NFL Player News

Vaughn rushed 10 times for 29 yards and a touchdown and brought in both targets for 12 yards in the Buccaneers' 41-17 win over the Panthers on Sunday.

Vaughn took on lead-back duties with Ronald Jones (ankle) sidelined and logged double-digit carries, but he wasn't able to do much on a yards-per-carry basis. However, his two-yard scoring run early in the third quarter salvaged his day somewhat from a fantasy perspective, and he finished the season with two scores over the last three games. The health of both Jones and Leonard Fournette (IR-hamstring) will certainly be the subject of plenty of scrutiny this coming week leading up to Sunday's wild-card matchup against the Eagles, and if at least one of the two remains on the shelf, Vaughn would presumably be in line for at least a complementary role in the contest.

Akers (Achilles) rushed five times for three yards and caught all three targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss to the 49ers.

Akers made his 2021 debut in Week 18 after missing practically the entirety of the regular season with an Achilles injury. The 21-year-old was eased back into action with just eight total touches while Sony Michel (21-43-0) retained his lead-back role. Akers is more versatile of an asset and provides more upside than the current veteran starter, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Akers carve out a larger role -- assuming good health -- in a showdown between the Rams and Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs.

Evans rushed seven times for 35 yards and brought in four of five targets for 24 yards in the Bengals' 21-16 loss to the Browns on Sunday.

The rookie checked in second in carries to Trayveon Williams with Joe Mixon (reserve/COVID-19) unavailable and Samaje Perine active but not logging any touches. Evans was able to record his second NFL touchdown in the same manner -- through the air -- as his first back in Week 6 when he recorded a four-yard scoring grab with 2:26 remaining in the contest. Despite the uptick in activity Sunday, Evans will almost certainly revert back to a healthy scratch or special-teams work when the postseason begins for the Bengals with a wild-card matchup against a to-be-determined opponent Saturday afternoon.

Mitchell rushed 21 times for 85 yards and did not receive a target as a receiver in Sunday's 27-24 overtime win over the Rams.

Mitchell did not carry an injury designation heading into this matchup, which has been a rare occurrence during an injury-filled rookie campaign. The 2021 sixth-round pick finishes the regular season way ahead of expectations with 1,100 combined yards and six total touchdowns in 11 games. It will be very interesting to see how the 49ers treat Mitchell's role next season when the team's running-back corps heals up, as he has clearly established that he can produce as the lead rushing option in a complex offensive scheme. Assuming Mitchell doesn't land on the injury report during practice this week, the rookie will lead San Francisco's backfield in a playoff matchup against the Cowboys next week.

Benjamin ran for 31 yards on seven carries and caught four passes for 25 yards on four targets against Seattle on Sunday.

Benjamin had to step up more than usual because lead runner James Conner (ribs) had to leave the game in the fourth quarter and Chase Edmonds (ribs) didn't suit up for the contest. Not just that, but running back Jonathan Ward suffered a knee injury. It's not clear what the immediate status of any of the three injured runners might be, but if two or more of them miss any time then Benjamin might need to step up as the primary runner for Arizona in next week's wild-card round.

Kamara rushed the ball 30 times for 146 yards in Sunday's 30-20 win over Atlanta. He added two receptions for 16 yards.

Kamara was the centerpiece of the Saints' offense, particularly after Taysom Hill suffered a foot injury that pushed Trevor Siemian into action. The end result was a career-high 30 rushing attempts for Kamara and his highest yardage total on the ground for the campaign. Kamara relied primarily on volume to produce, though he highlighted his effort with gains of 27 and 13 yards to turn in an efficient effort. The primary thing missing from Kamara's performance was a trip to the end zone, a common theme for the season as he tallied only nine total touchdowns -- 12 fewer than his mark in 2020. The Saints will presumably look to upgrade their offense during the offseason, which could benefit Kamara's fantasy outlook from an efficiency perspective.

Abdullah rushed seven times for 26 yards and caught 9 of 11 targets for 56 yards in Sunday's 41-17 loss to the Buccaneers.

Abdullah ended the season by leading the Panthers in touches, marking his biggest workload of the campaign. Unsurprisingly, that involvement also resulted in Abdullah's best yardage output, ranking second on Carolina in both rushing and receiving yards Sunday, with his nine grabs comfortably setting a new career high. After joining the Panthers midway through the season, Abdullah's all-purpose ability offered a flexible option in Christian McCaffrey's (ankle) extended absence. Finishing with 51 carries for 166 yards and 38 catches on 53 targets for 289 more yards, Abdullah's production from 17 games split between the Panthers and Vikings should garner him interest as a free agent this offseason, especially when considering his added value as a kickoff returner.

Herbert rushed four times for 11 yards in the Bears' 31-17 Week 18 loss to the Vikings, and he ended the season with 103 carries for 433 yards and two touchdowns along with 14 receptions for 96 yards.

The highlight of Herbert's season was when he took over lead-back duties for David Montgomery over a four-week span and averaged more than 20 touches and 97 yards, showing that he can be a strong option if needed in the future. As long as Montgomery remains ahead of him on the depth chart, he'll be selected in fantasy drafts as a valuable backup with upside if he's needed to start games. He'll enter the second year of his four-year rookie deal, and his solid performance when called upon in 2021 makes it likely he'll be with the team for the near future.

Williams rushed nine times for 38 yards and brought in one of two targets for four yards in the Bengals' 21-16 loss to the Browns on Sunday.

Williams got a chance for extended action with Joe Mixon (reserve/COVID-19) unavailable and Samaje Perine going unused in the finale. The third-year pro is unlikely to have any role in the Bengals' upcoming postseason run unless there are multiple injuries in front of him.

Williams caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown in the Bears' 31-17 Week 18 loss to the Vikings, and he ended the season with 40 carries for 164 yards and two touchdowns while adding 16 receptions for 103 yards and one touchdown.

After starting the season seeing work as a change-of-pace option to David Montgomery, Williams was passed on the depth chart by Khalil Herbert, and from Week 7 on, he saw very limited action. Although he technically has a low-salary contract in 2022, it's a void year, and the Bears would owe him nothing if they move on. Unless his situation improves dramatically, he'll be a depth option for fantasy managers.