NFL Player News

Walker (ankle) didn't practice Thursday, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Walker has yet to take part in drills this week as he deals with a right ankle strain, which was the result of getting his right ankle jammed this past Sunday at the Rams. Meanwhile, fellow running back DeeJay Dallas (ankle) also has logged back-to-back DNPs, and Travis Homer (knee) got back to a full practice Thursday. Considering this last point, Homer seems to be the best bet of the trio to be available Sunday against the Panthers, with Friday's injury report potentially including a ruling on Walker's chances of playing in Week 14.

McCaffrey (knee) practiced on a limited basis Thursday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

McCaffrey maintained his activity level from one day prior, giving him just one more chance to get back to all on-field work before the 49ers potentially tag him with a designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. He was able to avoid the final injury report last week and then handle 81 percent of the offensive snaps this past Sunday versus the Dolphins, so a similar outcome may be in his future.

Jacobs (quadriceps/calf) is listed as active for Thursday night's game against the Rams, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

The Raiders' top RB approached the contest listed as questionable, as was the case prior to the team's past two games, but he'll once again give it a go and should continue to handle to bulk of Las Vegas' backfield touches Thursday in the absence of any in-game setbacks, with Ameer Abdullah, Zamir White, Brandon Bolden and Brittain Brown on hand in reserve. Over his last two games, Jacobs (who leads the NFL with 1,303 rushing yards through 12 outings) racked up a fantasy-friendly total of 59 carries for 373 yards and three TDs, to go along with eight catches for 80 yards in that span.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman noted Thursday that Dobbins (knee) "is looking good" in his second week of practice since being designated to return from IR, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

"I really think that time off and what he was able to take care is going to make a big impact on his effectiveness," Roman said of Dobbins, who last suited up Week 6. "We're excited about having him back." It remains to be seen if Dobbins is officially activated ahead of Sunday's game against the Steelers, but if he is, the 2020 second-rounder could well be eased back into the mix Week 14, with Gus Edwards, Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill also in the Ravens' backfield corps.

Swift (ankle) practiced fully Thursday.

Swift opened the week with a limited showing Wednesday with an ankle issue, but it didn't impact his activity level one day later, effectively clearing him for Week 14 action. The Lions tacked on Jamaal Williams (hand) onto Thursday's injury report, but like Swift he was able to log a full practice. As a result, the Swift-Williams backfield is a go ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Vikings.

Barkley was limited at Thursday's practice due to a neck injury, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Barkley wasn't listed on the Giants' injury report Wednesday, so his appearance one day later was unexpected. He was able to fit in some drills in spite of the health concern and has one more session to put himself in a position to avoid a designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Eagles. If Barkley is at all limited this weekend, Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell could take on larger roles out of New York's backfield.

Harris (oblique) returned to a limited practice Thursday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Harris didn't practice Wednesday, but the running back's return to the field Thursday bodes well for his chances of playing Sunday against the Ravens. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether Pittsburgh's top back heads into the weekend with an injury designation or fully cleared for Week 14 action.

Broncos offensive coordinator Justin Outten said he "absolutely" envisions Boone having a larger role this Sunday against the Chiefs, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports. "The second week [back from injured reserve] I see him going up," Outten said of Boone.

After a five-week stint on IR due to an ankle injury, Boone was activated in advance of last Sunday's game against the Ravens. Boone played 12 snaps in the 10-9 loss and carried six times for 18 yards to go with one reception for eight yards, working ahead of Marlon Mack (five snaps) but firmly behind starter Latavius Murray (35). Though Murray is likely to continue to start against Kansas City, expect the gap in usage between him and Boone to be more narrow now that the latter is further removed from the injury. The fantasy upside isn't especially high for either back while they remain tied to the NFL's lowest-scoring offense (13.8 points per game), but finding more opportunities for the 27-year-old Boone could become a priority for the 3-9 Broncos, especially once the team is officially eliminated from playoff contention. The 32-year-old Murray is on an expiring deal and is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry through seven games with Denver.

Perine will cede starting running back duties to Joe Mixon in Sunday's game against the Browns after the latter practiced fully Wednesday and cleared the NFL's concussion protocol, but Perine may have earned a larger role than he previously held after excelling as a replacement for Mixon over the past two games, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, head coach Zac Taylor already confirmed Wednesday that Mixon would reclaim the starting role, even though Perine amassed 248 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 48 touches (38 carries, 10 catches) over the previous two weeks while helping the Bengals knock off likely playoff teams in the Titans and Chiefs. Before exiting early in the Bengals' Week 11 win over the Steelers, Mixon had played more than two-thirds of the snaps in each of the team's first nine contests, but it's possible a more even timeshare between him and Perine may be in place Sunday. Perine demonstrated over the last two games that he's capable of filling in on both early and passing downs while churning out yardage efficiently, making him a reliable fill-in option if Mixon should need a breather during a given possession. That said, Perine can't be counted on to see enough touches to make him a viable fantasy lineup option outside of deeper leagues now that Mixon is back in the picture.

Foreman (foot) was limited at practice Thursday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

In the wake of Carolina's Week 13 bye, Foreman was held out of drills Wednesday as he tends to a rib injury. He took a step in the right direction with his upgrade in participation Thursday, and Friday's practice report will reveal whether or not he exits the week with a designation for Sunday's game at Seattle. If Foreman ends up limited or out this weekend, Chuba Hubbard would be the biggest beneficiary out of the Panthers backfield.