NFL Player News

Williams is expected to take on a larger role in the Miami backfield beginning Sunday against the Raiders after Jay Ajayi was traded to Philadelphia on Tuesday morning.

Kenyan Drake had six carries in the Week 8 loss to Baltimore, while Williams' only touch came on a reception out of the backfield. Since the start of the 2016 season, Williams has more catches (31) than Drake (12), so he may have the upper hand for passing-down work initially, but the competition for carries may be an ongoing battle between the two players in the wake of Ajayi's departure.

Drake will likely see an increased role in the Miami backfield beginning with Sunday's game against Oakland after Jay Ajayi was traded to Philadelphia on Tuesday morning.

In the Week 8 loss to Baltimore, Drake played 12 offensive snaps and carried a season-high six times for 22 yards against the Ravens. Look for the Dolphins to utilize a timeshare featuring Drake and Damien Williams in the coming weeks. Williams has caught 31 passes over the last two seasons, while Drake has caught 12, which could leave Williams in a position for more of the passing-down work initially while the duo battles for the larger share of the carries.

Anderson rushed 15 times for 78 yards and caught his lone target for seven yards in Monday night's 29-19 loss to the Chiefs.

Anderson led a rushing attack that averaged 5.7 yards per carry, but it was backup Devontae Booker who scored the team's lone ground touchdown. While game flow simply saw Anderson miss out on that opportunity, which could've provided his first score since Week 2, the veteran will still be pleased by having his best game overall since Week 4. Next up for Anderson, however, is a tough matchup against the Eagles.

The temporary restraining order placing Elliott's six-game suspension on hold has been rescinded by a federal judge, Kate Hairopoulos of The Dallas Morning News reports.

It looks like Elliott will miss the next six games as a result. Elliott's group does have until very late Tuesday to exhaust all possible avenues, as there was a 24-hour window placed on the latest order. The early word is that might be a long shot, however, as well as a last-ditch appeal attempt once the suspension starts up, so if the suspension finally sticks, he'll be eligible to return for the Dec. 17 game against Oakland.

Hood was waived by the Raiders on Monday, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Hood became expendable once Marshawn Lynch was activated from the suspended list. If Hood clears waivers, he'll have the opportunity to sign anywhere he chooses should he draw interest.

Abdullah rushed 11 times for 27 yards and secured all three of his targets for 11 yards during Sunday's 20-15 loss to the Steelers.

The Lions' entire run game was dormant Sunday, and Abdullah was no exception. When it was all said and done, the Nebraska product finished with his lowest rushing output of the season at an inefficient 2.5 YPC. However, he remained the lead back and used his elusiveness on multiple occasions to turn negative plays into no-gainers, so it wasn't a completely fruitless showing. Still, fantasy owners need to see more to trust Abdullah on a weekly basis going forward. There's optimism he could bounce back Week 9 against a Packers defense allowing 125.7 rushing yards per game -- good for 27th in the league -- particularly if Detroit can get an early lead on an Aaron Rodgers-less squad.

Elliott's hearing to request a preliminary injunction is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on Monday, ESPN.com's Dan Graziano reports.

Elliott traveled to New York for the hearing after rumbling for 150 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 33-19 road win over the Redskins. A temporary restraining order allowed him to play the past two weeks while judge Katherine Failla was on vacation. With the judge presumably back in New York, Elliott's availability for Week 9 against the Chiefs is up in the air.

Patterson caught three of four targets for seven yards during Sunday's 34-14 loss to the Bills.

Patterson logged a season-high 57 snaps on offense in Week 8 against the Bills, as No. 3 receiver Seth Roberts was sidelined due to illness. Patterson's inflated snap count did not translate to an increase in production, however, as he accounted for just seven total yards on three touches. Roberts' illness most likely won't keep him out of Oakland's Week 9 matchup in Miami, so expect Patterson's snap count to return to its usual level against the Dolphins.

Ekeler carried the ball two times for eight yards and also caught a pass for 13 yards in Sunday's 21-13 loss to the Patriots.

The No. 2 backup to start the season, Branden Oliver, actually saw the first snaps of any backup running back Sunday, failing to generate much of a push on two separate first-quarter carries. That seemingly paved the way for Ekeler to sneak in his usual 20-or-so snaps, showing off his versatility by lining up as a wide receiver on multiple occasions throughout the game. If Melvin Gordon were ever to succumb to an injury, it seems likely Ekeler would receive an increase in usage, but whether or not the situation would develop into a backfield-by-committee approach remains to be seen.

Sims played 19 offensive snaps in Sunday's 17-3 loss to the Panthers but did not log any touches.

It was a low-water mark for Sims, who's been modestly involved in the offense all season. The fourth-year back saw a spike in his passing-game work Weeks 5 and 6, posting a combined nine receptions for 76 yards over that span. However, he was back down to just two catches for seven yards against the Bills in Week 7 before bottoming out Sunday. Position mate Jacquizz Rodgers has suffered a similar fate since the return of Doug Martin from suspension Week 5, but Sims' minuscule role has been particularly surprising, given that the Buccaneers have often played from behind.