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Damien Harris RB | BUF
Patriots' Damien Harris: Questionable for Monday
Harris (ankle) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Jets, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.
Seventeen players from the Patriots were listed as questionable following the team's final injury report, so it's clear there's a bit of gamesmanship being played at the moment. Considering Harris was listed as a limited participant all week and no news surfaced about him possibly missing Monday's game, all indications seem to suggest the second-year back will be good to go. The team could still choose to activate Sony Michel (quad) off injured reserve in the next 48 hours; otherwise expect Rex Burkhead and James White to cycle in as part of the team's backfield-by-committee.
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J.J. Taylor RB | HOU
Patriots' J.J. Taylor: Out Monday
Taylor (illness) will not play Monday against the Jets, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.
Taylor was held out all week with an illness, but the running back had been a healthy scratch even when he's healthy. With 19 players either out or listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Jets, depth might be a major question mark for the Patriots.
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Rico Dowdle RB | PIT
Cowboys' Rico Dowdle: Could be active Sunday
Dowdle will likely be activated from the Cowboys' practice squad if Ezekiel Elliott is inactive as expected, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Dowdle saw a little bit of action in the Arizona Monday night debacle in Week 6, carrying the ball three times for 13 yards. In four years at South Carolina, he wasn't the full-time back, peaking at 764 rushing yards in his freshman year.
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Ezekiel Elliott RB | LAC
Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Game-time status trending down
Elliott (hamstring), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers, could be trending in the wrong direction after the Cowboys elevated fullback Sewo Olonilua from the practice squad, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.
It's never a great sign when a team opts to call up additional depth at a position affected by injuries, but it's difficult to really read too much into this situation since Olonilua is traditionally considered a fullback and thus would only see snaps at running back if a series of unfortunate situations would decimate the team's depth behind Elliott. Complicating matters further is the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff, though coach Mike McCarthy seemed to indicate Elliott's status will likely be decided prior to that during a Sunday morning workout. If Elliott were to be ruled out, expect Tony Pollard to take over the bulk of the work for an offense expected to be led by journeyman quarterback Garrett Gilbert against a difficult Steelers defense.
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Christian McCaffrey RB | SF
Panthers' Christian McCaffrey: Activated from IR
McCaffrey (ankle) has been activated from injured reserve, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Carolina head coach Matt Rhule said he expects McCaffrey to play in Sunday's game against the Chiefs. He wasn't willing to elaborate on expectations for McCaffrey's role, however. Given that McCaffrey has been practicing for more than a week, it isn't out of the question that he could see his usual 20-plus touches in his first game back from a high ankle sprain.
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LeVante Bellamy RB | DEN
Broncos' LeVante Bellamy: Preparing to return
Bellamy (knee) was designated to return from injured reserve Friday, per the NFL's official transaction log.
Bellamy has missed the last three games, but he returned to practice Thursday and is eligible to play Sunday against the Falcons. There's a decent chance he's not activated for that game, but the depth running back should be back in action soon. Bellamy played strictly on special teams before this injury.
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J.K. Dobbins RB | DEN
Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Should help fill in for Ingram
Dobbins and Gus Edwards are expected to take on elevated roles Sunday in Indianapolis with Mark Ingram (ankle) listed as doubtful for the contest, Daniel Oyefusi of The Baltimore Sun reports.
While Ingram was sidelined during last week's loss to the Steelers, both Dobbins and Edwards enjoyed productive days while splitting the backfield work. Dobbins and Edwards received 16 touches apiece, but the former played 54 snaps and accrued 121 yards from scrimmage, while the latter played 26 and put up 87 yards. Though Edwards should remain heavily involved in the Ravens' ground attack Week 10, Dobbins' ability to contribute both as a ballcarrier and as a pass catcher gives him the greater fantasy upside of the two backs.
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Gus Edwards RB | LAC
Ravens' Gus Edwards: Bigger role awaits sans Ingram
Edwards and J.K. Dobbins are expected to take on elevated roles Sunday in Indianapolis with Mark Ingram (ankle) listed as doubtful for the contest, Daniel Oyefusi of The Baltimore Sun reports.
While Ingram was sidelined during last week's loss to the Steelers, both Edwards and Dobbins enjoyed productive days while splitting the backfield work. Though Dobbins outsnapped him 54-26, Edwards still carried 16 times for 87 yards and a touchdown. So long as the Ravens can at least keep the game competitive throughout, Edwards should continue to stay involved on the ground, though Dobbins' superiority as a pass catcher gives him the higher fantasy ceiling of the two.
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DeeJay Dallas RB | MIN
Seahawks' DeeJay Dallas: Could start again Week 9
Dallas could be in store for a second straight start Sunday against the Bills with the Seahawks ruling out Chris Carson (foot) and Carlos Hyde (hamstring) for Sunday's game against the Bills, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.
In last week's win over the 49ers, the Seahawks had Dallas and Travis Homer available as their only backs for the contest. Though Homer had slotted directly behind Carson and Hyde all season, he may have only been more of an emergency option Week 8, as he was questionable with a knee injury leading into the contest. As the lone Seattle back at full health, Dallas out-snapped Homer by a 54-7 margin, and despite finding the end zone twice, the rookie wasn't particularly efficient with his opportunities (18 carries for 41 yards, five receptions for 17 yards). Since Homer won't be carrying an injury designation into Sunday's game and is presumably in a better spot health-wise, Dallas won't be a safe bet to dominate the running back snaps and touches like he did last week even if he receives another start. The Seahawks' Week 9 backfield situation could become even murkier if the team elects to promote Alex Collins from the practice squad prior to the game.
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Travis Homer RB | PIT
Seahawks' Travis Homer: Ready to go Sunday
Homer (knee) won't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Bills, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.
Though Homer sat out practice Wednesday and was a limited participant Thursday, his knee injury appears to be less of a concern than it was Week 8. While Homer ultimately suited up in last week's win over the 49ers, he was listed as questionable prior to the contest and served mainly as an emergency option behind DeeJay Dallas, as Seattle's top two backs -- Chris Carson (foot) and Carlos Hyde (hamstring) -- were tending to more serious injuries. With Carson and Hyde both still sidelined Week 9, Homer should be able to cut further into Dallas' workload after playing only seven snaps against San Francisco. Dallas wasn't particularly efficient in his opportunities as the primary back last week (18 carries for 41 yards and two scores, five receptions for 17 yards), so he won't necessarily have a stranglehold on the lead role.