Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (foot) was upgraded to a full participant during Thursday's practice and is on track to play this Sunday against the Chicago Bears, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during Friday's practice in case he faces a setback. Darnold enjoyed a nice bounce-back showing this past weekend against the Tennessee Titans as he threw for 246 yards and two scores. This was a stark contrast to the poor showing he had in Week 10, where he tallied 241 yards with no scores and three interceptions. Overall, Darnold has enjoyed a great debut campaign in Minnesota as he has thrown 19 TDs and added one with his legs through 10 games. Fantasy managers should view him as a low-end QB1 this weekend, as he will face a tough Chicago defense that has allowed the second-fewest PPR points to opposing QBs this season.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (ankle) remained a limited participant during Thursday's practice. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his status during Friday's practice as it may provide some clarity on his ability heading into the weekend. The Rutgers product has been sidelined since sustaining a fractured fibula in their Week 2 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. While sidelined, veteran Kareem Hunt has seen most of the opportunities out of the backfield, with Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele mixing in. Before his injury, Pacheco was on track to enjoy a breakout campaign as he scored at least 15.0 PPR points in each game with at least 15 attempts and three targets in each contest. When he returns to action, fantasy managers should expect him to see most of the opportunities out of the backfield.

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (groin) was upgraded to a limited participant during Thursday's practice after sitting out on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during Friday's practice session, but this is a positive sign for his availability heading into the weekend. Last weekend, Swift enjoyed a nice bounce-back, scoring 16.4 PPR points after failing to hit double-digits during Week 10. Despite the offensive struggles the Bears have had this season, Swift has been a reliable option out of the backfield, averaging 18.3 PPR points during Weeks 4 through 11. If Swift can suit up this weekend, fantasy managers should view him as an RB2 despite the tough matchup against the Minnesota Vikings who have allowed the second-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (back) did not practice during Thursday's session, according to Joseph Hoyt of the DLLS Cowboys. This is not a good sign for the star wideout as he was a limited participant during Wednesday's initial session. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to Friday's injury report, as Lamb may carry an injury designation into the weekend. Lamb has been dealing with this lingering back injury for some time but was able to suit up on Monday evening to face the Houston Texans. In this game, Lamb brought in eight of his 12 targets for 93 yards. Even though the Dallas offense has struggled with Cooper Rush under center, fantasy managers should continue to start Lamb in all formats if he can play, as he should continue to see a heavy target share down the stretch.

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey (shoulder) did not practice during Thursday's session. The Georgia product sustained this shoulder injury during their victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday evening. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his status throughout the week as he has two more opportunities to log a session before Monday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. Last weekend, the rookie tallied a season-high 123 yards off six receptions. Since Week 8, McConkey has begun to find his footing at the professional level and has averaged a solid 87.5 yards per game in this stretch. If the 23-year-old can suit up, fantasy managers should start him in all formats, given his favorable matchup against the Ravens, who have allowed the most PPR points to opposing wideouts this season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) was upgraded to a full participant during Thursday's practice, which puts him on schedule to return to action this weekend, according to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports. Evans was a limited participant during Wednesday's initial practice session. The 31-year-old wideout has been sidelined since sustaining this injury during their Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Before the injury, Evans averaged 13.6 PPR points per game while seeing 6.4 targets per game. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during Friday's practice, but given this update, he should be expected to return to the field this Sunday. Despite his slow start during the start of the season, fantasy managers should feel confident starting Evans in all formats against the New York Giants.

Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver (ankle) missed a second straight day of practice this week on Thursday due to a sprained left ankle that he suffered in the Week 11 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Oliver is likely going to need to practice in some fashion on Friday in order to have a shot at playing in Week 12 against the division-rival Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday. The 27-year-old does have a career-high three touchdowns in 10 starts in 2024, but he hasn't been a reliable fantasy asset, even at the weak TE position, catching 19 of his 22 targets for 216 yards. If Oliver is inactive this weekend, it should give T.J. Hockenson a slightly higher fantasy ceiling after he disappointed with two catches for 13 yards in his third game off Injured Reserve.

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (concussion) was not seen at the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday. Spears suffered a concussion in the Week 11 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and doesn't appear to have made much progress in the league's concussion protocol this week, as he's now missed two straight practices. The 23-year-old still has another day to get back on the practice field, but at this juncture, it's not looking good for his availability in Week 12 as the team faces the division-rival Houston Texans. When healthy, the former third-round pick in 2023 out of Tulane has taken a clear back seat to Tony Pollard in Tennessee's backfield, making him a low-upside, low-floor RB3/flex for fantasy managers in deeper leagues. If Spears misses this weekend's contest, Julius Chestnut would serve as Pollard's backup.

Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro (knee) popped up on the Week 12 injury report after putting in a limited practice session due to a left-knee ailment. Mid-week additions to the injury report usually aren't a good sign, but it's unclear if Pineiro's knee injury is serious enough to keep him out of Sunday's contest against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs. Carolina doesn't have another kicker on their roster at the moment, but if they bring one in, it will be a clear sign that Pineiro won't be able to kick this weekend. In a weak Panthers offense, Pineiro is the No. 27-ranked kicker in terms of overall fantasy points, so he shouldn't have been in any fantasy lineups heading into this week's matchup against a tough Chiefs defense. Fantasy managers should continue to ignore Carolina's kicking situation.

For the second straight day this week, Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders (ankle) was listed as a non-participant at Thursday's practice. Sanders suffered a severely sprained ankle in the Week 10 win over the New York Giants in Germany and is considered week-to-week despite having last week's bye to heal up. He's not expected to play in Week 12 versus the Kansas City Chiefs and will probably be third on the RB depth chart when he does return with rookie Jonathon Brooks (knee) expected to make his NFL debut this Sunday. The 27-year-old was already not much of a fantasy asset this year behind starter Chuba Hubbard, and his fantasy value has taken another hit with the return of Brooks. Sanders belongs on the waiver wire. He's currently rostered in only 1% of Yahoo fantasy leagues.