What Do Q, D, O, IR and the Other Status Abbreviations Mean in Fantasy Football?
Q means Questionable — the NFL's official designation for a player whose availability is uncertain; historically about half play. D is Doubtful, and doubtful players almost never play. O is Out. IR is Injured Reserve, PUP is Physically Unable to Perform, NFI is a Non-Football Injury, SUS is Suspended, and NA means not active. The practice report adds DNP, LP and FP — did not practice, limited, full — which is the earlier, more useful signal.
Game-status designations
NFL teams publish an official game-status report on the final practice day of the week. Only three designations are allowed on it: Questionable, Doubtful and Out. Everything else — IR, PUP, NFI, Suspended — is a roster status that lasts longer than one game. Your fantasy platform shows the letter next to the player's name; the letters mean the same thing everywhere.
- Q — Questionable: uncertain to play. In practice roughly half of Questionable players suit up, and the practice report tells you which half: a player who practised in full on Friday is usually playing; one who didn't practise all week usually isn't.
- D — Doubtful: unlikely to play. Treat as Out for lineup purposes; the rare Doubtful player who suits up is normally limited.
- O — Out: will not play this week. Ruled out by the team, no ambiguity.
- IR — Injured Reserve: off the active roster for an extended stretch; must miss a minimum number of games before returning. Usually IR-eligible in your league.
- PUP — Physically Unable to Perform: a player who couldn't pass the physical at training camp. On the reserve PUP list he cannot return before Week 5.
- NFI — Non-Football Injury: same mechanics as PUP, for injuries or illnesses suffered outside football.
- SUS — Suspended: out for a fixed number of games by league discipline; the return date is known.
- NA / Inactive: not on the active game-day roster (healthy scratch or a game-day decision). Zero points this week.
The practice report: DNP, LP, FP
Teams report each player's participation three times a week — Wednesday, Thursday, Friday for a Sunday game. DNP is did not practice, LP is limited participation, FP is full participation. The trend matters more than any single day: DNP → LP → FP across the week is a player working back to full speed, and he's very likely to play; DNP all week followed by a Questionable tag usually ends with a Sunday scratch. LeagueLogs shows the three-day progression and FantasyPros' probability of playing on every player page and start/sit page.
What the letters mean for your lineup
- Q: start him if he practised in full by Friday and you have a later-game alternative; otherwise weigh the backup.
- D and O: bench him. Check whether your league lets you move O players to IR.
- IR, PUP, NFI, SUS: move to IR if your league allows it, or decide whether the roster spot is worth the wait.
- NA on Sunday: you're getting zero — swap him for anyone with a game left.
You shouldn't have to refresh a status page on Sunday morning.
A name is one afternoon. The free LeagueLogs app covers the whole season — connect your Sleeper or ESPN league and it comes with:
- An AI chat that knows everything about your league — ask it anything
- A trade finder that pitches deals your leaguemates would actually take
- A verdict on every trade in your league, minutes after it lands
- Weekly newsletters written about your league, managers by name
- Trade analyzer, draft grader, and team names built on your actual roster
- Your league's full history, plus push alerts the moment its drama happens
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does Q mean in fantasy football?
- Questionable — the NFL's designation for a player who is uncertain to play. Roughly half of Questionable players play; the practice report (DNP / LP / FP across the week) is the best predictor of which half.
- What does O mean in fantasy football?
- Out. The team has ruled the player out for the game; he will score zero. Many leagues allow Out players to be moved to the IR slot.
- What does D mean in fantasy football?
- Doubtful — unlikely to play. Treat Doubtful players as Out when setting your lineup.
- What is the difference between IR and PUP?
- Both are reserve lists that keep a player off the active roster for weeks. IR is for injuries during the season or camp with a minimum stint before return; PUP is for players who could not pass their physical at the start of camp, and a player on the reserve PUP list can't return before Week 5.