NFL Player News

Abdullah (neck) was listed as a full practice participant on the Lions' injury report Tuesday.

With his neck injury behind him, Abdullah can focus on getting back in the good graces of head coach Jim Caldwell, who has included the running back among the inactives the past two games. Prior to the absence, Abdullah was averaging a career-worst 3.4 YPC, so the Lions rolled with Theo Riddick and Tion Green at running back. It remains to be seen if Abdullah will do enough this week to regain his perch at the top of the depth chart in time for Saturday's contest.

Ekeler carried the ball four times for 49 yards but did not catch any of his three targets in the 30-13 win over the Redskins on Sunday.

Most of Ekeler's yardage came from a 33-yard run to end the second quarter as the Chargers raced out to a commanding lead early. It likely speaks to the undrafted rookie's place within the offense that the Chargers opted to use Andre Williams almost exclusively in the fourth quarter as they iced away the win, choosing to keep Ekeler healthy instead of trotting him out on the field with the game well in hand. The 22-year-old should continue to operate as the No. 2 back for the foreseeable future.

Drake rushed 25 times for 114 yards and caught five of six targets for 79 yards in Monday night's 27-20 win over the Patriots.

Drake dominated for the second straight week against an accomplished defense. Last Sunday, he ripped off 120 rushing yards and a score versus the Broncos, and he totaled nearly 200 offensive yards at the hands of the reigning champs. The second-year pro is emerging as a dynamic every-down tailback, as he led the Dolphins in receiving Monday while also picking up a number of blocks in pass protection. With a rush of at least 30 yards in four of six games since Jay Ajayi was shipped out of town, Drake also possesses big-play ability. Overall, Drake is peaking as the fantasy season enters its most important stretch, making him a hot commodity as Miami heads north to Buffalo this Sunday.

Clement carried the ball six times for 24 yards and caught one of three pass attempts for 28 additional yards in Sunday's 43-35 defeat of the Rams.

The seven total touches were the rookie's most since Week 9. His 27 snaps came just one shy of his career high, while LeGarrette Blount saw just 15. Nevertheless, the Wisconsin product's role in the Eagles offense is the least valuable among the running back trio. He is not a recommended option Week 15 against the Giants.

Oliver should reclaim his role as the Chargers' No. 3 running back after Andre Williams sustained a broken wrist in Sunday's win over the Redskins, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Oliver has been a healthy scratch of late after recovering from the hamstring injury, since Williams provides more value on special teams. The veteran running back is likely to be active as the team's third running back going forward, but barring an injury to Melvin Gordon or Austin Ekeler, a significant offensive role should not be expected.

Daniels rushed twice for 12 yards in Sunday's 30-13 loss to the Chargers.

Daniels saw his first NFL action Sunday after Byron Marshall sustained a hamstring injury early in the contest. If Marshall continues to miss time, Daniels will be in line to be the No. 2 back on depth chart behind Samaje Perine against the Cardinals on Sunday.

Gillislee (illness) is inactive for Monday night's game against the Dolphins.

With Gillislee inactive for the fifth straight game, Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead and James White will head the Patriots' Week 14 backfield. Future game plans may lead to Gillislee's power running skills being needed down the stretch, but he's the odd man out for now.

Vereen had six carries for 23 yards, four targets, three catches and 24 receiving yards in Sunday's 30-10 loss to the Cowboys.

Vereen is maintaining a minor role as the third-string runner and sometime third-down back.

Kamara (concussion) said Monday that he expects to return for Sunday's game against the Jets, Josh Katzenstein of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

After suffering a concussion on the opening drive of Thursday's 20-17 loss to Atlanta, the rookie remains optimistic that a long week will allow him to avoid any further missed time. He still needs to make his way through the NFL's concussion protocol, and there may not be another update until Wednesday when the Saints release their first injury report of the week. Kamara will have a suboptimal matchup if he returns, facing a Jets defense that's been torched by wideouts and tight ends but has done a surprisingly nice job of containing running backs. While he's mostly benefited from favorable matchups during his incredible run of production, Kamara did parlay 14 touches into 126 yards and two touchdowns Week 13 against the Panthers.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden said Monday that Perine is merely dealing with an illness and should be okay.

Perine was removed from Sunday's 30-13 loss to the Chargers with a "stomach" ailment, which might have been interpreted as an abdomen or core muscle injury. It turns out he was just feeling sick and was thus removed from the latter stages of a blowout loss, finishing with 17 carries for 45 yards and four catches for seven yards on four targets. Byron Marshall (hamstring) also left the game early, eventually leaving LeShun Daniels as the team's only healthy running back. Marshall may end up missing some time, but Perine should be fine with a full week to recover from his illness ahead of Sunday's game against the Cardinals.