NFL Player News

The Vikings confirmed that Cook (knee) has a torn ACL, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

The 41st overall pick in this year's draft, Cook was well on his way to a huge rookie season before he injured his knee in the second half of Sunday's 14-7 loss to the Lions. He piled up 74 carries for 354 yards (4.8 average) and two touchdowns in four games, adding 11 receptions for 90 yards on 16 targets. Cook's absence leaves Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon (ankle) to handle backfield work, with Murray the best bet to serve as the Vikings' lead runner. Murray has struggled to make his way back from offseason ankle surgery and admitted Monday that he still isn't quite at his best. McKinnon left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury of his own. The Vikings may become highly dependent on their passing game once Sam Bradford (knee) returns. Cook suffered his injury early enough in the season that he'll at least have a shot to make it back for the start of training camp next year.

Oliver finished Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Eagles with two carries for one yard, and one catch for two yards.

One week after garnering 12 touches, Oliver fell back down to earth as starter Melvin Gordon was able to stay on the field for the majority of the afternoon. It might not have even mattered, as the Chargers seemed intent to move the ball through the air, attempting 38 passes compared to just 13 carries. Oliver continues to remain relevant solely because he's the No. 2 running back in an offense that tends to feature the lead back, but Austin Ekeler's impressive performance (58 total yards and one touchdown) could be something to monitor moving forward.

Ekeler scampered for a 35-yard touchdown on his lone carry during Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Eagles. He also converted both of his targets for 23 receiving yards.

Ekeler saw just three offensive snaps Sunday, but he certainly made them count, combining for 58 total yards as well as his first career touchdown. While his surprising performance might warrant a handful of additional looks, he still trailed Branden Oliver (12 snaps) and Melvin Gordon (42 snaps) for playing time, meaning it would be unwise to buy into the undrafted rookie just yet.

Murray says he is still dealing with soreness in his surgically repaired ankle, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Murray's recovery took longer than expected after he signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Vikings in March. He's only had a bit role in the Minnesota offense through four weeks, but that's about to change now that Dalvin Cook (knee) is believed to have a season-ending injury. Jerick McKinnon (ankle) also got banged up in Sunday's 14-7 loss to the Lions, though his injury appears to be far less serious than Cook's. Given McKinnon's poor track record when asked to handle a lead role, Murray is the clear favorite to replace Cook as the Vikings' primary early-down runner. Murray may not be all the way back to full strength, but he does believe his ankle is in good enough shape to hold up under a large workload.

McKinnon injured his ankle in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 14-7 loss to the Lions, Andrew Krammer of The Star Tribune reports.

With Dalvin Cook (knee) feared to have a torn ACL, the Vikings needed McKinnon and Latavius Murray to close out Sunday's game. McKinnon suffered an injury of his own during the fourth quarter and declined to comment after the game. He's managed 26 yards on 10 carries and 40 yards on eight receptions (12 targets) this season, after producing only 3.6 yards per carry and 4.7 yards per target last year. Murray hasn't been much better, gaining 38 yards on 14 carries and eight yards on two catches. The Minnesota running game will be in trouble if Cook's injury is confirmed to be of the season-ending variety.

Vereen had five carries for 14 yards and one catch on two targets for 11 more yards Sunday against the Buccaneers.

After a busy Week 1, Vereen has seen less work as Eli Manning has elected to throw to tight end Evan Engram and possession receiver Sterling Shepard on check-downs. Vereen is still the team's third-down back, however.

Breida toted the rock nine times for 16 yards, adding a four-yard reception in Sunday's 18-15 overtime loss to the Cardinals.

Carlos Hyde (hip) suited up as expected, but the rookie still received a season-high 10 touches as the team took it easy on its banged-up workhorse. Breida failed to take advantage of the uptick in playing time, posting a YPC of 3.0 yards or fewer for the third time in four contests. The 22-year-old possesses breakaway speed (4.37 40 time), but it would take an injury to Hyde for him to gain fantasy value in standard formats.

Gordon carried the ball 10 times for 22 yards and caught another pass for seven yards in Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Eagles.

As has been the case for the majority of the season, the Chargers fell behind early, forcing the team to abandon the run and attempting just 13 rushes compared to 38 passes. That's no solace for fantasy owners, however, as Gordon has failed to live up to high expectations thus far. Following Sunday's performance, Gordon is now averaging 3.3 yards per carry, the sixth-worst mark among running backs with 40-plus carries. However, things should get a little bit easier next week against the Giants, who have allowed a league-leading 460 rushing yards through the first four weeks of the season.

Anderson carried 20 times for 95 yards and caught all four of his targets for 17 additional yards during Sunday's 16-10 win over the Raiders.

Anderson bounced back nicely from a difficult outing last week, churning out 4.8 yards per carry as he delivered his second best rushing performance of the season. He also finished tied for the team lead in receptions and out-touched Jamaal Charles, 24 to six, after a more even split the previous time out. Anderson has been the most consistent performer on offense for the Broncos this season and appears to have maintained his workhorse status, with at least 20 carries under his belt in three of the first four games. He'll enjoy a bye next week before taking on the Giants at home the following Sunday night.

Clement had 10 carries for 30 yards in Sunday's 26-24 win over the Chargers.

Clement handled the least important role in a three-headed backfield, yet the Eagles trusted him enough to give him a pair of third-down carries on the game-clinching drive. He converted both chances and also picked up another first down on the series, but he was still a clear second fiddle to LeGarrette Blount (16 carries for 136 yards) in early-down and short-yardage spots throughout the game. With Wendell Smallwood handling a key pass-catching role, Clement will have a hard time matching Sunday's workload in the future unless Blount suffers an injury.