NFL Player News

McCaffrey carried 17 times for 58 yards Sunday against the Giants. He also caught five of six targets for an additional 35 yards and a touchdown in the 33-31 win.

After gashing the Bengals in his previous outing, McCaffrey struggled to the tune of just 3.4 yards per carry against a respectable Giants front. He was hardly involved as a pass catcher early on, but his workload in that regard picked up as the game went along and he scored his first touchdown of the season on an 18-yard reception in the fourth quarter. McCaffrey's usage varies quite a bit depending on game flow from week to week, but he's totaled at least 93 scrimmage yards in all four games this season and is averaging 6.8 receptions per outing. He'll look to build on this solid performance next Sunday against the Redskins.

Barkley told Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com after Sunday's 33-31 loss at Carolina that he "felt something in his back, not his knee or ankle" late in the contest.

At the conclusion of his second touchdown grab in the fourth quarter, Barkley took a big hit, per coach Pat Shurmur, but the nature of the injury wasn't known until Barkley himself spoke with the media. It doesn't appear serious at the moment, but the Giants are certain to provide a prompt update on Barkley's status with a short week to prepare for a Thursday night affair with the Eagles.

Breida was forced out of Sunday's game against the Cardinals with an ankle injury.

Prior to his exit, Breida had logged eight carries for 56 yards and turned his only target into a five-yard TD. Next up for the 49ers' carries while Breida is sidelined are Alfred Morris and Raheem Mostert.

Breida walked off the field during Sunday's game against the Cardinals, "slowly with some assistance," per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The running back was subsequently diagnosed with an ankle injury, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Next up for the 49ers' carries in the event that Breida ends up missing any time are Alfred Morris and Raheem Mostert.

Drake rushed six times for 46 yards and caught seven of 11 targets for 69 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-17 loss to the Bengals.

Drake opened the scoring halfway through the second quarter with a 22-yard touchdown catch and was Miami's most productive receiving option across the board. The 24-year-old running back also looked explosive on the ground, but he got just six rushing attempts to Frank Gore's 13. Expect Gore to cut into Drake's production significantly once again when Miami hosts the Bears in Week 6.

Barkley, who had a monster game with four catches for 81 yards and two scores, to go along with 15 carries for 48 more yards, left the game with an apparent knee injury after scoring a go-ahead touchdown. According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, Barkley was moving well after the game, and coach Pat Shurmur said he was fine.

We'll have to wait for confirmation that Barkley is indeed okay, but the early report is a good sign. Barkley is already one of the league's best backs in a pure football sense, and despite playing behind a poor offensive line, also a top-tier fantasy option.

Conner rushed 21 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns and brought in all four of his targets for 75 yards in the Steelers' 41-17 win over the Falcons on Sunday. He also fumbled once but it went out of bounds.

As expected, Conner thrived through the air against a Falcons defense that came in having allowed the most receptions to running backs in the NFL. However, he also ripped off 5.2 yards per tote on the ground, leading to his best rushing yardage haul since the opener versus the Browns. Conner now has at least three catches in each of the first five games, and Sunday's receiving yardage total served as a season high. While Le'Veon Bell will reportedly return to the team during the Week 7 bye, Conner's strong play helps keep the possibility of a trade of the holdout Pro Bowl running back conceivable. Conner will look to build on Sunday's effort against the Bengals in a Week 6 divisional showdown.

Mixon (knee) rushed for 93 yards on 22 carries and caught three of four targets for 22 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-17 win over Miami.

Mixon was the only Bengals running back to get a carry in this one, suggesting the team is comfortable giving him all the work he can handle. He made a terrific adjustment with the ball in the air to get in position for an 18-yard receiving score on the first play of the fourth quarter, propelling a 24-0 Cincinnati run to close out the game. Mixon will be an appealing Week 6 play against the Steelers.

Clement (quadriceps) is listed as active Sunday against the Vikings, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Despite failing to practice in any capacity this week, Clement unexpectedly avoided the inactive list, but he'll have to contend with healthier options Jay Ajayi and Wendell Smallwoord for touches out of the backfield. There's a chance Clement is an insurance policy in case one of Ajayi and Smallwood get injured, especially after the duo racked up 135 yards from scrimmage on 24 touches last Sunday at Tennessee.

Breida (shoulder) is active for Sunday's Week 5 tilt against the Cardinals.

Breida will suit up as expected after a week of limited practice participation. The second-year back will continue to split time with veteran Alfred Morris and attempt to build on the eye-popping 7.6 yards per carry he's averaging on his first 41 rushing attempts of the season.