NFL Player News

Fournette signed with the Bills' practice squad after passing his physical Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The Bills will see how Fournette fares during his first week of practice with the team, but if he picks up the playbook quickly and impresses during his time on the field, he could be elevated from the practice squad or even signed to the 53-man roster ahead of Sunday's game against the Bengals. Though he served as a lead back in each of his first six NFL seasons split between Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, Fournette will likely be primarily competing with Latavius Murray for the No. 2 role behind James Cook while Damien Harris (concussion) is on injured reserve. Fournette brings superior pass-catching skills to the table, but Murray historically has been a tougher runner between the tackles. However, Murray is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry on 40 totes this season, so the 28-year-old Fournette could have an opening to steal work from him on early downs as well as passing downs.

Bigsby carried three times for nine yards and lost a fumble during Sunday's 20-10 win against the Steelers.

The 22-year-old saw six offensive snaps as starter Travis Etienne received 27 touches for 149 yards and a touchdown while playing an 89 percent snap share. Etienne continues to operate as Jacksonville's workhorse back, leaving minimal opportunities for Bigsby in the No. 2 role.

Fournette said that he plans to sign with the Bills on Monday, pending a physical, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports.

The terms of Fournette's contract aren't known, and he could initially land on the Bills' practice squad rather than the 53-man roster. Regardless, Fournette could be ready to make his Bills debut Week 9 against the Bengals, as the team is need of additional depth behind top back James Cook while Damien Harris (concussion) is on injured reserve. A popular check-down target in Tampa Bay for Tom Brady last season, Fournette set career highs in receptions (73), receiving yards (523) and receiving touchdowns (three), but he saw a steep decline in efficiency on the ground, averaging just 3.5 yards on 189 carries. Once he gets acclimated in Buffalo, Fournette could challenge Latavius Murray for the top backup role behind Cook.

Dowdle carried the ball five times for 18 yards and caught both his targets for seven yards in Sunday's 43-20 win over the Rams.

The Cowboys didn't need their running game to contribute much on a day when Dak Prescott was posting his best numbers of the season and the defense was also producing points, but Dowdle still saw his largest touch volume since Week 3. It would take an injury to Tony Pollard for Dallas' No. 2 RB to have significant fantasy value in most formats, but Dowdle has shown enough this season to be secure in his role as the top backup.

Evans rushed four times for 18 yards and a touchdown while catching three passes for 22 yards in the Bears' 30-13 loss to the Chargers on Sunday.

Evans had the most yards among the three Chicago running backs despite having fewer touches than D'Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson. It seems likely that Evans will remain in the backfield rotation until Khalil Herbert (ankle) returns from injured reserve, which could be as soon as Week 10.

Boone had one carry for five yards, caught his lone target for 11 yards and returned two kickoffs for 44 yards in Sunday's 15-13 loss to the Panthers.

Boone was given his typical playing time on offense, but the coaches also moved him up the kick return depth chart. Devin Singletary had been the primary returner on kickoffs, but he's taken on a larger role on offense and the coaching staff may not want to expose him to injury on special teams. Boone has a combined 49 yards on seven touches this season as a running back.

Perine rushed once for five yards and caught two of his three targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 24-9 win over Kansas City.

Perine's limited usage continued Sunday, as the running back played just 17 of the Broncos' 71 offensive snaps while starter Javonte Williams was on the field for 45 snaps. Meanwhile, rookie Jaleel McLaughlin played just eight snaps but handled three more carries than Perine. The 2023 campaign has been mostly a disappointment for the former Bengal, as he has clearly taken a back seat to McLaughlin as the No. 2 option in Denver's ground game. Perine is remaining involved in the passing attack however, recording at least two receptions in every game this season. The Broncos head into a Week 9 bye, but Perine will likely remain an inconsistent fantasy contributor in Week 10 against the Bills.

Strong gained 41 yards on 10 carries and caught his lone target for 41 yards in Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Seahawks. He also returned one kickoff for 15 yards.

Strong, who played a season-high 24 snaps, led the Browns backfield in combined yards, as Kareem Hunt supplied 67 on 15 touches and Jerome Ford managed only 39 yards on 10 touches. Ford dealt with an ankle injury in practice during the week, which helps explain the near-equal three-way split. For a second straight game, Strong showed off his speed, and his 41-yard catch and run late in the first quarter set up the Browns' first touchdown. He also played in the fourth quarter of a close game for a second straight week and lined up at wideout a few times, and the coaching staff clearly trusts him. Ford (26 snaps) looked healthy in a managed role, and the Browns will monitor his ankle heading into a Week 9 tilt against Arizona. Strong's workload will depend to some extent on Ford's availability, but the former seems to have carved out a consistent role.

McLaughlin had four carries for 33 yards and caught both of his targets for six yards in Sunday's 24-9 win over Kansas City.

The rookie continues to serve as the primary backup to Javonte Williams, ahead of veteran Samaje Perine. McLaughlin finished with 39 yards on six touches, but his production was dwarfed by Williams' 30 touches for 98 scrimmage yards and a TD. It appears that the team is comfortable giving Williams his full workload after easing him back in from injury earlier in the year. McLaughlin and his Denver teammates will go on a bye in Week 9, resuming play against the Bills on Nov. 13.

Foreman rushed nine times for 34 yards and caught one of his two targets for two yards in Sunday's 30-13 loss to the Chargers.

Foreman was coming off a massive three-TD performance against the Raiders, but that didn't seem to earn the veteran any extra work against the Chargers, as he split carries almost evenly with Roschon Johnson (nine touches for 31 yards), who sat out that Week 7 game with a concussion. Predictably, neither back generated noteworthy fantasy lines in their smaller, shared roles. This figures to be the case again Sunday against the Saints barring any unforeseen roster moves, and Khalil Herbert (ankle) could be back in the mix as well as soon as Week 10.