Calvin Johnson's Updated 2014 Fantasy Outlook Heading into Week 8

Thanks to an early kickoff in London, Week 8 will be the ultimate test of dedication for Calvin Johnson fantasy owners.

He'll be a game-time decision for Sunday's contest with the Atlanta Falcons after missing the last two games with an ankle injury. However, waking up at noon to figure out whether he's active and worth starting won't work—it's a 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff, meaning his owners will have to set their alarms to find out whether he'll even play.

Things have looked up for Johnson as he's returned to practice. Kyle Meinke of MLive.com has the latest:

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Johnson said he ran both vertically and laterally during Wednesday's practice, and was seen cutting and running routes during the 20 minutes that were available to the media Thursday afternoon.

He didn't appear to be going full speed, but also showed no impairment when making his cuts.

Johnson, who has missed the past two games with the injury, said he has yet to push himself full speed. That could be the final hurdle before he's cleared to play against Atlanta.

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Most of Johnson's owners spent their first draft pick on him and are likely dying to get him back in the fold—especially at this pivotal point in the fantasy season. 

And as NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal noticed, he's sounding optimistic:

But before you plug him into the lineup in a morning daze, don't be foolish to forget how he burned you in this very same situation weeks ago.

Johnson was a game-time decision for contests against the Jets in Week 4 and the Bills in Week 5. He caught two passes for 12 yards in the former and had one reception for seven yards in the latter.

Ouch.

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Obviously, his action in those games was cut short by injury. Johnson's effectiveness ensures that he'll put up numbers if he plays 60 minutes, but that's far from a guarantee right now with him not even going full speed in practice.

Johnson's absence in this offense has been noticeable, but the Lions have gotten great play from Golden Tate—49 catches, 649 yards, two touchdowns. Don't be surprised if Detroit makes Johnson active again only to act as a decoy and open up more space for Tate.

On the flip side, it's been 20 days since he has played. Returning to practice and making cuts is a big improvement from where he was even a week ago, and that makes you think he's quite close to a return.

Although it matters little which secondary a player of Megatron's caliber is facing, Johnson should be able to torch the Falcons if he's in fact healthy. Atlanta ranks a paltry 29th in pass defense.

So if you're itching to take the risk on Johnson and start him, you'd better set that alarm. Otherwise, there's a case to be made for sitting him just based off his previous performances on game-time decisions.