NFL Player News

Rodgers rushed five times for 31 yards and brought in four of five targets for 31 yards in the Buccaneers' 27-9 win over the 49ers on Sunday.

Rookie Ronald Jones (hamstring) was inactive once again, leaving Rodgers to serve as the primary backup to Peyton Barber. Rodgers was highly efficient on a per-touch basis, and the five carries he logged equaled a season high. The 28-year-old has been effective as a change-of-pace option over the last two games in particular, lending credence to the notion he could stick in his current role and potentially keep Jones inactive in the process. However, the relatively sparse usage he sees limits his fantasy utility to only the deepest of formats.

Drake is expected to be limited to non-contact work in practice this week after aggravating a left shoulder injury in Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Colts, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Drake played 24 of the Dolphins' 53 offensive snaps in Week 12, reaching the end zone twice and totaling 96 yards from scrimmage on 13 touches (eight carries, five receptions). The running back exited the contest briefly after a hard fall on the shoulder, but he was able to return to action before the game concluded. The Dolphins' plan to withhold Drake from contact in practices for the second straight week looks to be a safeguard more than anything, as the early expectation is that the 24-year-old will be able to work in tandem with Frank Gore as usual next weekend against the Bills.

Elliott was held out of practice Sunday to rest a sore hip but was back on the field Monday with his teammates, Kate Hairopoulos of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Elliott apparently got a bit banged up in the 31-23 win over Washington on Thanksgiving Day, though the hip issue didn't prevent him from piling up 143 yards and a score on 31 touches. He may be listed as a limited participant when the Cowboys release their initial practice report for Week 13 in advance of Thursday's difficult matchup with the Saints. Dallas also has some injury concerns on the offensive line, which could be problematic against a New Orleans defense ranked first in rushing yards allowed (73.2 per game) and second in yards per carry (3.6) this season.

Gordon (knee) was diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain following Sunday's 45-10 win over the Cardinals and is expected to miss multiple games, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The Chargers haven't confirmed Rapoport's report, but if Gordon is in fact dealing with a second-degree sprain, he'll likely need several weeks to recover from the injury. That puts his availability for at least Sunday's game against the Steelers in major jeopardy, though Rapoport notes the Chargers anticipate Gordon will be back to full strength before the postseason. In any event, Gordon's shaky health makes Austin Ekeler a must-add option in any fantasy league where he's still available. Justin Jackson could also see a slight bump in usage behind Ekeler, as was the case when Gordon sat out the Chargers' Week 7 win over the Titans in London.

Dayes did not record a touch in Sunday's 27-9 loss to Tampa Bay.

Dayes was recently promoted from the practice squad along with fellow running back Jeff Wilson, but it was the latter who occupied Alfred Morris' (healthy scratch) backup role behind Matt Breida. There isn't much to see here from a fantasy perspective so long as Dayes remains third on the depth chart.

Wilson rushed seven times for 33 yards in Sunday's 27-9 loss to the Buccaneers. He also caught his lone target for eight yards.

Wilson -- who was signed off the practice squad this week -- immediately stepped in as the top backup to Matt Breida. The undrafted rookie replaced veteran Alfred Morris, who was a healthy inactive. Wilson made the most of his limited touches and will probably continue serving as the 49ers' No. 2 back, but it's unlikely that he'll cut into Breida's workload in a more significant way. Wilson makes for little more than a speculative pickup in deeper formats at this stage.

Murray carried the ball 11 times for 33 yards in Sunday's 24-17 win over the Packers.

The Vikings featured a more balanced offensive gameplan compared to last week's loss to the Bears, but neither Murray nor Dalvin Cook was able to do much on the ground against the Packers. The veteran has seen his role reduced over the last three games since Cook's return from injury, but the two have maintained a fairly even split in terms of rush attempts over that span. Murray doesn't possess enough upside to be worth a look in most formats while stuck in a timeshare, as his biggest fantasy impact is acting as a thorn in the side of those with shares in Cook.

Cook carried 10 times for 29 yards and added 47 yards and a touchdown on three receptions in Sunday's 24-17 win over Green Bay.

This was a step in the right direction for Cook, who turned in an absolute dud against the Bears last week. Still, Cook's 2.9 yards-per-carry average against the 26th-ranked Green Bay rush defense down its best defensive lineman (Mike Daniels) was disappointing. Luckily for his fantasy managers, Cook was able to salvage the game with a shifty 26-yard catch and run for a score in the first quarter. Health issues have dampened Cook's production for most of this season, but the other fear some had heading into draft day of Latavius Murray (11 carries for 33 yards) cutting into the second-year back's touches has also come to fruition. The two will likely share work again in Week 13 against New England, though Cook ranks as the more appealing fantasy option of the two due to his big-play upside.

Jones carried the ball 17 times for 72 yards and a touchdown, adding another 21 yards on three catches (five targets) in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Vikings.

Jones didn't turn in the biggest rushing performance of Week 12, but it was certainly a huge win for fantasy owners, considering the Vikings boast a top-five rush defense. The 24-year-old received 17 of the Packers' 18 running back carries, cementing his status as the lead back in Green Bay. With a huge share of carries -- a rare quality in an era dominated by committees -- and five touchdowns over the last five weeks, Jones has become a must-start back. Arizona's 29th-ranked rush defense is on tap this Sunday, and with the Packers favored to win, we could see Jones break the 20-carry mark for the first time this year.

Freeman managed 17 yards on six carries during Sunday's 24-17 win against the Steelers.

It's evident that Freeman still has a role in the Broncos backfield, but he's clearly fallen out of favor compared to Phillip Lindsay as the team's No. 1 option at the position. Since Week 4, Freeman has logged 7.7 carries per game compared to Lindsay's 12.9, with a 4.1 YPC averaged compared to a clip of 5.7 for Lindsay over than same span. Week 13's opponent leaves room for both players to feast, as Denver goes up against a Cincinnati defense that's allowed the fourth-most rushing yards to opposing running backs this year.