NFL Player News

Gillislee is active for Sunday's game against the Bills.

With both Rex Burkhead (knee) and James White (ankle) out this week, Gillislee -- who was last active Oct. 29 -- is in line to work in tandem with Dion Lewis, who has emerged as the Patriots' lead back of late. It was presumably Gillislee's nose for the end zone that prompted the Patriots to sign the running back away from Buffalo, and it's not hard to imagine him seeing some goal-line opportunities in his return to the mix in Week 16, against his former team.

Ekeler (hand) is active for Sunday's Week 16 tilt against the Jets.

As expected, Ekeler will take the field, but the broken ring finger on his left hand will reportedly limit him exclusively to special teams work. Ekeler's expected absence from the ground game bodes well for Melvin Gordon owners heading into their championship games and should also afford Branden Oliver some touches as the change-of-pace back.

Williams (shoulder) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.

In Williams' continued absence, Kenyan Drake will once again head the Miami backfield in Week 16, with Senorise Perry and De'Veon Smith on hand to work in reserve roles.

Perine (groin) is active for Sunday's game against Denver, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Perine missed practice Friday due to the groin issue, so he may not be at full strength. Kapri Bibbs could still get significant carries as a result.

Bolden (groin) is active for Sunday's game against the Bills.

Bolden was limited in practice throughout the week but won't be limited in Sunday's game. The backup running back has just two rushes for one yard through 14 games this season. However, with Rex Burkhead (knee) and James White (ankle) out, Bolden could see a couple of touches behind Dion Lewis and Mike Gillislee.

Jones is slated for an MRI on the knee injury that forced him from Saturday's loss to the Vikings, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Upon his removal in the second quarter, Jones yielded the entire backfield to fellow rookie Jamaal Williams. The upcoming examination likely will have a bearing on Jones' standing for Week 17. If caution reigns and he takes a seat, Devante Mays will act as Williams' sole backup in the season finale.

Ekeler (hand), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets, is expected to play, but is unlikely to take any snaps at running back, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Ekeler will likely play through a cast on the broken hand he suffered in the Week 15 loss to the Chiefs, which makes it difficult for him to secure the football. As a result, he'll be unavailable in his usual pass-catching and change-of-pace role behind starting running back Melvin Gordon, but Ekeler will still remain a mainstay on the team's kick-coverage units. Look for Branden Oliver to instead work as Gordon's top backup.

McKinnon carried seven times for 42 yards and caught one of two targets for an additional nine yards during Saturday's 16-0 win over the Packers.

McKinnon averaged six yards per carry, but volume was not in his favor as he received his lowest allotment of touches since Week 4. This may come as a bit of a surprise, considering his team played with a lead throughout the game, but Latavious Murray's 21 totes limited the impact McKinnon had as Minnesota squared the victory away. He could see additional work next week against the Bears if the team is in a position to limit its starters, but it seems unlikely that he'd be too heavily involved if the team already has playoff positioning secured.

Cowboys offensive coodinator Scott Linehan said Elliott would receive "significant touches" in the running back's return from a six-game suspension Sunday against the Seahawks, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Head coach Jason Garrett suggested earlier in the week that it wasn't a lock for Elliott to take on a full-time workload in his return from suspension, but the second-year player apparently allayed any concerns about his readiness to play or his conditioning during the Cowboys' three practices this week. Linehan's comments were more or less supported by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who suggested Elliott could earn 20-to-25 carries in his first game back. With that in mind, it's looking like fantasy owners can start Elliott, who averaged 29.5 touches over his final four games before the suspension, with confidence this week.

Perine (groin), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Broncos, is considered a game-time call, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

The rookie expressed optimism a couple days ago that he would be able to suit up for the Week 16 contest, but that shouldn't be taken as a given after the groin issue -- which first surfaced during Thursday's practice -- prevented him from practicing Friday in any capacity. With the Redskins keeping three backup running backs on the roster this week, it's clear Perine's health remains a concern, so the team will wait and see how he looks during warmups before deciding his fate approximately 90 minutes before the 1 p.m. EST kickoff. Kapri Bibbs would likely be in store for a hefty workload if Perine is sidelined.