NFL injury report, Week 13: Arian Foster, Larry Fitzgerald aiming to play

Arian Foster missed the past two games due to a groin injury suffered in Week 9, but it appears the Houston running back is on track to return to action when the Texans host Tennessee Sunday afternoon. Foster has participated in practice the entire week without setbacks, but, be advised, groin strains are notoriously slow to heal and easy to aggravate if an athlete returns to action before completely healed. While things are looking good for Sunday, don't be surprised to see Alfred Blue continues to get a fair share of the carries out of the Houston backfield this afternoon.

Julius Thomas left early in Denver's Week 11 loss to St. Louis after suffering an ankle injury following a reception, and he missed last week's win over Miami as a result. Although X-rays and an MRI were negative for significant bone or ligament damage, and despite a week of rest, Thomas has been limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Sunday night's contest at Kansas City. The amount of swelling and pain Thomas experiences during warmups, and the extent to which range of motion of the ankle joint is limited, will determine whether he might suit up. That may leave fantasy owners in the air until the early evening regarding his status. In his absence, backup Jacob Tamme would likely see significant time at tight end.

Also missing action last week was Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald who suffered an MCL sprain of his left knee in Week 11 and was unable to suit up in the loss to Seattle. The Cardinals have classified the injury as a Grade 2 sprain, which typically requires 4-6 weeks of recovery. Fitzgerald has practiced this week, but it has only been on a limited basis. While it isn't unheard of that Fitzgerald could take the field against Atlanta, don't be surprised if he takes another game off, making John Brown and Michael Floyd likely to see more targets from Drew Stanton.

While it's never quite clear what the "questionable" label means on the New England Patriots' injury report, there is some concern that Shane Vereen may miss this week's showdown with Green Bay due to an ankle injury. Vereen apparently suffered the injury during last week's win over Detroit and has been limited in practice this week. It's unclear who would see the majority of carries for the Patriots if Vereen is unable to play; Jonas Gray spent last Sunday in the doghouse after having overslept a practice, and LeGarrette Blount didn't see a ton of carries but did log two scores against the Lions.

Atlanta receiver Roddy White has labored through an ankle injury for several weeks, but continues to put up strong numbers in the Falcons' passing attack. This week will be no different, as he is listed as questionable for the matchup with Arizona. That said, White has only done work on the side this week, missing all full practices, and so he will be a true game-time decision for the late afternoon contest. Keep an eye on his status as game-time approaches; the good news for Atlanta in case White isn't able to suit up is that Harry Douglas appears back to full strength following a foot injury.

Talented but injury-prone Washington tight end Jordan Reed has missed much of the season due to a hamstring strain first suffered in Week 1 and again in Week 11, causing him to miss last week's loss at San Francisco. Reed has practiced on a limited basis this week and seems close to a return, but he will be a game-time decision for this week's contest at Indianapolis.