NFL Player News

Sanders is expected to once again handle the lead role out of the Eagles backfield after Jordan Howard (shoulder) was ruled out prior to Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

Howard is now slated to miss his third straight contest with a shoulder injury. The Eagles had opted not to rule out their nominal starting running back until hours before kickoff in either of the previous two games, so it's a bit surprising to see the organization make the decision early this week, but it's a benefit to Sanders' fantasy owners considering their opponent, the Dolphins, have allowed at least 100 rushing yards in all but two games this season. Jay Ajayi, who saw six carries last week, figures to be in the mix as well, but considering Sanders out-snapped his teammate 64 to nine in Week 12, it's fair to say the rookie should once again be the critical focus on an Eagles offense that could also be without Zach Ertz (hamstring).

Barner caught both of his targets for six receiving yards and registered a 47-yard kick return during Thursday's 26-18 loss to the Saints.

The 29-year-old special teams dynamo has seen an uptick in offensive involvement over the past three weeks, but the volume still has been nowhere near a level that would merit considering him as a weekly starter in fantasy lineups. He's garnered two offensive touches in each of Atlanta's past three games after commanding three total touches between Weeks 1 and 10, but Barner's consistent special teams role, as well as the presence of other serviceable running backs on the roster, will continue to limit his workload moving forward. Barner will continue to serve as a change-of-pace option to Devonta Freeman and Brian Hill in Week 14 when the Falcons take on the Panthers' bottom-six rush defense.

Edmonds (hamstring) won't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Rams, Mike Jurecki of the Cardinals' official site reports.

The Cardinals listed Edmonds as a full participant in practice Friday for the second straight day, clearing the way for him to return to game action after a four-week hiatus. He'll rejoin an Arizona backfield that looks quite different from the last time he was healthy, as trade-deadline pickup Kenyan Drake has since taken over as the lead option. With Drake expected to garner the starting nod again in Week 13, Edmonds and David Johnson will vie for the primary backup duties.

Cook (chest) was a full participant at Friday's practice.

With confirmation that his chest injury isn't serious, Cook should be fine to handle his usual workload Monday night in Seattle. He's scored a touchdown in nine of 11 games this season, while the other two outings yielded 218 and 116 total yards.

Snell is expected to head the Steelers' rushing attack Sunday against the Browns with James Conner (shoulder) listed as doubtful for the contest, Channel 11 News Pittsburgh reports.

After missing three games following arthroscopic knee surgery, Snell returned to action in Week 12 to lead a Conner-less backfield in Pittsburgh's 16-10 win over the Bengals. Snell had only tallied 29 touches in his first seven outings of the season, but the rookie paced the Steelers with 21 carries for 98 yards and contributed a five-yard reception in the victory. That efficient showing on the ground makes Snell the most likely back to lead the team in touches again Week 13, though Jaylen Samuels should see ample work as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Meanwhile, Kerrith Whyte (six carries for 43 yards in Week 12) and Trey Edmunds (two carries for seven yards) could have small roles in the game plan, too.

The 49ers list Breida (ankle) as questionable for Sunday's game in Baltimore, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Breida didn't practice or play in games the past two weeks, which allowed Raheem Mostert to serve as the No. 2 running back behind Tevin Coleman. A return to limited practice participation Wednesday and Thursday seemingly puts Breida on track to face the Ravens, but his status may not be known for certain until the 49ers release their inactive list around 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday. Breida's return to the lineup would probably impact Mostert and Jeff Wilson more so than Coleman, though it's possible the latter could also lose a few snaps/touches.

Jacobs (shoulder) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Chiefs.

As has become the routine of late, Jacobs was listed as a limited practice participant all week, with the Raiders keeping their top back fresh and ready for game days. Though the Jets held Jacobs to 34 yards on 10 carries in their blowout win over Oakland in Week 12, the 2019 first-round pick looks poised for a bounce-back outing against the Chiefs, who have surrendered 143.1 yards per game on the ground. Only the Dolphins (148.2) and Bengals (166.3) have allowed more.

Henry (hamstring) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Colts after practicing fully Friday, Erik Bacharach of The Tennessean reports.

Henry is poised to head the Titans' rushing attack this weekend. He's been on a roll of late, racking up 347 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 42 carries over his last two outings while adding three catches for 19 yards in that span. He'll look to keep that run going Sunday against an Indianapolis defense that has surrendered an average of 97 yards per game on the ground.

Williams and LeSean McCoy are expected to handle larger roles out of the Kansas City backfield Sunday against the Raiders with Damien Williams (rib) ruled out for the contest, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.

Damien played only 12 snaps in the Chiefs' previous game Nov. 18 against the Chargers before departing with the rib injury. A Week 12 bye wasn't enough for Damien to overcome the injury, so the Chiefs will likely turn to a tandem of Darrel and McCoy to shoulder the snaps and touches out of the backfield, just as they did following Damien's early departure in Week 11. In that contest, Darrel played 43 percent of the offensive snaps and logged 13 touches (11 carries, two catches) for 43 yards and a score, while McCoy took 40 percent of the snaps and gained 57 yards on 11 touches (seven carries, four receptions). After being inactive for the win over the Chargers, rookie Darwin Thompson should dress as the No. 3 team's option Sunday, but he's unlikely to have as sizable of a role in coach Andy Reid's game plan.

Coach Andy Reid said that Williams (ribs) will sit out Sunday's game against the Raiders, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.

Even with a Week 12 bye to recover, Williams couldn't shake off the rib injury that forced his early departure in the Chiefs' previous game Nov. 18 versus the Chargers. With their top running back sidelined, the Chiefs will likely turn to a combination of LeSean McCoy and Darrel Williams to assume most of the snaps out of the backfield. After Damien's early exit against the Chargers, McCoy went on to play 40 percent of the offensive snaps and took 11 touches for 57 yards and a touchdown. Darrel, meanwhile, finished with a 43 percent snap share and parlayed his 13 touches into 43 yards and a score.