NFL Player News

Gordon (hamstring) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Titans in London.

Gordon avoided an injury designation heading into the weekend after the hamstring issue limited his participation in Friday's practice, but the Chargers downgraded him to questionable after checking in on his condition a day later. After taking part in a pre-game workout early Sunday, Gordon's hamstring apparently still proved problematic, prompting the Chargers to hold him out for the first time all season. With Gordon in street clothes, change-of-pace back Austin Ekeler will step into a lead role in the backfield and could prove to be a capable replacement after averaging 6.4 yards per carry while adding 14 receptions for 207 yards and three scores through the first six weeks of the season. Rookies Justin Jackson and Detrez Newsome will be available behind Ekeler in depth roles.

Gordon (hamstring) will give it a try pre-game Sunday against the Titans in London, but if there is any doubt about his availability, the Chargers will make him inactive, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Per Rapoport, there isn't a lot of optimism about Gordon's availability, but the team will see how he feels. Should Gordon miss the game, Austin Ekeler would be in for a larger role.

Newsome signed a contract with the Chargers on Saturday.

Newsome survived roster cutdowns at the start of September but was waived by the Chargers later in the month, and had one carry for zero yards over three games. The 24-year-old was signed for depth purposes with starting RB Melvin Gordon (hamstring) receiving a late questionable tag for Sunday's game against the Titans in London.

Gordon (hamstring) is likely to be a game-time decision for Sunday's game against the Titans in London, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Gordon was downgraded to questionable earlier Saturday after initially not receiving an injury designation. The Chargers also signed running back Detrez Newsome for depth purposes, which is hardly a good sign for Gordon's potential availability. Kickoff for Sunday's game is at 9:30 a.m. EDT, so fantasy owners will need to be ready for a potential lineup change come morning. Should the 25-year-old be unable to suit up, Austin Ekeler figures to be in line for a heavy workload against the Titans.

Gordon (hamstring) has been added to the injury report as questionable ahead of Sunday's tilt against the Titans, Ricky Henne of the Chargers' official site reports.

A hamstring injury left Gordon limited at Friday's practice, but he was ultimately not placed on the final injury report. However, the Chargers added him to the report as a precautionary measure Saturday. It is unclear if the big-time back has suffered any type of setback. With Sunday's game being in London it will be important to check on his status ahead of the 9:30 a.m. EDT kickoff. Should things take a turn for the worse, Austin Ekeler would be in line to replace him at running back.

Abdullah could earn some snaps out of the Lions' backfield in Week 7 against the Dolphins with Theo Riddick (knee) ruled out, Tim Twentyman of Detroit's official site reports.

With the top three options on the depth chart at running back all staying healthy through the first five games, Abdullah has been inactive for all but one of those contests, with all of his snaps coming on special teams in the lone appearance. Now without the services of their top pass-catching back coming off a bye week, the Lions suddenly have a need for another option to complement dynamic rookie Kerryon Johnson and power back LeGarrette Blount. Though he struggled to produce as a runner while dressing in 14 games for the Lions in 2017, Abdullah has flashed some ability as a receiver. Abdullah has a pair of 25-catch seasons on his resume and could allow the Lions to keep their playbook largely intact while Riddick is sidelined. It's unlikely that Abdullah will be involved to the extent Riddick usually is, but the latter's absence nonetheless provides a window of opportunity for the 25-year-old.

Murray is expected to serve as the Vikings' starting running back Sunday against the Jets with Dalvin Cook (hamstring) ruled out for a third straight game, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Both Murray and Cook have generally struggled to find much running room this season behind a shaky offensive line, but the former broke out in last week's win over the Cardinals, finishing with 155 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. A repeat performance probably shouldn't be expected given that Murray averaged a meager 3.5 yards per carry through the first five weeks, but he should at least benefit from plenty of volume out of the backfield with Cook sidelined again and depth options Mike Boone and Roc Thomas having yet to prove themselves as viable threats to the veteran's snap share.

Breida (shoulder/ankle) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Rams, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Breida has proven to be a fast healer this season, playing at a high level while nursing a variety of injuries. The bigger concern for him than the shoulder or ankle issue is a Week 7 matchup and the undefeated Rams that could force San Francisco to abandon its rushing attack late in the game. The Rams have surrendered 4.7 yards per carry to opposing running backs, but touchdowns (three) and volume (18.8 carries per game) have been hard to come by. It remains to be seen if Raheem Mostert or Alfred Morris will serve as Breida's top complement.

Chubb is expected to head the Cleveland backfield for the foreseeable future after Carlos Hyde was traded to the Jaguars on Friday in exchange for a 2019 fifth-round pick.

Duke Johnson remains on hand to handle change-of-pace duties, but the departure of Hyde paves the way for Chubb to see an immediate and significant increase in carries. He becomes a must-add for any fantasy player looking to add depth at running back. Chubb had made the most of his limited role behind Hyde over the first six weeks of the season, carrying 16 times for 173 yards and two scores.

Martin is expected to handle a leading role out of the Oakland backfield with Marshawn Lynch (groin) likely to be sidelined for at least a month, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Since Lynch was durable through the Raiders' first six games and Jalen Richard is entrenched as the team's top pass-catching back, Oakland hasn't had much of a need for Martin thus far. After earning 20 total carries over the first three weeks, Martin had played single-digit offensive snaps in each of the team's last three contests, gaining only 12 yards on seven totes during that stretch. With Lynch now facing a multi-week absence and potentially at risk of landing on IR, there's now a window for Martin to resurface as a useful fantasy option. While Richard should benefit from a small spike in carries in addition to filling his usual duties on passing downs, Martin appears better equipped to assume the bulk of the early down work that had been Lynch's domain. Martin hasn't been especially efficient in recent years -- he hasn't averaged more than four yards per carry in any season since 2015 -- but the sizable uptick in touches he'll likely earn makes him worthy of a flier in most leagues nonetheless.