NFL Player News

Rawls did not record a carry and was on the field for just one of Seattle's 33-27 loss to the Titans.

The out-of-nowhere narrative that described Rawls just a few years ago seems to now apply to rookie Chris Carson, who has accounted for 63 percent of the touches Seattle's backs have seen this season. C.J. Prosise has accounted for another 22 percent. Pete Carroll has often ridden with one primary back, so don't look Rawls' way anytime soon for fantasy purposes.

Conner's three snaps during Sunday's 23-17 overtime loss all came on special teams.

Starter Le'Veon Bell was hardly back to his dominant ways on Sunday but showed progress, ending with 98 total yards and a touchdown. He saw the field for a whopping 62 of Pittsburgh's 64 offensive plays. Terrell Watson was the only other running back to play on offense, only a single snap. Conner's strong preseason showing led many to believe that there might be a greater division of labor this season in the Steelers' backfield, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Don't expect things to change as Bell works his way to midseason form.

Dayes did not record an offensive snap during Sunday's 31-28 loss to Indianapolis.

Dayes was limited to special teams duty on Sunday. It's worth noting that the Browns' two lead backs carried the ball just 14 times total, while Cleveland passed with its rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer 47 times and ran him on another seven occasions. When the likes of Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson aren't getting touches, it's hard to see any room in the mix for Dayes.

Barner signed a one-year contract with the Eagles on Tuesday.

Despite surprisingly keeping five running backs on the roster to start the season, the Eagles have had bad luck with injuries and lost both Darren Sproles (arm/knee) and Donnel Pumphrey (hamstring) to injured reserve. Barner is plenty familiar with the Eagles, having played 23 games with the team over the last two seasons. He'll likely battle with undrafted free agent Corey Clement for the third-string running back role, while he has experience as a returner and could see some action on special teams as well.

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said Tuesday that Johnson would retain the starting role at running back heading into the Week 4 matchup with the 49ers, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

After turning to Kerwynn Williams as the starter in Week 2 in place of the injured David Johnson (wrist), Arians called upon the newly re-signed Chris Johnson to lead the team's backfield in Monday's loss to the Cowboys. Johnson was unable to provide much of a spark on the ground, gaining only 17 yards on 12 carries. In spite of Johnson's lack of production, Williams logged just one offensive snap, signaling that Arians wasn't preparing for another changing of the guard in the backfield. While Johnson will receive another shot at redemption Sunday against a San Francisco defense that struggled to slow down Rams running back Todd Gurley a week earlier, the 32-year-old nonetheless projects as a low-end starting option at the position in most formats. To compensate for the weak running game, the Cardinals will likely utilize another pass-heavy attack in Week 4, as quarterback Carson Palmer has attempted no fewer than 36 passes in any of the team's first three contests. This may mean Andre Ellington will keep a frequent receiving role out of the backfield.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden said Kelley (ribs) will still be the team's lead runner once he is healthy, ESPN.com's John Keim reports. "He got [78] yards rushing in a quarter and a half last week, so he's still our No. 1 lead dog," Gruden said on Monday.

Samaje Perine (hand) has failed to take advantage of Kelley's absence over the past six and a half quarters, averaging just 2.9 yards on 40 carries and also losing a fumble. Passing-down back Chris Thompson has been the clear early-season standout, but Gruden said he doesn't have any plans to increase Thompson's role. Kelley is considered day-to-day and likely will reclaim his job as the lead runner if he's able to return for Week 4 in Kansas City. A full practice before the end of the week would be an excellent sign, considering he was limited all last week and didn't end up playing.

Gordon and head coach Anthony Lynn both downplayed the severity of the running back's knee injury, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports. "He's sore," Lynn said. "He was sore last week. We'll monitor him this week, but I'm sure he'll be fine."

Gordon was a late addition to last week's injury report and ultimately played only 45 percent of offensive snaps in Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Chiefs, but he still managed 79 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He's dealing with a bone bruise in the same left knee that required microfracture surgery after his rookie season and necessitated a three-game absence after he sprained it Week 14 last year. While the history does add a level of concern, neither Gordon nor his coach sounded too worried about the running back's availability for Sunday against Philadelphia. The bigger question, perhaps, is whether Gordon will be able to handle the type of workload he took on Week 1 (76 percent snap share) and Week 2 (83 percent). If not, Branden Oliver will handle most of what Gordon leaves behind, with undrafted rookie Austin Ekeler potentially also getting a few touches.

Ellington caught five of eight targets for 59 yards and rushed five times for 22 yards in Monday night's 28-17 loss to the Cowboys.

Ellington surprisingly led the Cardinals in rushing, illustrating just how much they struggled in that department on the night. By doing so in seven fewer carries than Chris Johnson, however, Ellington could make a push for more handoffs in Week 4. Already a superior pass catcher to Johnson, Ellington trailed only Larry Fitzgerald in the major receiving categories Monday. As a result, if he can get more carries, Ellington's fantasy stock could rise thanks to his versatility in David Johnson's (wrist) absence.

Johnson rushed 12 times for 17 yards and caught one of his two targets for four yards in Monday night's 28-17 loss to the Cowboys.

Johnson was handed at least seven more carries than any of his teammates, but the veteran struggled to find running lanes. Overall, the Cardinals' long rush of the night went for six yards, so Johnson wasn't alone in that respect, but he'll be frustrated by his performance nonetheless. Add in the fact fellow tailback Andre Ellington totaled 22 yards on five carries and 59 yards on as many catches, and Johnson could face more competition for touches in Week 4 versus the 49ers.

Elliott rushed 22 times for 80 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 28-17 win over the Cardinals. He also caught three of four targets for 14 yards.

Elliott drew criticism for his poor, eight-yard rushing effort in Week 2, but the star tailback bounced back with nearly 100 yards of offense. Besides a long carry of 30 yards, Elliott's performance was highlighted by his eight-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter. That not only marked the final score of Monday's game, but also Elliott's first touchdown of his second season. Already cleared through Week 4, Elliott will now look forward to his matchup against a Rams defense that's surrendered the fourth-most rushing yards thus far.