NFL Player News

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni confirmed Sanders suffered a broken hand in Sunday's win over the Giants and will be sidelined Week 17 against Washington, but the running back is expected to avoid a stint on injured reserve, Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com reports.

The Philadelphia training staff likely will hold Sanders out of practices during the upcoming week and wait and see how his hand heals over the next several days before reassessing his condition ahead of the Jan. 9 regular-season finale against the Cowboys. If Sanders is cleared to return for Week 18 or during the first round of the postseason (should the Eagles secure a playoff spot), he may need to wear some form of protection on his fractured hand. Sirianni added that Jordan Howard (neck), who suffered a stinger Week 16, could be ready to go for the game in Washington, in which case he and Boston Scott likely would split most of the carries out of the Philadelphia backfield. Rookie Kenneth Gainwell remains on hand as a change-of-pace option.

Nwangwu ran five times for eight yards and caught both of his targets for five yards during Sunday's 30-23 loss to the Rams.

Nwangwu operated as the primary backup to Alexander Mattison with Dalvin Cook sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols. The 23-year-old saw a season-high seven touches, but he failed to make an impact with the increased opportunities. The Vikings continue to try to get the electric return man more involved in the offense, but so far the experiment hasn't translated into fantasy production. Fantasy managers should monitor Cooks' status throughout the week, but even if he is sidelined again, Nwangwu will likely be a risky fantasy option against the Packers in Week 17.

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.