NFL Player News

Sanders rushed 18 times for 72 yards and brought in four of six targets for 26 yards in the Panthers' 24-10 loss to the Falcons on Sunday.

Sanders doubled up backfield mate Chuba Hubbard in carries and demonstrated he was past his preseason groin injury, checking in as the Panthers' second-leading receiver along the way. The offseason addition and his fantasy managers are hoping he'll have more reliable week-to-week usage than was sometimes the case in Philadelphia, and early returns are certainly promising on that front. Sanders should continue to see reliable volume, albeit in a tough matchup, when the Panthers face off with the Saints at home in an NFC South clash Monday night, Sept. 18.

White rushed 17 times for 39 yards and brought in both targets for 10 yards in the Buccaneers' 20-17 win over the Vikings on Sunday.

As expected, White handled a true lead-back role to kick off his second season, but the matchup proved anything but favorable. A Vikings defense that already looks more aggressive under new coordinator Brian Flores repeatedly stifled White on the ground, limiting him to a miserable 2.3 yards per carry and a long run of six yards. Nevertheless, the touch volume was certainly encouraging, and White could encounter a more palatable scenario against the Bears during a Week 2 early afternoon home matchup in the fatiguing Florida heat.

Evans rushed twice for 12 yards and caught his only target for minus-1 yard in Sunday's 24-3 loss to the Browns.

Joe Mixon led the Bengals in both rushing attempts (13) and targets (five), while Evans shared the leftovers with Trayveon Williams, who had seven yards on two rushing attempts. Samaje Perine carved out a substantial role in passing situations at Mixon's expense last season, but Evans currently looks like more of a true backup following Perine's departure, even if he's marginally ahead of both Williams and rookie fifth-round pick Chase Brown, who was a healthy scratch Sunday. Evans and the Bengals will face the Ravens in Week 2.

Mattison rushed 11 times for 34 yards and brought in three of four targets for 10 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 20-17 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Playing his first game as the Vikings' unquestioned lead back, Mattison came up considerably short statistically overall, even when factoring in his early fourth-quarter receiving touchdown. The fifth-year back was repeatedly stifled by a traditionally tough Buccaneers run defense, so perhaps the highly inefficient performance -- which featured a long run of just nine yards -- will prove to be an outlier over time. However, Mattison doesn't exactly get a reprieve in his Week 2 matchup, a road date with the Eagles on a short week Thursday night.

Mixon had 13 carries for 56 yards and caught three of five targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 24-3 loss to Cleveland.

Mixon had more rushing yards (45) than Joe Burrow did passing yards (36) in the first half, but his success on the ground didn't lead to any points. Neither Chris Evans (three touches) nor Trayveon Williams (two touches) posed much of a threat to Mixon's workload while rookie fifth-round pick Chase Brown was a healthy scratch, so Mixon is the clear lead back for the Bengals heading into a Week 2 home game against the Ravens.

Jackson carried the ball 13 times for only 14 yards and caught five of six targets for 14 yards in Sunday's 31-21 loss to the Jaguars. He also lost two fumbles.

With Jonathan Taylor (ankle) on the PUP list to begin the season and Zack Moss (forearm) not yet 100 percent, Jackson got the start in the backfield for the Colts but had little success on the ground, with his longest carry going for only seven yards. His work as a receiver salvaged his fantasy day in PPR formats, but it was still a disappointing effort for the third-year back. Evan Hull (knee) suffered a knee injury Sunday, which could remove even more competition for snaps if it proves to be serious, but Jackson gave himself little job security with this lackluster performance. If he does maintain a significant role in Week 2, Jackson gets a juicy matchup against a Texans run defense that was the worst in the league in 2022 and which just gave up three rushing touchdowns to Ravens running backs in Houston's opener.

Chubb rushed 18 times for 106 yards and caught all four of his targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 24-3 win over the Bengals.

Chubb topped 100 yards on the ground after doing so seven times last season, and his four catches would have been Chubb's second-highest total in 2022, so the star running back's usage in this low-scoring season opener was highly encouraging. Jerome Ford actually got 15 carries, but he rushed for just 36 yards and lost a fumble, so Ford poses little threat to Chubb's workload. Cleveland's workhorse back will try to pick up his first touchdown of the season on Monday Night Football in Week 2 against a Steelers team that just allowed 152 rushing yards and a touchdown to San Francisco RB Christian McCaffrey.

Bigsby carried the ball seven times for 13 yards and a touchdown and failed to catch his only target in Sunday's 31-21 win over the Colts.

It was a rollercoaster NFL debut for the 2023 third-round pick. Bigsby was the intended target on Trevor Lawrence's lone INT of the day, and he also wound up with the ball after a Lawrence fumble that the rookie assumed was an incomplete pass, only to have it knocked out of his hands and returned for an Indianapolis touchdown. Bigsby redeemed himself in the fourth quarter however, pushing the pile to the goal line on a carry from the Colts' five-yard line before finding paydirt on the next play. Travis Etienne remains the Jaguars' top running back, but Bigsby looks like he could have a consistent role in the red zone and on short yardage this season.

McCaffrey rushed 22 times for 152 yards and a touchdown while catching three of five targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 30-7 win over the Steelers.

After producing 52 yards on 11 first-half carries, McCaffrey took his first rushing attempt of the third quarter to the house from 65 yards out to give the 49ers a 27-7 lead. McCaffrey worked as the clear lead back over Elijah Mitchell, who produced just 10 yards on five carries and one target. Including the playoffs, McCaffrey scored 13 scrimmage touchdowns in 14 games after being traded to the 49ers last season. His ability to contribute as both a runner and a pass catcher should keep McCaffrey heavily involved on a weekly basis, including Week 2 against the Rams.

Hull, who was forced from the Week 1 loss to the Jaguars with a knee issue, isn't believed to be dealing with a significant injury but will undergo further testing to confirm, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Hull had two touches for seven yards before leaving Sunday's game in the third quarter. The Colts are already dealing with injuries to Zack Moss (forearm) and Jonathan Taylor (PUP-ankle), so Hull's health moving forward is worth monitoring. Currently, Deon Jackson and Jake Funk are the only healthy running backs on Indianapolis' 53-man roster. Hull's status should be updated following the scans, but the Colts don't need to release an injury report until Wednesday ahead of a Week 2 matchup against the Texans.