NFL Player News

Coach Kliff Kingsbury characterized Edmonds (hamstring) as doubtful for Thursday's game against the 49ers, Scott Bordow of The Athletic reports.

The news doesn't come as a major surprise after Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported earlier Monday that Edmonds would likely miss a few weeks as a result of the hamstring strain he sustained in Sunday's loss to the Saints. Meanwhile, Kingsbury called David Johnson (ankle) day-to-day, though he too will have a tough time gaining clearance on a short week. In response to injuries to their top two backs, the Cardinals made a deal with the Dolphins on Monday to acquire Kenyan Drake, who could lead the Arizona backfield Thursday in his team debut.

Edmonds is expected to miss a few weeks due to a strained hamstring, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The Cardinals' backfield has been decimated by injuries of late, as Edmonds got an opportunity to be the top option the past two games due to David Johnson's lingering ankle issue. Edmonds and Johnson are both expected to be sidelined Thursday against the 49ers, which explains why the team traded for Kenyan Drake on Monday. As long as the deal goes through, Drake seems like a decent bet to start this week, though Zach Zenner and Alfred Morris also are in the mix for RB reps.

The Cardinals confirmed that they have a deal in place to acquire Drake from the Dolphins in exchange for a conditional 2020 draft pick.

Per the announcement, the deal is pending until Drake passes a physical with the Cardinals, but barring any late snags, this trade is slated to become official in time for the running back to join the team's depleted backfield in advance of Thursday night's game against the 49ers.

Bawden logged 16 offensive snaps during Sunday's 31-26 victory over the Giants.

Bawden shook off a back injury to play in Week 7 against Minnesota and then worked through a foot injury to play Sunday against New York. However, he didn't handle any offensive touches despite the absence of Kerryon Johnson (knee). If he wasn't a factor this week, it seems unlikely that the fullback will ever get many opportunities to make a dent in the stat sheet.

Coach Doug Pederson said Monday that Sanders (shoulder) is "gonna be OK" and is being viewed as day-to-day after X-rays cleared the running back of any structural damage, Daniel Gallen of The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports.

While Pederson's comments offer assurance that Sanders avoided a major injury in Sunday's win over the Bills, it's worth noting that the coach tends to throw around the "day-to-day" terminology liberally. With that in mind, more clarity on Sanders' outlook for the Week 9 game against the Bears probably won't come until the Eagles have a chance to evaluate him in practices Wednesday through Friday. If Sanders is sidelined next weekend, the Eagles could be forced to lean more heavily on Boston Scott as the top change-of-pace option behind Jordan Howard.

Bolden was on the field for three of a possible 69 snaps on offense in Sunday's 27-13 win over the Browns.

Bolden, who didn't record a carry or catch Sunday, logged 22 special teams snaps in the contest. He saw his role in New England's offense reduced Week 8 with Rex Burkhead back in the team's backfield mix. Until the next injury hits the team's running back corps, Bolden's touches figure to be sporadic.

Walton is in line to head Miami's backfield Monday night against the Steelers, and beyond, with Kenyan Drake reportedly having been dealt to the Cardinals, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald .

Kalen Ballage will also be in the mix, but Walton's 14-carry, 66-yard effort in Week 7's loss to the Bills should afford him the opportunity to lead the Dolphins' ground game in the coming weeks, now that there's one less back (Drake) to contend with for touches. With the Dolphins 0-6, game flows aren't always going to favor Walton, but with an expanded role on tap, he's worth scooping up if he's still available.

The Cardinals have reached an agreement in principle to acquire Drake in exchange for a conditional draft pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Meanwhile, Schefter suggests that with Chase Edmonds having suffered a hamstring injury Sunday and David Johnson still dealing with an ankle injury, Drake "could be in line for significant work" Thursday night against the 49ers. Going forward, Miami's backfield will be led by Mark Walton, with Kalen Ballage in reserve, while Patrick Laird and Myles Gaskin are candidates to serve as the team's No. 3 back.

Williams rushed seven times for 30 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-24 loss to Green Bay.

Williams was not targeted for the first time this season, but his three-yard touchdown scamper made him the leading fantasy scorer in Kansas City's backfield. LeSean McCoy touched the ball 13 times, and the veteran continues to see a slight advantage in usage in timeshare. Neither back should be considered a plus play against a stout Minnesota front seven (sixth-ranked rushing defense), especially if Patrick Mahomes (knee) remains sidelined come Week 9.

Williams ran the ball seven times for 22 yards and a touchdown, adding 14 yards and another score on three receptions in Sunday's 31-24 win over Kansas City.

Fellow back Adam Jones stole the show (over 200 total yards and two scores), but Williams was able to hit paydirt twice as well, albeit with fewer touches and total yardage. The 24-year-old's fantasy value is touchdown-dependent, as he only sees 7-to-12 touches per game on the smaller side of a backfield duo with Jones. Week 9's opponent, San Diego, is giving up 117.1 rushing yards per game, so there could be a large enough piece of the pie for Williams to carve out flex value in deeper formats, especially if star wideout Davante Adams (toe) is forced to miss another contest.