NFL Player News
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Latavius Murray RB | BUF
Saints' Latavius Murray: Finds end zone in Week 15 loss
Murray rushed four times for three yards and brought in two of three targets for 26 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' 32-29 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.
Across his last three games, Murray has totaled just 18 touches for 53 yards from scrimmage, and usage has been a concern. Fantasy managers surely were happy to see him find the end zone against Kansas City when he took a 24-yard reception to the house early in the third quarter. Murray isn't seeing enough work to maintain consistent fantasy relevance, and he'll be tough to trust even in a favorable matchup with Minnesota in Week 16.
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Matt Breida RB | SF
Dolphins' Matt Breida: Logs best game as Dolphin
Breida had 12 carries for 86 yards during Miami's 22-12 win over the Patriots.
With Myles Gaskin (undisclosed) still on the COVID-19 list, Breida had great success as a complementary option to Salvon Ahmed, who had 23 carries for 122 yards and a score himself. It was Breida's first game with the Dolphins handling double-digit carries, and the first time he surpassed 50 yards in a single contest with the team. If any of DeVante Parker (hamstring), Mike Gesicki (shoulder) and Jakeem Grant (hamstring) are forced to sit out against the Raiders on Saturday, the Dolphins could be forced to lean heavily on the run again.
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Rico Dowdle RB | PIT
Cowboys' Rico Dowdle: Limited action as No. 2
Dowdle carried the ball four times for 11 yards and returned three kickoffs for 88 yards in Sunday's win over the 49ers.
With Ezekiel Elliott (calf) sidelined, Tony Pollard moved into the lead role in the backfield and erupted for 132 yards from scrimmage and two TDs, leaving Pollard's usual spot as the backup RB and kickoff returner in the hands of Dowdle. The undrafted rookie wasn't able to make much impact on offense, but he did impress as a return man. Even if Elliott returns to the lineup Week 16, Pollard's performance may earn him a bigger workload, potentially opening the door for Dowdle to become the Cowboys' primary kickoff returner to close out the year.
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DeeJay Dallas RB | JAC
Seahawks' DeeJay Dallas: Nursing Grade 3 sprain
Dallas suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain during Sunday's 20-15 win over Washington, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The rookie fourth-round pick is dealing with a serious ankle sprain, an injury that will likely cause him to spend a multi-week stint on the sideline. That leaves Seattle a bit shallow for running back depth with Travis Homer (knee) already on IR, but the team does have three quality options remaining in the form of Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde and Rashaad Penny.
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Cordarrelle Patterson RB | PIT
Bears' Cordarrelle Patterson: Deemed day-to-day
Coach Matt Nagy said Monday that Patterson (knee) is considered day-to-day ahead of a Week 16 matchup versus the Jaguars.
Patterson suffered this injury during the second quarter but was able to return after halftime. He will be monitored throughout the week. The day-to-day tag signals that Patterson has a good chance to play Sunday in a must-win contest. His main contributions come on special teams, since David Montgomery is operating as a bell cow. Patterson leads the league with 942 yards on kick returns this year.
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB | KC
Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire: High-ankle sprain feared
The Chiefs believe that Edwards-Helaire suffered a high-ankle sprain and a strained hip during Sunday's 32-29 win over the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The Chiefs listed Edwards-Helaire with hip and ankle injuries when he was forced out late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win, and X-rays were returned negative after the game. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has reported that the rookie first-round pick is expected to miss the final two weeks of the regular season, and given the tricky recovery timetable often associated with high-ankle sprains, even a first-round bye may not guarantee his immediate return in the postseason. Le'Veon Bell projects to lead Kansas City's backfield as long as Edwards-Helaire is sidelined, while Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson also are candidates for increased roles.
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Kenjon Barner RB | TB
Buccaneers' Kenjon Barner: Tallies 99 return yards in win
Barner returned three kickoffs for 67 yards and ran back four punts for 32 yards in the Buccaneers' 31-27 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
The veteran played all but one of his 24 snaps on special teams, pulling double duty on returns and doing a solid job on both kickoffs and punts. Barner is expected to handle each role for the last two regular-season games, and presumably, in the postseason. However, Barner isn't expected to see any appreciable action from scrimmage unless multiple injuries strike the running backs corps.
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Rashaad Penny RB | CAR
Seahawks' Rashaad Penny: Eases into action Sunday
Penny rushed twice for six yards in Sunday's 20-15 win over Washington.
After more than a year of recovery from a torn ACL, Penny made his return to the field Sunday and got his feet wet with just six snaps. The Seahawks likely will see how his body responds to the contact before ramping up his workload. The 2018 first-round pick isn't expected to take on major responsibility this year, but perhaps he can usurp Carlos Hyde as Seattle's No. 2 back by the start of the playoffs. He'll look to build on his recent progress next week against the Rams.
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB | KC
Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire: Could miss Weeks 16-17
Edwards-Helaire (hip/ankle) is expected to miss the Chiefs' final two games of the regular season, even though X-rays conducted after Sunday's 32-29 win over the Saints came back negative for a fracture, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Edwards-Helaire was helped off the field during the fourth quarter of Sunday's game, finishing with 14 carries for 79 yards and one catch for four yards on 45 percent of offensive snaps. The team expects him to be out for at least a week or two, but the likelihood of the Chiefs earning a first-round bye improves Edwards-Helaire's odds of avoiding any absences during the playoffs. Le'Veon Bell figures to lead the K.C. backfield while the rookie is sidelined, with Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson also candidates to get some work.
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D'Ernest Johnson RB | NE
Browns' D'Ernest Johnson: Finishes game
Johnson had four carries for 24 yards and returned one kickoff for 16 yards in Sunday's 20-6 win over the Giants.
Johnson had his first carries since Week 8, finishing the game on the Browns' final drive rather than risk injury to either Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt. Since Chubb returned from an injury following a Week 9 bye, Johnson's been relegated to kick return duty.