Seahawks' Geno Smith: Likely to play Thursday

Smith (elbow), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the 49ers, is tracking toward playing, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Analysis:

Official word Smith's status won't come until the Seahawks release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to Thursday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff, but all indications are that that the quarterback will be cleared to start, despite tending to an injury to his throwing elbow on a short week. Smith was able to return to this past Sunday's loss to the Rams after exiting for a spell when he was hit in the right arm by defensive tackle Aaron Donald, and he created more optimism about his health by taking part in Tuesday's walk-through session as a limited participant. Even if Smith is cleared to start the Week 12 contest as anticipated, he may not make for an especially appealing fantasy option, given that he probably won't be 100 percent healthy and will be facing off against a talented San Francisco front seven.