NFL Player News

Pollard carried the ball 13 times for 24 yards in Sunday's 35-17 win over the Giants.

The rookie wound up seeing the same number of carries as Ezekiel Elliott, but Pollard wasn't able to do much with his touches as his longest run went for only six yards. Elliott's workload will only increase moving forward, so Pollard will need to show the same kind of electricity he did in the preseason if he wants to retain any kind of significant role in the offense.

Elliott carried the ball 13 times for 53 yards and a touchdown and caught one of two targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 35-17 win over the Giants.

There was plenty of uncertainty regarding Elliott's Week 1 workload after he held out for a new contract through all of training camp and the preseason, but while he wound up splitting carries with Tony Pollard, he did a lot more damage with his opportunities -- capping the scoring on the afternoon for Dallas with a 10-yard TD scamper late in the third quarter. Elliott should see his touches return to normal in the coming weeks as he rounds into form, but his floor in the meantime still seems plenty productive.

Penny rushed six times for 18 yards in Sunday's 21-20 win over the Bengals.

Penny's inefficiency on the ground (3.0 YPC) was essentially the same as Chris Carson's unimpressive 3.1 YPC. However, Carson was clearly the No. 1 RB in Seattle's backfield, as he rushed 15 times for 46 yards and caught six passes for 35 yards while Penny didn't have any targets. Penny figures to continue having a place in this offense, but those reps appear to be limited so he'll need to be more efficient in Week 2 versus the Steelers to be fantasy viable.

Mostert rushed nine times for 40 yards and brought in his only target for no gain in the 49ers' 31-17 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Mostert was effective in unexpected extended action, which came about as a result of Tevin Coleman (ankle) exiting the contest. Coach Kyle Shanahan indicated in his post-game press conference that Coleman is likely facing a multi-game absence, and while the team will reportedly seek out other options for depth, Mostert could be set to serve as the primary complementary option to Matt Breida for the time being. The Purdue product is already well traveled in NFL circles despite this being just his fifth season, but he was impressive in Shanahan's offense with abbreviated opportunities in 2018, averaging 7.7 yards on his 34 totes.

Breida rushed 15 times for 37 yards and failed to bring in his only target during the 49ers' 31-17 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Breida appeared to head into the locker room for an IV at one point according to the game telecast, but with fellow back Tevin Coleman exiting the game early due to an ankle injury, Breida still comfortably paced the 49ers in carries. Change-of-pace option Raheem Mostert logged nine totes and parlayed them into 40 yards as a complement to Breida, outshining the starter in terms of efficiency. Coach Kyle Shanahan hinted at a potential multi-week absence for Coleman after the game, so even though the team will reportedly look to add other options, Breida should continue in a clear lead role against the Bengals in Week 2.

Jones rushed 13 times for 75 yards and brought in his only target for 18 yards in the Buccaneers' 31-17 loss to the 49ers on Sunday.

Jones particularly seemed to hit his stride late in the third quarter, when he garnered 29 of his yards on four consecutive rushes. The second-year back looked like a completely different player overall when compared to his forgettable rookie season, a trend he'd already started with a solid training camp and preseason. Also highly telling was that Jones out-touched starter Peyton Barber by a 13-8 margin in the running game, and that it was he and not Barber who received all fourth-quarter carries. Given Jones' usage Sunday, it will be interesting to see if there are any hints of what coach Bruce Arians is thinking with respect to his backfield workload ahead of a Week 2 Thursday night tilt versus the Panthers.

Barkley carried the ball 11 times for 120 yards and caught four of six targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 35-17 loss to the Cowboys.

The second-year back was just as explosive as he was during his breakout rookie campaign, with Barkley's longest gallop going for 59 yards -- which does make it curious that he only got 11 carries in a game when the Giants' passing game struggled to extend drives. Look for him to see a bigger workload in Week 2 against a Bills defense that just gave up 92 scrimmage yards to Le'Veon Bell.

Hines carried the ball four times for 13 yards and caught all four of his targets for four yards in Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Chargers.

The split of touches in the Colts' backfield didn't change with Jacoby Brissett under center, as Marlon Mack saw 25 carries but didn't catch a pass. Hines could find better opportunities to make an impact in the passing game later in the year, but it will likely take an injury to Mack for Hines to see a significant workload.

Mack carried the ball 25 times for 174 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Chargers.

The Colts' offense sputtered a bit in the first half but came to life when it committed to getting Mack the ball, and his 63-yard TD run in the third quarter kickstarted a comeback from a 24-9 deficit. The 174 rushing yards were a career high for the 23-year-old, and with Jacoby Brissett under center now instead of Andrew Luck, the Colts may be transitioning to a more run-focused attack behind their outstanding offensive line -- a shift which would bode well for Mack's production the rest of the way.

Ekeler carried the ball 12 times for 58 yards and registered six receptions for 96 yards to go along with three total touchdowns in the 30-24 overtime win Sunday over the Colts.

It's safe to say the Chargers didn't miss Melvin Gordon (contract holdout) on Sunday, as Ekeler and Justin Jackson combined for 215 total yards. Ekeler in particular was a dynamic force, picking up four separate plays of 10 or more yards throughout the contest, including a beautifully set up screen that turned into a 55-yard touchdown thanks in large part to impressive balance from the diminutive offensive weapon. Ekeler capped off his impressive day with the go-ahead touchdown in overtime -- one of a number of red-zone looks he received throughout the afternoon. The 24-year-old out-touched his backfield competition 18-to-7 despite Jackson's impressive 9.5 yards-per-carry average, essentially slotting into the same type of usage that made Gordon a top fantasy option at running back the past three seasons. It's possible the Chargers could operate with a more balanced attack in future weeks, but there's no question that Ekeler will remain a focal point regardless.