When you logged into your fantasy football app, did you see a big red DNP next to one of your players? If so, you are not alone; many fantasy football managers are unaware of what DNP stands for.
When the letters DNP appear beside a player on your roster it means that player did not participate in the team’s most recent practice.
Assigning a player a DNP means they didn’t practice at all. If he does only light work around the field, he will be assigned an LP.
Players with a DNP beside their name haven’t practiced at all.
DNPs By Week Day
There is another significant distinction involved with DNPs in football. A DNP on a Tuesday practice has different implications than a DNP on a Thursday practice.
The majority of NFL football games are on Sundays, so a DNP earlier in the week is less concerning than a DNP late in the week.
Tuesday Did Not Practice
If a player is assigned a DNP on a Tuesday, this may mean the player will not play the following week, but it is not always the case.
It is not uncommon for veteran players to get rest days on Tuesdays because football is a very physical sport.
Often, DNPs are given out on Tuesday, despite the player not being injured. Additionally, some injured players may simply want to take the first day of practice after a game to rest.
Due to this, Tuesday DNPs should not be a major concern for fantasy managers. Though it may be an indication of a more serious injury, in most cases the player can still play on Sunday.
Wednesday Did Not Practice
It may be time to start looking for replacements if you are seeing Wednesday DNPs in your fantasy lineup. If a player doesn’t practice on Wednesday, there is probably an injury holding them back.
If a player has a DNP on a Wednesday practice, you want to keep a close eye on the Thursday and Friday practices to see if the player can participate.
A player’s ST% will decline if he does not practice by Wednesday.
Friday Did Not Practice
You may be in trouble if a player on your fantasy team has DNP beside their name on Friday. If he doesn’t get a limited practice session this far into the week, the odds of him playing are slim.
A player in this situation may test out his injury during warm-ups prior to the game. Though since they didn’t practice, it’s their only chance to see if they are game ready.
It’s safe to assume that a player in your starting lineup isn’t playing this week if he didn’t practice on Friday.
To learn more about fantasy football terminology, you may want to check out our guide to what TOT and PPD mean in fantasy football.