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Aaron Jones RB | MIN
Packers' Aaron Jones: Plays sparingly in preseason opener
Jones tallied two carries and one reception in Thursday's preseason victory over the Eagles but did not accumulate any yards.
While Jones totaled just three touches Thursday, he also only played 13 snaps, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, so he actually saw a decent amount of opportunities when he was on the field. Thursday's game seemingly had little effect on the Packers' depth chart, so Jones remains in the No. 3 spot for now.
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Ezekiel Elliott RB | LAC
Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Suspended for six games
Elliott has been suspended six games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
Elliott has been the subject of a lengthy investigation and review process surrounding his personal conduct, which despite not resulting in formal legal charges, will prevent him from playing six games this season. The punishment is a massive blow to the Cowboys and Elliott's fantasy owners, who will now have to replace the man that finished tied for third in MVP voting as a rookie last season. According to Schefter, Elliott is expected to appeal the ruling, which should keep his case in the news going forward. Following Friday's report, however, it appears Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris will lead Dallas' rushing attack to begin this season.
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Jalen Simmons RB | LAC
Panthers' Jalen Simmons: Leads Panthers in rushing
Simmons rushed nine times for 38 yards in Wednesday's preseason game versus the Texans.
Simmons also caught his lone target for two yards and returned a kickoff for 24 yards. The tailback led the Panthers in rushing to open the preseason, but he'll likely need to continue impressing to advance his case for a roster spot.
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Cameron Artis-Payne RB | CAR
Panthers' Cameron Artis-Payne: Gets six carries to start preseason
Artis-Payne rushed six times for 22 yards in Wednesday's preseason game against the Texans.
Artis-Payne went for a game-long run of 20 yards, which boosted his final numbers. With Jonathan Stewart and Christian McCaffrey cemented as Carolina's top two running backs, Artis-Payne figures to compete with Fozzy Whittaker and Jalen Simmons for a roster spot. While Whittaker, the favorite to nab the third running back role, was used sparingly Wednesday, Simmons finished with nine carries for 38 yards.
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Jamaal Williams RB | NO
Packers' Jamaal Williams: Runs four times in preseason opener
Williams had four carries for 14 yards in Thursday's preseason victory over the Eagles.
Williams' output Thursday was minimal, but he was the second Packers running back into the game and the only Green Bay ball carrier to see more than three carries, so at the least he did not do anything to lose hold on the No. 2 spot behind starting running back Ty Montgomery.
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C.J. Anderson RB | LAR
Broncos' C.J. Anderson: Gets his feet wet
In his first game action since tearing his meniscus, Anderson rushed for 21 yards on five carries in Thursday's preseason win over Chicago.
None of Anderson's runs were particularly spectacular, but he was able to keep the team in manageable down and distances while he was in the game. Unless something changes drastically in the next week or two, the Broncos quarterback situation will be uninspiring. Playing behind what could be four new starters on the offensive line, Anderson figures to be the prime factor for Denver's offensive fortunes this season.
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Samaje Perine RB | CIN
Redskins' Samaje Perine: Unlikely to usurp Kelley
Perine is unlikely to push Rob Kelley out of the starting lineup anytime soon, Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic reports.
Perine had plenty of hype ahead of training camp, but he's reportedly looked the part of a rookie at practice, leading up to Thursday's poor showing in the preseason opener against Baltimore. In addition to gaining only 15 yards on six carries, Perine fumbled, dropped a pass and struggled in pass protection. Kelley didn't have any luck on the ground, but he at least avoided the major mistakes that shaped the rookie's night. While he still has time to push for some kind of workload, Perine seemingly has already proven he isn't ready to challenge Kelly for the starting job.
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Shaun Draughn RB | NYG
Giants' Shaun Draughn: Falling behind competition
Draughn (ankle) intensified his rehab this week, but he's still falling behind Orleans Darkwa in the competition for a roster spot, NJ.com's Dan Duggan reports.
Coming off summer ankle surgery, the 29-year-old journeyman has already missed the first two weeks of training camp and presumably won't be available any sooner than the third or fourth week of the preseason. With Paul Perkins, Shane Vereen (leg) and fourth-round rookie Wayne Gallman all expected to make the team, Draughn is left to compete with Darkwa for one spot, which may come down to special teams value. It isn't clear if Draughn will be available at any point during training camp to make his case.
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Ezekiel Elliott RB | LAC
Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Could face NFL discipline
Elliott may be suspended as many as six games, Jane Slater of NFL Network reports.
Take this speculative report with a grain of salt, but clarity on any potential league discipline for Elliott could arrive on Friday. However, the fact that both Slater and NFL Network colleague Ian Rapoport of NFL Network mentioned six games as a "benchmark" means the first-round running back may receive a longer punishment than initially expected. At least most fantasy drafters will have time to tell whether Elliott will be kept out for a significant chunk of the season, which will heavily influence his draft-day price. Darren McFadden stands to serve as lead back for the Cowboys for however long Elliott might sit.