The biggest stories for this edition of the injury report are the returns of a couple elite players after extended absences.  As we head into Week 8, fantasy owners who have dealt with severe injuries desperately need these players to come back and stabilize their lineups.  The fantasy football playoffs are not far away so this is a critical time to get key players back.  Kudos to those who have been able to withstand these injuries because getting impact players back is akin to making a blockbuster trade ahead of the deadline.  So without further ado, here is the next edition of the fantasy football walking wounded.

Dez Bryant (WR – DAL)

All signs are pointing to Bryant making his comeback this Sunday against Seattle.  Reports out of Dallas indicate he looked great in practice and expects to be on the field for the first time since Week 1.  Bryant’s value will be somewhat diminished because of the Cowboys' awful quarterback situation, but he is absolutely a must-start and will hopefully contribute for fantasy owners who have been treading water for the past six weeks.

Adrian Peterson (RB – MIN)

Peterson has been dealing with multiple nagging injuries to his finger, ankle and hip.  He hasn’t practiced this week but he will play on Sunday against the Bears.  This is smart of Minnesota to rest him up and save Peterson for game action.  He is a must-start RB1 and should have a favorable matchup against Chicago’s suspect defense.

Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT)

Roethlisberger practiced again on Thursday and did not have any issues with his knee.  He is in line to be back on the field this week against Cincinnati which is great news for fantasy owners.  He is a must-start QB1 and his return is great news for Antonio Brown owners who have been miserable the past few weeks.

Carlos Hyde (RB – SF)

Hyde has been dealing with a foot injury that has kept him out of practice but shouldn’t keep him off the field on game day.  He has not done much since his breakout game during Week 1 and his prognosis going forward doesn’t bode well since he will not be 100 percent any time soon.  Hyde was a clear sell-high candidate weeks ago but that opportunity has long since passed.  He will have a tough matchup against a solid Rams defense.

Antonio Gates (TE – SD)

Gates missed practice again on Thursday and will likely miss this week’s game against the Ravens due to a knee injury.  He missed the first four games of the year due to a suspension and now could be missing his second in a row with the injury.  Fantasy owners may want to scoop up Ladarius Green if he is still available because Baltimore’s defense has been awful and he should be in for a big game.

Vincent Jackson (WR – TB)

It appears that Jackson will miss this week’s game against Atlanta as he is still dealing with a knee injury which cost him most of last week’s game as well.  Jackson has not practiced the past couple days so you can all but rule him out for Sunday.  With all the injuries Tampa Bay is dealing with, you can expect Mike Evans to see an insane number of targets which should help make up for some bleak performances earlier in the season.

John Brown (WR – ARZ)

Brown was a big question heading into last Monday night’s game against Baltimore but managed to play despite his hamstring injury.  It is still acting up on him as he hasn’t practiced all week yet.  There is still some hope he will be able to get back on the field on Friday, but even if he doesn’t he could still end up playing on Sunday against the Browns.  Fantasy owners should check his status again over the weekend because he will have an excellent matchup against Cleveland.

Davante Adams (WR – GB)

Fantasy owners have been waiting for quite some time to have Adams justify the high draft pick spent on him this summer.  He has been dealing with an ankle injury for several weeks but is expected to be back on the field this Sunday night against Denver.  Adams was expected to replace Jordy Nelson and become a viable WR2, but those expectations were a bit high and have failed to come to fruition.  He has some work to do to earn a status much higher than a deep WR3 or Flex option.

Joseph Randle (RB – DAL)

Randle has been ruled out for this week’s game against Seattle due to an oblique injury.  This could be the least of his problems as he could be facing discipline from the league for a DV incident from last winter and then disappeared after practice on Wednesday.  Darren McFadden will get the start in his place and is coming off his best game in quite some time.  He will face a big challenge against Seattle’s defense but is still a viable RB2 option.

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).