NFL Player News

Cooper (knee/ankle) said he will play in Sunday's game at Detroit, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Cooper has battled through a few different injuries this season, only once missing a significant portion of a game. A limited practice session Thursday put him on track for Sunday's matchup with the Lions, regardless of how he's listed on the final injury report Friday.

Thielen (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Denver, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Absent from practice for a second straight week, Thielen will hope to rejoin the lineup after a Week 12 bye. Olabisi Johnson will once again fill in as the No. 2 receiver, with Laquon Treadwell slotting into the No. 3 role. When Thielen has been off the field this season, the Vikings mostly have relied on one/two-wide formations, with No. 2 tight end Irv Smith and fullback C.J. Ham both getting steady playing time.

Thielen (hamstring) isn't practicing Friday, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Coach Mike Zimmer wasn't ready to rule Thielen out for Week 11 after missing Thursday's practice, but another absence to close out the week makes it a virtual certainty the receiver won't be available Sunday against the Broncos. The Vikings will announce an official decision on Thielen's status with the release of their final injury report later Friday.

Brown (ankle) took part in Friday's practice, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

It won't be clear until after practice how much work Brown got in, but his participation alone is a positive sign on the heels of a missed practice Thursday. Brown's status for Sunday's game against the Texans will be revealed when the Ravens release their final injury report of the week later Friday.

Washington caught three of five targets for 49 yards in Thursday night's 21-7 loss to Cleveland.

Coming off his best performance of the campaign in Week 10 (6-90-1), Washington took a statistical step back Thursday, despite the opportunity presented by injuries to JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion) and Diontae Johnson (concussion). Washington's fantasy prospects in Week 12 figure to hinge largely on the status of his banged up fellow wideouts.

Hodge secured one of two targets for 41 yards in the Browns' 21-7 win over the Steelers on Thursday.

With the team waiving Antonio Callaway earlier in the day and Rashard Higgins not seeing a target during the contest, Hodge served as the Browns' main downfield target against the Steelers. The Prairie View A & M product had just made his first catch of the season in Week 10, and he also drew a pass interference penalty Thursday in addition to his game-long reception. Hodge could progressively carve out a larger role as a deep threat in coming weeks, beginning with a Week 12 matchup against the Dolphins a week from Sunday.

Johnson caught two of four targets for 17 yards in Thursday's 21-7 loss to the Browns before exiting in the third quarter after he was on the receiving end of a helmet-to-helmet hit from the Browns' Damarious Randall.

In what can only be characterized as an ugly game -- from the inept Pittsburgh offense to the numerous injuries to the multiple player ejections -- Johnson continued to frustrate fantasy managers before suffering his own game-ending injury. He will have 10 days to clear the league's concussion protocol before the Steelers play their next game Week 12 versus Cincinnati. Johnson was limited to three catches for 15 yards in the Steelers' first matchup with the Bengals back in Week 4.

Beckham hauled in four of 10 targets for 60 yards in the Browns' 21-7 win over the Steelers on Thursday.

Beckham led the Browns in receiving yardage on the night with his relatively modest tally. The star wideout's catch total was actually his lowest since a disastrous loss to the 49ers in Week 5, and his yardage tally ranked as his second highest over the last four contests. Beckham continues to fall well below preseason expectations, but a combination of erratic play from quarterback Baker Mayfield and questionable offensive schemes has had a significant part to play in his struggles. Beckham will look to capitalize on a favorable matchup against the Dolphins in Week 12, a week from Sunday.

Johnson (concussion) has been ruled out for the remainder of Thursday's contest against the Browns, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports.

Johnson was down on the field for several minutes after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Damarious Randall. The rookie will now enter league concussion protocol testing, so look for more updates on his status to come next week when the Steelers resume practice. In the meantime, James Washington, Johnny Holton and Tevin Jones will be the only available wideouts for Pittsburgh for the remainder of the contest.

Johnson is being evaluated for a concussion and is questionable to return to Thursday's contest against the Browns, Steelers Director of Communications Burt Lauten reports.

Johnson took a nasty helmet-to-helmet hit from Damarious Randall, who was ejected from the contest as a result. The rookie will have to pass concussion protocol before he can return to the field. The Steelers are already down JuJu Smith-Schuster -- who also suffered a concussion in Thursday's contest. As a result, James Washington, Johnny Holton and Tevin Jones will be the only active wide receivers remaining in the game.