This is the penultimate week for many fantasy leagues so championships hang in the balance for GMs who have endured a multitude of disastrous injuries all year.  After coming this far, the taste of victory is on the tip of your tongue so be careful you don’t burn yourself when sipping and end up on injured reserve like so many players have already.  So without further ado, here is the next edition of the fantasy football walking wounded.

Calvin Johnson (WR – DET)

Johnson did not practice earlier in the week but returned on Friday and will play on Monday night against New Orleans.  He was barely a factor last week but should be in for a big game on national TV against a horrible New Orleans defense.  Megatron should light up the scoreboard this week during a critical fantasy playoff week.

Jonathan Stewart (RB – CAR)

At 13-0, the Panthers have the luxury of being cautious with their players.  That is exactly what they are doing with Jonathan Stewart who will be sidelined this week against the Giants.  He has been dealing with a foot injury and Carolina does not want to take any chances of his re-aggravating it or making it worse. Look for a running back-by-committee for the Panthers who will likely rely upon Cam Newton’s arm even more.

Julian Edelman (WR – NE)

Great news for fantasy owners as Julian Edelman returned to limited practice this week, but it does not appear he will be ready to play this Sunday against Tennessee.  It will be difficult to know for sure since the Patriots are typically vague and cryptic in their injury reports.  You should check back again on Saturday and Sunday morning for sure, but right now it is doubtful that Edelman will be on the field, even in a limited capacity.

Amari Cooper (WR – OAK)

The standout rookie wide receiver has been dealing with a foot injury but he did return to practice on Thursday.  Cooper has slowed down quite a bit after an exhilarating start to the season, but he is still a viable starter on your fantasy team even though he is not 100 percent.  Look for the Raiders to be in a high-scoring game against Green Bay which could help Cooper break out again.

Vincent Jackson (WR – TB)

Jackson was ruled out of Thursday night’s game against Tampa Bay as he is still dealing with an MCL injury in his knee.  It is highly probable that he will be shut down for the remainder of the season which should bode well for Mike Evans' and Austin Seferian-Jenkins’ targets.

Tyler Eifert (TE – CIN)

Eifert has been dealing with head and neck injuries recently and re-injured himself suffering a concussion last week.  He has been officially ruled out for this week’s game against San Francisco and his status going forward is in question too.  Tight end is a scarce position as it is so this is a big loss for fantasy owners in the playoffs.

Greg Olsen (TE – CAR)

Earlier in the week it looked like Olsen could fall victim to the Panthers’ luxury of being 13-0.  He has been banged up with a knee injury and was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday, but all signs point to him being on the field against the Giants on Sunday.  Olsen is Carolina’s best receiving option and has been a fantasy stud.  He is a clear-cut TE1 option with a highly favorable matchup against a poor defense.

T.J. Yeldon (RB – JAX)

It does not look good for Yeldon to play this week against the Falcons as he deals with an MCL injury.  He has not officially been ruled out yet but it is a safe bet he remains on the sideline.  Denard Robinson will start in his place with a favorable matchup against a suspect Atlanta defense.

Lamar Miller (RB – MIA)

Miller did not see much action late in the game against the Giants last Monday and has been limited in practice this week with an ankle injury.  He will play on Sunday against San Diego even with minimal practice and should be in your starting lineup for Week 15.

Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service, and is also the co-host of the Fantasy Alarm podcast. You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment).