Miles Austin Injury: Updates on Cowboys Star's Week 13 Status and Fantasy Value

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin missed his third straight game with a nagging hamstring injury on Thanksgiving.

Both the Cowboys and fantasy owners are hoping the dynamic wideout can get back on the field vs. the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13 as they continue chasing their playoff dreams.

Keep checking back to this page throughout the week for the latest updates on Austin's playing status and potential fantasy value.

UPDATE: Sunday, Dec. 4 at 11:33 a.m. EST by Kyle Vassalo

More bad news for Cowboys fans and Austin owners. ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk tweeted that the Cowboys are saving Miles Austin for the Cowboys' must-win game against the Giants.

Is this showing overconfidence in their matchup with the Cardinals this week? Sitting DeSean Jackson may have cost the Eagles their game against the Cards. Will saving Austin for next week come back to bight Dallas?

UPDATE: Friday Dec. 2 at 2:14 p.m. EST by Michael Dixon

Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News is reporting that Austin missed the Cowboys' practice on Friday. That doesn't bode well for his chances of playing. According to Fraley: 

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Coach Jason Garrett does not have a no-practice, no-play policy, but he heavily leans toward a player having to practice before playing.

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Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 11:20 a.m. ET

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continued to exercise caution with his star receiver, but said he expects Austin to play on Sunday. That's encouraging news after Austin missed practice yesterday and if there's anybody who's in the know about return dates, it's Jones.

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"I do, yes," Jones said during his Tuesday appearance on KRLD-FM when asked if he expected Austin to play against the Arizona Cardinals. "But I don't know. I saw him yesterday and he was moving around real well. [Austin] said he could go Sunday, but we'll see how this week goes along.”

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Jones' statement doesn't guarantee Austin will be available, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. Dallas won't risk another setback, so we'll be monitoring his practice involvement over the next few days to get a better read on his status.

Monday, Nov. 28 at 2:10 p.m. ET

Tim MacMahon, who covers the Cowboys for ESPN Dallas, tweeted that Austin was not at practice on Monday as the team went through a light session. While it's too early to make any judgments about Austin's weekend availability, not participating today is a negative sign.

Laurent Robinson has played well in Austin's absence, which means Dallas will likely play it safe with its top target. Hamstring injuries can easily become aggravated, something the Monmouth product has already learned this season, so it might be another week before we see him back in the lineup.