NFL Player News

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer hinted that Murray will continue to have a significant role, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The wide gulf between Murray's production and Jerick McKinnon's has led to some speculation that the former Raider could essentially fall out of the offensive game plan. The Vikings seemingly aren't quite ready to take that step, but Murray needs to improve quickly or else the team won't have much choice. He's gained only 80 yards on 30 touches (three catches) in two games since Dalvin Cook (knee) suffered a season-ending knee injury, while McKinnon has piled up 245 yards and three touchdowns on 43 touches (11 catches). However, McKinnon has fumbled three times the past three weeks, after making it through the first 45 games of his career without a single fumble. His robust production nonetheless figures to outweigh the statistical oddity when the team evaluates its backfield, particularly if McKinnon stays hot in Sunday's matchup with the Ravens. Anyway you slice it, Murray is in danger of seeing his role reduced in the coming weeks.

Kelley (ankle) will resume practicing this week.

Despite having a Week 5 bye to heal, Kelley failed to practice in any capacity last week. A return to the practice field doesn't ensure he'll be ready for Sunday's game in Philadelphia, but it's at least a step in the right direction. Kelley will have an extra day to get ready with the Redskins playing on Monday Night Football, facing an Eagles defense that has limited running backs to 2.9 yards per carry this season.

Ekeler carried the ball once for one yard and also recorded one catch for eight yards in Sunday's 17-16 win over the Raiders.

It was the Melvin Gordon Show on Sunday, as the star running back ran rampant over the Raiders defense to the tune of 150 total yards and two touchdowns. As a result, Ekeler saw very little action, totaling just seven snaps on offense. So long as Branden Oliver (hamstring) remains out, Ekeler is the prime handcuff to Gordon.

McKinnon has been struggling with ball security, fumbling three times (losing two) over the past three games, ESPN.com's Courtney Cronin reports. "I've had two contact fumbles and it's been eating me alive," McKinnon said. "I just have to deal with it. It's not a problem. I just have to fix it, and that's it. I've never had an issue with it. I just have to do better in those situations."

This would be more of a concern if not for the fact that McKinnon had previously never fumbled in his four-year career. He's vastly outproduced Latavius Murray in two games since Dalvin Cook (knee) went down for the season, piling up 164 rushing yards (5.1 per carry), 81 receiving yards (7.4 per catch) and three total touchdowns. Murray did get 16 touches on 33 snaps in Sunday's 23-10 win over the Packers, but his role likely will be reduced if McKinnon keeps piling up yards without losing any more fumbles. The Vikings face a slumping Baltimore run defense in Week 7, setting McKinnon up for another solid performance.

Rodgers rushed just three times for one yard and brought in his only target for six yards in Sunday's 38-33 loss to the Cardinals.

The seven-year veteran was rendered irrelevant for the second time in as many contests since Doug Martin's return from suspension. Rodgers has logged just six carries and a pair of receptions over that span, although Sunday's reduced involvement was undeniably at least partly due to the fact the Bucs were playing catch-up for the entirety of the game. However, it appears clear that head coach Dirk Koetter sees Martin as his top back under normal circumstances, as the Week 5 division of labor in a competitive game versus the Patriots attests. Rodgers' value has therefore taken a significant hit until further notice.

Foreman rushed 12 times for a team-high 59 yards in Sunday's 33-17 win over the Browns.

Foreman nearly had his first NFL touchdown but was shoved out of bounds at the one-yard line after a 39-yard burst. Other than that big run, the rookie running back was held in check (1.8 YPC). In all three of Houston's wins this season, Foreman has notably logged double-digit carries. He's not yet ready to steal the top job from Lamar Miller, but the two could become a two-man backfield tandem over the final 10 games of the season. After a bye week, Foreman and the Texans are on the road to play the Seahawks, who currently rank 26th against the rush.

Vereen had one carry for four yards but did not receive a single target all game in Denver during Sunday night's 23-10 win.

With the Broncos favored by 13 points before kickoff, this figured to be a game flow favorable to Vereen, but the Giants not only had the lead all game, they ran effectively behind Orleans Darkwa. Vereen is still the team's third-down back, and the Giants still lack playmakers out wide, so he's likely to produce in games where the team finds itself at a deficit, and Sunday's performance notwithstanding, those games are coming.

Conner ran twice for 14 yards in Pittsburgh's 19-13 win over Kansas City.

Different day but the same story for Conner, who watched Le'Veon Bell total 191 yards from scrimmage. It's becoming harder to justify using a roster spot for Conner in anything other than dynasty formats, although patient fantasy owners could be rewarded if Bell, who is on pace for 357 carries, were to get hurt. It should be noted that Bell has never rushed more than 290 times in a season and has played all 16 games just once in his first four years.

Sims brought in four of five targets for 45 yards in Sunday's 38-33 loss to the Cardinals. He did not log any carries.

After a quiet first three games, Sims now has nine receptions for 76 yards over the last two weeks. He continues to be a forgotten man in the running game, though, limiting his fantasy ceiling. However, the recent ramp-up in production is encouraging, and it remains to be seen if Sims will be incorporated further into the ground attack in coming weeks. He'll look to build on recent production versus the Bills in Week 7.

Martin rushed 14 times for 53 yards and a touchdown and brought in one of two targets for 11 yards in Sunday's 38-33 loss to the Cardinals. He also logged a two-point-conversion rush.

Although Martin proclaimed himself ready for more work after logging 13 carries in his Week 5 debut against the Patriots, the opportunity escaped him Sunday due to the sizable deficit the Bucs find themselves in. Martin was solid with the touches he did garner and recorded his second touchdown in as many games when he went into the end zone from one yard out with 3:02 remaining in the game. The sixth-year pro could see a more sizable role in Week 7 versus a tough Bills defense, especially if Jameis Winston (shoulder) is unable to suit up for the contest.