NFL Player News
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Austin Ekeler RB | WAS
Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Typical usage in Week 14
Ekeler carried the ball 10 times for 51 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 24-7 loss to the Broncos. He also caught five of his seven targets for 49 yards.
Despite coded comments from head coach Brandon Staley earlier in the week that left some speculating Ekeler would cede touches to Joshua Kelley and Isaiah Spiller, the multi-faceted back saw his usual workload while the aforementioned backups combined for nine carries and 25 yards. It's unclear if that's because the Chargers trailed from the jump and were put in an even more difficult situation after Justin Herbert left the game late in the second quarter with an injury to a finger on his throwing hand or if it was by design, but the end result is hardly surprising given the career credentials of Kelley and Spiller. Herbert's status could certainly affect Ekeler's upside come Thursday's Week 15 contest against the Raiders, but backup quarterback Easton Stick could also rely heavily on the pass-catching running back should Herbert sit out, making the Pro Bowl back a likely solid fantasy play regardless.
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Jahmyr Gibbs RB | DET
Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs: Returns to end zone
Gibbs rushed the ball 11 times for 66 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-13 loss to the Bears. He added three receptions on four targets for 16 yards.
Gibbs split work out of the backfield nearly evenly with David Montgomery, and the duo had nearly identical stat lines. Gibbs ultimately had the more productive day thanks to a 12-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter, his sixth trip to the end zone in his last seven games. He's also topped 80 total yards from scrimmage in three of five contests since Montgomery returned from a rib injury. Gibbs should be in a favorable position to close the season, particularly in a Week 15 matchup against a Broncos defense that has a particularly leaky run defense.
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Deuce Vaughn RB | DEN
Cowboys' Deuce Vaughn: Won't play Sunday
Vaughn (coach's decision) is inactive Sunday against the Eagles.
Vaughn will sit out for the fourth straight game. His last appearance was in Week 10 against the Giants when he rushed for minus-two yards on his only carry while adding an 11-yard reception. Rico Dowdle will provide backfield depth behind Tony Pollard for Sunday's NFC East clash.
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Josh Jacobs RB | GB
Raiders' Josh Jacobs: Hurts knee in Week 14
Jacobs sustained a knee injury during Sunday's game versus the Vikings.
Jacobs was spotted being evaluated by Raiders trainers in the fourth quarter and then attempted to walk it off while limping and grabbing at his leg before the Raiders made the announcement that he was questionable to return. If he's unable to do so, he'll finish Week 14 with 13 carries for 34 yards and two catches (on two targets) for 16 yards. Ameer Abdullah, Zamir White and Brandon Bolden currently are the healthy running backs on Las Vegas' active roster.
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Jamaal Williams RB | NO
Saints' Jamaal Williams: Sees additional run Week 14
Williams recorded 11 rushes for 43 yards and failed to haul in his lone target during Sunday's 28-6 win against the Panthers.
Williams topped 10 carries for the first time since Week 1 against Tennessee, when he recorded 18 carries for a season-high 45 yards. Just like in the season-opener, the veteran running back received additional opportunities due to injuries to one of the Saints' top rushing options. Alvin Kamara was available Week 14, but he was without his top running mate, as do-it-all tight end Taysom Hill was inactive due to foot and hand injuries. This led the Saints to ask more out of Williams, whose aggressive and physical rushing style somewhat mimics Hill's unique abilities. The 224-pound back went on to record one of his most efficient rushing performances of the season, as he had averaged just 2.8 yards per carry on 52 attempts through his first eight games of the season. Kamara still paced the ground game with 12 carries for 56 yards, and he got the team's lone rushing touchdown with a nine-yard score to open the second quarter. Williams will likely again work as a complementary back if Hill remains sidelined Week 14 against the Giants.
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Alexander Mattison RB | MIA
Vikings' Alexander Mattison: Injures ankle Sunday
Mattison sustained an ankle injury during Sunday's game at Las Vegas, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
It's been a rough injury day for the Vikings, who have lost top wide receiver Justin Jefferson (chest), starting right tackle Brian O'Neill (ankle) and now their No. 1 running back. Mattison got injured on the team's first offensive play of the second half, and if he's unable to reenter the contest, he'll end Week 14 with 10 carries for 66 yards. Ty Chandler took over Minnesota's backfield after Mattison's departure.
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Joe Mixon RB | HOU
Bengals' Joe Mixon: Sees 24 touches in Week 14 win
Mixon rushed 21 times for 79 yards and a touchdown and brought in three of four targets for 46 yards in the Bengals' 34-14 win over the Colts on Sunday.
Mixon saw rookie backfield mate Chase Brown increase his role with 11 touches in his own right, one of which resulted in an impressive 54-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the first quarter. Brown certainly passes the eyeball test as the more explosive of the two players, but Mixon continued to be trusted with the bulk of the rushing work and played a key role through the air himself. The veteran rounded out his productive afternoon with a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and he appears to have a clear grasp on the lead role going into a Week 15 home matchup against the Vikings on Saturday afternoon.
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Jerome Ford RB | WAS
Browns' Jerome Ford: May have suffered hand injury
Ford rushed the ball 12 times for 51 yards in Sunday's 31-27 win over the Jaguars. He added five receptions on six targets for 31 yards.
Ford split carries nearly evenly with Kareem Hunt, but he separated himself as a pass catcher. On the ground, most of Ford's production came on a 26-yard gain early in the second quarter. He also has at least five targets in three of his last four games and has topped 30 receiving yards in consecutive contests. Ford should retain a valuable role in the offense moving forward; however, his status will be worth monitoring leading up to a Week 15 matchup against the Bears, as Ford was headed for X-rays on his hand or wrist following the win, per Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
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Dalvin Cook RB | DAL
Jets' Dalvin Cook: Eight yards on eight touches
Cook rushed seven times for 13 yards and caught his lone target for minus-5 yards in Sunday's 30-6 win over the Texans.
The Jets' offense came alive with 30 second-half points after the game was scoreless at halftime, but Cook unsurprisingly didn't play a major part in that success. Breece Hall nursed an ankle injury in practice during the week but ended up handling his usual workload, turning 18 touches into 126 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Cook will likely continue to work in a change-of-pace role behind Hall in Week 15 against the Dolphins.