

Parker (groin) practiced in full Friday and does not have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Rams, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Parker was limited by a groin injury during the week's first two practices, but as expected he's on track for Sunday's game against the Rams. The No. 1 wideout's presence will allow rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa the benefit of having his top weapon available in his first NFL start against a tough Los Angeles defense.