Nobody wants to deal with injuries to their Fantasy team, but there's nothing worse with injuries on an island game, and Thursday night's matchup between the Texans and Colts promises to bring plenty of Fantasy headaches, with one star already ruled out, another looking like a true game-time decision and a Colts backfield with huge question marks about how touches will be divvied up.

Marlon Mack (hand) has already been ruled out, but with Jordan Wilkins back from his ankle injury, there's no clarity on how the Colts will split touches. If you have to rely on someone from this backfield, your best bet is Nyheim Hines, who at least has a guaranteed role as the primary pass-catching option. That typically means something like 4-7 targets and 3-4 carries per week, so there may not be a ton of upside, here. You're hoping for 50-70 total yards and maybe a touchdown — Hines has five scores in 26 games, so the chances aren't high.

Wilkins and Jonathan Williams figure to split most of the carries for an offense that loves to run the ball, averaging 31 carries per game. If the Colts find themselves in a spot where they are playing with a lead and are looking to milk the clock, either Wilkins or Williams (or both) could end up with 15 touches and a decent Fantasy day. But that's no guarantee, and if the Colts are chasing points against Deshaun Watson, Hines figures to see more work, with Wilkins and Williams looking at limited roles. That makes it hard to trust either as anything more than a desperation flex option.

The Colts could be in a better spot Thursday on offense than they have in a while, at least, with T.Y. Hilton hoping to make his return from a calf injury in Week 12. He will work out prior to the game in hopes of returning and seems to have a pretty good chance after being a full participant in Wednesday's walkthrough in preparation for the game. If he does return, it will be hard to go away from Hilton, who was on pace for 85 catches, 960 yards, and 13 touchdowns before the injury.

On the other end of this game, the Texans only have one situation we're monitoring, with Will Fuller (hamstring) hoping to make his return for the first time since Week 7. Fuller is a game-time call for Thursday night after practicing on a limited basis over the last two weeks, but it sounds like he is leaning toward playing. Thankfully, with the early kickoff, you'll have plenty of notice for Fuller, but you might want to avoid using him even if he does play. There's no shortage of useful options at wide receiver, and it's unclear whether Fuller will play a full complement of snaps in his return. He's a risk, even if he does play.

Quarterbacks

  • Matthew Stafford (back) still isn't practicing — Stafford still hasn't practiced, but he told reporters Wednesday he hasn't had any discussions about going on IR as he continues to deal with fractures in his back. Lions coach Matt Patricia told reporters the plan is for Stafford to monitor practice without participating, as he did last week, which makes it seem pretty unlikely he will return this week. Jeff Driskel has been decent enough for Fantasy to be considered a viable starting option for Week 12 against Washington.
  • Jameis Winston (ankle) practice in full — Winston suffered an ankle injury in Week 11, but it wasn't considered serious at the time and shouldn't keep him out in Week 12. That he was out there at practice without any limitations is a good sign.
  • Kyle Allen got the vote of confidence — Panthers coach Ron Rivera told reporters he is planning to stick with Allen for the time being.  "He's had a couple of tough games, but I don't think it's reflective of who he really is as a football player," Rivera said via the Athletic. "I think the thing we all have to continue to remember is he's only been our starting quarterback for eight games." However, Rivera did also leave the door open to the possibility of rookie Will Grier getting a chance at some point if Allen continues to struggle.

Running Backs

  • James Conner (shoulder) did not practice Wednesday — Conner seems unlikely to play in Week 12, which makes Jaylen Samuels one of Jamey Eisenberg's starts for the game against the Bengals. That matchup also puts Benny Snell in play as a possible starting option for Fantasy because the rookie was a full participant in practice Wednesday after recovering from knee surgery.
  • Phillip Lindsay (foot/wrist) was limited Wednesday — Lindsay has been on and off the injury report all season while managing the wrist, but this foot issue is new and worth keeping an eye on. However, the fact that he was able to practice on a limited basis Wednesday is a good sign for his availability in Week 12 against the Bills. Lindsay saw an increased workload in Week 11, so assuming he is healthy, he can be viewed as a solid No. 2 Fantasy running back — and the same would be true of Royce Freeman if Lindsay's injury keeps him out.
  • Matt Breida (ankle) did not practice Wednesday — Breida's injury was expected to cost him a few games, so keep an eye on Raheem Mostert's (knee) status for this week's game against the Packers. He should be in line for another 8-10 touches as a complement to Tevin Coleman if Breida remains sidelined.

