NFL Player News

Wilson (ankle) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Wilson picked up an ankle injury during Dallas' Thanksgiving Day loss to the Raiders, and the issue kept him out of practice last week and didn't allow him to play last Thursday at New Orleans. As such, his return to practice Wednesday marks his first activity since Week 12 prep. Wilson will have two more chances to be a full participant Thursday and/or Friday before the Cowboys potentially tab him with a designation ahead of Sunday's game at Washington.

Toney (oblique) didn't practice Wednesday, Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Toney remains limited to side work with the training staff, while Sterling Shepard (quadriceps) has progressed to limited practice participation. Kenny Golladay (ribs) also missed Wednesday's practice, though he was able to check back into the game in Sunday's loss to Miami after suffering the injury earlier in the contest. Toney's continued absence suggests he's unlikely to play this weekend against the Chargers.

Shepard (quadriceps) was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's estimated injury report, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Shepard earned a limited listing on the Giants' last two Week 13 reports, but he was considered doubtful to play and eventually was inactive this past Sunday at Miami. Among New York's top three wide receivers, Shepard was the only one to fit in some reps Wednesday, as both Kenny Golladay (ribs) and Kadarius Toney (oblique/quadriceps) didn't participate. Consequently, if Shepard puts himself into a position to suit up this weekend against the Chargers, he could serve as the team's No. 1 receiver, though he may be working with either Jake Fromm or Mike Glennon (concussion) as his quarterback with Daniel Jones (neck) having yet to receive clearance for contact.

Slayton caught two of his seven targets for 13 yards in Sunday's 20-9 loss to the Dolphins.

Slayton saw his second-largest snap share (80 percent) of the season with fellow wideouts Kadarius Toney (quadriceps/oblique) and Sterling Shepard (quadriceps) sidelined, but he was unable to forge much of a connection with quarterback Mike Glennon, who picked up his first start of the season under center with Daniel Jones (neck) sidelined. Glennon was diagnosed with a concussion Monday, while Jones has yet to be cleared for contact, leaving the statuses of both players in flux for a Week 14 game against the Chargers. Jake Fromm would be in line to make his NFL debut if neither Jones nor Glennon is cleared, and that unsettled situation coupled with the potential returns of Toney and Shepard renders Slayton a rather unappealing fantasy option this week.

Samuel (groin) won't practice Wednesday, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Samuel didn't practice last week and missed Sunday's loss in Seattle, with head coach Kyle Shanahan having since labeled the 25-year-old wideout as day-to-day. Reports last week suggested Samuel likely would only miss a game or two, and Shanahan said Wednesday that he's hopeful the standout receiver can return to practice Thursday, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. If Samuel is able to get back on the field in some capacity, he would stand a decent chance at being available for a Week 14 matchup with the Bengals.

Higgins (ankle) doesn't appear to be practicing Wednesday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Higgins is coming off consecutive weeks with 100-plus receiving yards and a touchdown, despite dealing with cramping in the first game and an ankle injury late in the second one. A report issued after Sunday's loss to the Chargers suggested Higgins wasn't expected to miss time, but his absence from practice Wednesday means fantasy managers will need to keep tabs on the situation ahead of this weekend's game against the 49ers.

Cobb (core) isn't practicing Wednesday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Cobb's absence from practice following the Packers' bye week isn't a promising sign after he injured his groin in a Week 12 win over the Rams. He caught four passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in the first half of that contest, while his absence in the second half left more snaps available for Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard. Given the Packers' reliance on three or four-receiver sets since top tight end went down with a Robert Tonyan season-ending knee injury, a potential Cobb absence for Sunday's game against Chicago would all but ensure hefty snaps counts for both Valdes-Scantling and Lazard.

The Vikings ruled out Thielen (ankle) for Thursday's game against Pittsburgh.

Thielen's Week 14 absence was expected, after he suffered a high-ankle sprain just four days earlier in the Vikings' loss to Detroit. With Thielen sidelined for Thursday, leaves K.J. Osborn and Dede Westbrook will slot in as the Nos. 2 and 3 receivers, respectively, while Justin Jefferson could pick up extra volume as the clear-cut No. 1 target for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Thielen's next chance to play will be Week 15 against the Bears in a Monday night game on Dec. 20. It isn't yet clear if he has a realistic shot to be healthy by then.

Hinton caught his only target for seven yards in Sunday's 22-9 loss to the Chiefs.

Hinton remained far down the pecking order of Broncos pass catchers Week 13, seeing just one target while playing only 14 offensive snaps. The 24-year-old wideout's lack of consistent involvement in an offense that already struggles through the air keeps Hinton far off the fantasy radar.

Samuel (groin) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Samuel made his third and fourth appearances of the season in Washington's past two games, earning 25 and 31 percent of offensive snaps in those contests and combining for five touches for 11 yards from scrimmage. Head coach Ron Rivera told Ben Standig of The Athletic that the team is capping Samuel's reps as a precaution as he gets back into form following the nagging groin injury that has bothered him since the summer. Such limitations may continue as the week goes on, but Samuel doesn't seem to be in danger if sitting out again, at least in the short term.