NFL Player News

McFarland (knee) returned to practice Monday.

McFarland went to Pittsburgh's injured reserve list with a knee injury after a Week 1 loss versus San Francisco, but it now seems he could return as early as Week 7 at the Rams. The Steelers now have a 21-day window to activate him, or he'll be relegated to IR for the remainder of the year.

Williams (ankle) will undergo an MRI on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The MRI should provide more details about the ankle injury Williams sustained late in the Rams' 26-9 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday, when he handled 20 carries for a career-high 158 yards and a touchdown. The second-year pro left Sunday's game without a boot on his injured ankle, but until his MRI results are in, it'll be difficult to project how much time, if any, Williams might have to miss. Meanwhile, backup Ronnie Rivers (knee) is believed to be dealing with a PCL sprain and also will receive an MRI.

Breida rushed four times for 13 yards and didn't catch his only target in Sunday's loss to Buffalo.

Breida played over half of New York's offensive snaps in each of the previous three games with Saquon Barkley out due to an ankle injury, but his role unsurprisingly shrank with Barkley back in action in Week 6. Breida saw the field for just 18 of the Giants' 77 offensive snaps and didn't make much of an impact with a long gain of six yards. This volume figures to be the norm for the veteran back whenever Barkley is able to suit up, and Breida wasn't very productive even when filling in during Barkley's absence, so there's little appeal to rostering him in fantasy except as an unexciting stash.

Coach Sean McDermott said Monday that Harris (neck) has full movement in his body and is "heading in a good direction," Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Harris had to undergo medical evaluation at a local hospital after being forced out of Monday's game against the Giants. It's encouraging to hear that he's indeed demonstrated full movement of his extremities, but it's still too early to speculate on a potential recovery timeline for the veteran running back. James Cook and Latavius Murray are currently the only healthy RBs on Buffalo's active roster.

Carter rushed once for five yards and didn't catch his only target in Sunday's 20-14 win over the Eagles.

Carter once again finished third among New York's running backs in touches behind Breece Hall (17) and Dalvin Cook (four). Expect Carter to remain in a depth role after the Jets' Week 7 bye.

Cook rushed three times for 12 yards and caught his only target for two yards in Sunday's 20-14 win over the Eagles.

Cook opened the season in a timeshare with Breece Hall, but Hall has 42 touches in the last two games compared to Cook's 10. The Jets have little reason to increase Cook's usage after the team's Week 7 bye, as the veteran running back is averaging a paltry 2.8 YPC, while Hall's at a robust 6.5 YPC.

Blackshear rushed five times for 18 yards and caught his only target for four yards in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Dolphins.

Blackshear was promoted to Carolina's second-string tailback with usual starter Miles Sanders (shoulder) sidelined. With the Panthers now entering their bye week, Sanders has extra time to return healthy ahead of Week 8's game versus the Texans. Depending on Sanders' status, Blackshear may find himself sparingly used or inactive altogether.

Murray carried 12 times for 45 yards in Sunday's 14-9 win over the Giants.

Although the yards were hard to come by for both teams in the low-scoring affair, Murray saw only two less carries than starter James Cook and was frequently on the field during crucial downs, which included short-yardage and red-zone plays. The yardage was a season high for the 33-year-old, who could continue to see a meaningful amount of carries if Damien Harris' neck injury ends up keeping him out of future action.

Cook took 14 carries for 71 yards and was not targeted as a receiver in Sunday's 14-9 win over the Giants.

Cook bounced back from his negative rushing day against the Jaguars in London last week to lead the Bills in touches and backfield production against the Giants. The 23-year-old produced a stat line Sunday nearly identical to the 14.0 carries and 74.0 yards he averaged over his first four games, confirming his status as Buffalo's lead back survived the overseas dud. Now back on track, Cook will look to continue his breakout campaign against the Patriots next Sunday.

Barkley (ankle) had 24 carries for 93 yards while catching four of five targets for five yards in Sunday's 14-9 loss to Buffalo.

Barkley completed his speedy recovery from a high-ankle sprain that wound up costing him two games. The coaching staff did not have the luxury of easing the team's star player back into action following a 1-4 start to the season, resulting in a season-high 28 combined touches for Barkley in defeat. The 26-year-old performed well on an individual basis given his heavy workload and the fact that he was likely playing at less than full strength Sunday. Assuming the ankle held up fine, the shorthanded Giants figure to continue leaning on Barkley in a divisional matchup against Washington next Sunday.