High ankle sprains are known to linger. Dez Bryant 's high ankle sprain has really overstayed its welcome. The Cowboys' rookie wideout suffered the injury very early in training camp, but it's still bothering him to the point that he has missed two practices this week and may not play Sunday in a crucial contest against the Minnesota Vikings. "I am worried that he might not be able to play," head coach Wade Phillips said of Bryant on Thursday. "...It's been on and off. Those high ankle sprains tend to last for a while and sometimes don't get completely well. ... "Anytime you're not practicing, it hurts, as far as young players knowing assignments and what to do." Bryant has caught 17 passes for 180 yards and no scores this season.

Fantasy Analysis:

It's never good when a coach openly expresses doubt about a player's ability to play. But Bryant has missed practices in previous weeks and has yet to miss a game. He seems to play through injury fairly well, so we'll see what happens on Friday but I think he's going to do it again. Bryant isn't putting up great numbers on the field and, while he'll be a fantasy stud soon enough, he belongs on your bench this week. Miles Austin, Roy Williams and Jason Witten are taking too many chances away from Bryant to make him starter-worthy in anything more shallow than a 16-team league.