NFL Player News

Williams ran for 55 yards on 11 carries and caught three passes for 30 yards on three targets in Sunday's win over Pittsburgh.

Williams led the Chiefs in rushing yardage in a game during which starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire left with a shoulder/collarbone injury that will require further inspection before the Chiefs know its severity. If Edwards-Helaire misses time then Williams could be next in line, though fellow running back Derrick Gore (12 carries for 43 yards, three catches for 61 yards on three targets Sunday) also made his presence felt against the Steelers. The Chiefs face the Bengals in Week 17.

Head coach Andy Reid said the injury Edwards-Helaire sustained Sunday in the Chiefs' 36-10 win over the Steelers was to his shoulder rather than his collarbone, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.

Reid noted that the Chiefs won't have a clear idea regarding the extent of Edwards-Helaire's injury until Monday, when he'll presumably be sent in for furth tests. Before exiting the Week 16 win, Edwards-Helaire carried nine times for 27 yards and a touchdown while reeling in his lone target for a four-yard reception.

Herbert rushed twice for 21 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for seven yards in the Bears' 25-24 win over the Seahawks on Sunday.

With David Montgomery carrying the ball 21 times while being targeted nine times, Herbert was granted a few opportunities to give Montgomery a rest. Fortunately, on one of his chances, he had an explosive 20-yard touchdown run. However, it's unlikely he sees an elevated role in Week 17 against the Giants unless the game becomes one-sided.

Penny carried the ball 17 times for 135 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 25-24 loss to the Bears.

He also failed to haul in his only target, but Penny supplied more than enough offense with his legs in snowy conditions in Seattle. Over the last three games, the 2018 first-round pick has piled up 311 rushing yards and three TDs as he tries to re-establish some value heading into free agency after what has been a disappointing, injury-plagued career. Penny seems poised for another big game in Week 17 against the Lions.

Patterson rushed seven times for 14 yards and a touchdown, brought in one of two targets for minus-2 yards and returned three kickoffs for 79 yards in the Falcons' 20-16 win over the Lions on Sunday.

The hybrid star was extremely inefficient on a yards-per-touch basis, but he still found a way to offer a serviceable fantasy return with his six-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. Patterson also rewarded fantasy managers rolling him with him on rosters in formats that count return yardage, and despite the fact he's averaged a microscopic 0.6 yards per carry over his last two games, his nose for the end zone always gives him some upside. Patterson's next chance to build on his numbers in what has been a career-best season comes in an unenviable Week 17 road matchup versus the Bills.

Gibson (toe) is active for Sunday's game at Dallas.

Clearly, Gibson was held out of practice this week due to the toe injury he picked up Tuesday in Philadelphia for maintenance-related purposes. Now that he's confirmed to be available to the offense, he's poised for his typical 14.7 touches per game, though Jaret Patterson, Jonathan Williams and Wendell Smallwood are available for any RB reps that linger.

Vaughn rushed seven times for 70 yards and a touchdown and failed to bring in his only target during the Buccaneers' 32-6 win over the Panthers on Sunday.

Operating as the primary backup to interim lead back Ronald Jones, Vaughn made good use of his opportunity with the help of a 55-yard touchdown up the left sideline in the first quarter, Tampa Bay's first score of the game. The second-year back had just 11 carries on the campaign coming into the contest, but he should continue to serve in a solid complementary role in a Week 17 road matchup with the Jets.

Hubbard rushed six times for nine yards and failed to bring in his only target in the Panthers' 32-6 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Hubbard unsurprisingly found nearly non-existent running room during his few opportunities against a notoriously stingy Buccaneers defensive front. Game script eventually nullified the Panthers' ground attack for the most part, making it an utterly forgettable fantasy afternoon for the rookie. Despite his role as a de facto lead back to close out the season, Hubbard has seen single-digit carries in each of the last two games and has been an almost complete non-factor as a receiver since Week 7. He'll have another unenviable assignment in Week 17 in the form of a Saints team that's on par with Tampa Bay in terms of stopping the run.

Jones rushed 20 times for 65 yards and a touchdown and brought in two of three targets for 16 yards in the Buccaneers' 32-6 win over the Panthers on Sunday.

Stepping in for Leonard Fournette (IR-hamstring), Jones shouldered the bulk of the workload for the Buccaneers backfield and acquitted himself reasonably well. The fourth-year back notched his third touchdown in the last six games with a seven-yard scoring scamper late in the third quarter as well, burnishing his outlook ahead of a favorable Week 17 road matchup against a suspect Jets run defense.

Montgomery rushed 21 times for 45 yards and a touchdown and caught seven passes for 61 yards in the Bears' 25-24 win over the Seahawks on Sunday.

With Seattle loading up to stop the run, Montgomery found very little room to operate, but by leading the team in rushing attempts and targets, his volume allowed him to surpass 100 yards from scrimmage. He could've had a bigger day, but he was unable to turn a rushing attempt and target from near the goal line during one drive into an additional score. He'll have an excellent matchup against the Giants next week in which he should be a top-15 option at running back.