Wide Receivers

  • Mohamed Sanu (ankle) could miss multiple weeks — Sanu is dealing with a potential high-ankle sprain that could cost him multiple weeks, according to reports. Sanu hasn't exactly hit the ground running with the Patriots, so it's hard to say his absence will make a huge impact, but it could mean rookie N'Keal Harry gets a chance to shine. Harry made his season debut in Week 11, playing 32 snaps after overcoming an ankle injury of his own, and the first-round pick could become a difference maker down the stretch as the Patriots look to jump start their flagging offense. He is available in 80% of CBS Fantasy leagues, and could be worth adding where available if you are looking for an upside pickup.
  • Amari Cooper (knee) practiced in full Wednesday — Cooper played just 55% of the Cowboys' snaps in Week 11 as he continues to manage this injury, and Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb both stepped up for 100-plus yard games as Dak Prescott continues to lead a high-powered passing game. They'll need Cooper at full strength for Week 12's test against the Patriots top-ranked defense, so the fact that Cooper is practicing without limitations is a good sign for his chances of playing his typical role.
  • Tyler Lockett (shin) was limited Wednesday — Pete Carroll has been optimistic about Lockett's chances of playing in Week 12 against the Eagles, so it was good to see him out on the practice field to open the week. We'll keep an eye on his status moving forward, of course, because Carroll is notoriously overly optimistic when speaking to the media, so Lockett's usage in practice should tell us more about his availability.
  • Robert Woods (personal) is still not with the team — Woods missed Week 11's game while dealing with a personal issue, and he was not back at the facility as practice for Week 12 against the Ravens began Thursday. The Rams play Monday night, which does give Woods another day to return, but also leaves you with few fallback options if we don't know his status by Sunday afternoon. You might want to add Josh Reynolds just in case.
  • Dede Westbrook (illness) did not practice Thursday — It's been a bit of a snake-bit season for Westbrook, who lost his starting quarterback in Week 1 and has dealt with various injuries throughout the season, but this one doesn't seem too serious yet. He has three days to get over this malady ahead of what could be a prime matchup against the Titans, who have struggled to cover slot receivers this season.
  • Julio Jones (foot) sat out Wednesday's practice —We'll have to keep an eye on this one, because Jones is no stranger to missed practices early in the week. What makes this one worth watching is Jones' history of foot issues as well as the fact that this appears to be a new issue. Jones tends to play through injuries if he can, so as long as he's back on the practice field by Friday, you should tentatively plan on him playing.
  • Diontae Johnson (concussion) was limited at practice — It was an ugly scene when Johnson left last week's game after a helmet-to-helmet hit, but he was at least able to practice Wednesday, which is a good sign. He still has to go through the concussion protocol, but this is a good first step — and a better sign than for teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion, knee), who was unable to practice.
  • Tim Patrick (shoulder) did not practice Wednesday — Patrick suffered the injury during Week 11, but was able to play through it, so hopefully this was more of a precaution than anything else. Patrick had four catches for 77 yards in his first action since Week 1 and could be a decent low-end Fantasy option down the stretch if healthy.
  • Sterling Shepard (concussion) practiced in full — We'll have to keep a close eye on Shepard, who remains in the concussion protocol after suffering multiple concussions this season. He is currently expected to play, but we've already seen some false starts in his return from this issue.

Tight Ends

  • Evan Engram (foot) did not practice Thursday — With Rhett Ellison (concussion) unlikely to play Sunday, Engram's absence could leave the Giants awfully thin. We'll keep an eye on things to see if he can return to practice Thursday, but right now it looks like a long shot to play.