NFL Player News

Taylor didn't see any snaps in Sunday's 33-21 loss to the Bills.

Taylor suited up for the contest with Rhamondre Stevenson (illness) on the reserve/COVID-19 list, but he didn't see any action with Damien Harris handling the bulk of the Patriots' early-down work and Brandon Bolden working in a change-of-pace role. Taylor remains off the fantasy radar unless the team's backfield depth is further taxed for any reason.

Bolden logged 34 of a possible 64 snaps on offense in Sunday's 33-21 loss to the Bills, carrying twice for four yards and catching two of his five targets for 20 yards, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

With Rhamondre Stevenson (illness) on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Damien Harris predictably handled the bulk of the Patriots' early-down work Sunday, while Bolden served in a change-of-pace role. Regardless of Stevenson's Week 17 status, Bolden seems destined to log complementary work this coming weekend against the Jaguars, an arrangement that carries modest fantasy utility in PPR formats.

Homer didn't record a touch in Sunday's 25-24 loss to the Bears.

Homer missed the full week of practice due to the league's COVID-19 protocols, which may be an explanation for why he only handled four offensive snaps despite Alex Collins being a healthy scratch. Rashaad Penny looks like the obvious No. 1 back for the rest of the season, and Homer will compete with DeeJay Dallas for the remaining reps. Neither player should be considered a stable fantasy option.

Dallas rushed four times for 15 yards and caught all four of his targets for 23 yards in Sunday's 25-24 loss to the Bears. He also returned three kicks for 79 yards.

After working in a timeshare with Rashaad Penny last week and finding the end zone, the second-year back took a back seat to Penny on Sunday. Dallas ran ahead of Travis Homer, who was activated off the COVID-19 list Saturday, but it's possible Homer takes the No. 2 role once he gets a full week of practice under his belt. However, Penny looks like the clear-cut starter for the final two regular-season games either way. It's worth noting that head coach Pete Carroll made Alex Collins a healthy scratch this week, as it appears he's giving the younger running backs a chance to audition for a role in 2022.

Mack was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.

Mack will need to clear the NFL's COVID-19 protocols before seeing action again, but with him being a healthy scratch in seven straight games, his absence should not affect any roles in the Colts' backfield.

Freeman had 12 carries for 34 yards in Sunday's 41-29 win over the Chargers.

Freeman returned to a significant role in Houston's backfield with David Johnson inactive due to a quadriceps injury. Freeman's seen decent touch volume in two of the last three weeks, but those opportunities are the result of injuries and COVID-19 issues for other backs. The Texans may want to give the 25-year-old running back some additional chances over the final two weeks of the season, with the intent of evaluating him for a potential role in 2022.

Felton returned four kickoffs for 83 yards and played four snaps on offense in Week 16's 24-22 loss to the Packers on Saturday.

Felton's playing time on offense took a hit with Jarvis Landry and Austin Hooper returning from the reserve/COVID-19 list, dropping him from a season-high 29 snaps against the Raiders in Week 15 to four against Green Bay. He did serve as the team's primary kick returner for a second straight game, however. He appears to have taken over the kick-return duties from fellow rookie Anthony Schwartz, who was active for the second consecutive game following a three-game absence due to a concussion.

Johnson had four carries for 58 yards and caught one of two targets for eight yards in Week 16's 24-22 loss to the Packers on Saturday.

Johnson's day included a huge 3rd-and-10 conversion on which he rushed 30 yards to the Green Bay five-yard line and set up the Browns' final score. He served as Nick Chubb's backup for the third consecutive game with Kareem Hunt sidelined by an ankle injury and placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Johnson's seen exactly five touches in all three games, and he has emerged as a competent backup with starter potential in his third NFL season. He'll never usurp the primary role from Chubb, but Johnson is averaging 5.5 yards per carry during his career and hasn't taken the number of hits that other running backs have absorbed over 47 career games.

Patterson took nine carries for 33 yards in Sunday's 56-14 loss to Dallas, playing 25 percent of snaps on offense.

The rookie got five of his nine carries in the fourth quarter, though both he and Jonathan Williams subbed in for Antonio Gibson at times before the game got completely out of hand. Gibson is playing through a toe injury and may not be at his best, but he still managed 58 total yards and a TD on only 37 percent of snaps. Any limitations over the final two weeks would set up Patterson and Williams for larger roles.

Sanders broke a bone in his hand Sunday and will need additional tests to see if he can play through the injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Sanders was removed from Sunday's win over the Giants in the second quarter and later left the stadium with a soft cast around his broken hand. Jordan Howard (stinger) also made an early exit, leaving Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell as the Eagles' healthy running backs. Scott would be the best bet for carries if both Sanders and Howard are out Week 17 against Washington.