NFL Player News

Mack (shoulder) did not practice Thursday, the Colts' official site reports.

Mack was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, so the downgrade Thursday is notable. We'll revisit his status Friday, but so far the fourth-rounder's fantasy results have been spotty, as Mack has turned 16 carries over two games into 21 yards and a TD. He's also caught two passes for 32 yards.

Williams (ribs) practiced fully Thursday.

Williams is off the fantasy radar as long as Jay Ajayi is healthy enough to play. With that in mind, Ajayi has missed back-to-back practices, but the knee issue that's slowed him this week is not considered serious.

Zenner is expected to be active for the first time this season Sunday against the Falcons, likely serving as the Lions' No. 3 running back, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

Dwayne Washington (quadriceps) missed a second straight practice Thursday and seems unlikely to suit up Sunday, leaving Zenner in line to serve as the top understudy to Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick. With 334 yards and four touchdowns on the ground last season, Zenner outperformed Washington from an offensive standpoint, but the latter's responsibilities as the Lions' kick returner has allowed him to rank ahead of Zenner on the depth chart in 2017. Zenner won't be in store for kick-return duties if he dresses Sunday, but more importantly from a fantasy perspective, he would inherit Washington's role as a power back, likely seeing most of his carries in short-yardage situations in the red zone.

Washington (quadriceps) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

The Lions haven't officially ruled Washington out for Sunday's game against the Falcons, but his failure to practice the last two days makes it unlikely that he'll be able to rally in time to dress in Week 3. If that's the case, Zach Zenner would likely be active for the first time this season as the Lions' No. 3 running back, with most of his offensive snaps coming in short-yardage scenarios in the red zone.

Head coach Bruce Arians said Thursday that Johnson's carry count will increase Monday versus the Cowboys, Kyle Odegard of the Cardinals' official site reports.

In Arizona's first game without David Johnson (wrist), Chris Johnson and not Kerwynn Williams found room to operate, outgaining Williams on the ground (44 versus 22 yards) while logging a similar snap count (17 to 18 on offense). Both backs have experience in the system, but Arians appears to trust in Johnson for more of the backfield reps. As a result, expect an uptick in Johnson's 11 rushes from Week 2.

Kelley (ribs) was limited in Thursday's practice.

For the second straight day, Kelley was on the field in a limited capacity, but his mere presence offers further hope that he'll be able to suit up in Week 3 against the Raiders. Kelley was on his way to a huge day in the Redskins' Week 2 win over the Rams, racking up 78 yards on 12 carries before exiting early with the rib cartilage injury. Kelley's second-half absence allowed Samaje Perine to pick up 67 yards on 21 carries, but Perine would likely be phased out of the backfield mix almost entirely if both Kelley and third-down back Chris Thompson are in sound condition heading into Sunday's contest.

Cunningham (ankle) practiced fully Thursday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Diagnosed with a left high-ankle sprain after Week 1, Cunningham has required just a week and a half to achieve a full practice. The Bears still have one question mark in the backfield, though, as Jordan Howard's right shoulder continues to ail him. If Howard's snap count is kept in check Sunday versus the Steelers, Cunningham may receive reps beyond kick-return duties, but Tarik Cohen and even Taquan Mizzell are better candidates to pick up carries and targets.

Coach Bill O'Brien indicated Wednesday that Foreman will receive offensive snaps ahead of Alfred Blue (ankle) when both players are healthy, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Blue's status as a veteran allowed him to open the preseason as the Texans' top backup at running back behind starter Lamar Miller, but his hold on that role was always expected to be a tenuous one after the team drafted Foreman in the third round back in April. The high-ankle sprain Blue suffered late in the preseason kept him sidelined for the Texans' first two games of the regular season, allowing Foreman to pick up snaps behind Miller even earlier than the organization might have expected. Though Foreman's numbers (13 carries for 44 yards) aren't outstanding, his 3.4 yards per carry mark isn't far behind Miller's 3.6, owing to the struggles of the Texans' offensive line early on. The Texans have seemingly been impressed by Foreman's tough running between the tackles, so he'll continue to be called upon when Miller requires a breather, leaving Blue to see most of his snaps on special teams.

West (calf) was not present for practice Thursday, Edward Lee of the Baltimore Sun reports.

The issue that Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun described earlier this week as a soft-tissue injury has thus kept West out of back-to-back practices. If he is out or limited Sunday against the Jaguars, Javorius Allen would be the top candidate to replace West as the team's starting RB in Week 3, while Alex Collins could also be in line to see an expanded role, potentially including work around the red zone, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.

Cunningham (ankle) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Adam Hoge of WGN Radio 720 AM reports.

The session marks Cunningham's first since suffering a left high-ankle sprain in the regular-season opener. Because such injuries are typically accompanied by multi-week absences, he may have been testing the waters Wednesday. If Cunningham proves healthy enough to suit up Sunday against the Steelers, he may be hard pressed to wrest pass-catching duties from rookie Tarik Cohen, though first- and second-down work could be available due to the shoulder injury plaguing starting back Jordan Howard.