NFL Player News

Jones gained just 31 yards on 14 carries and caught both of his targets for another 25 yards in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Ravens. He also lost his first fumble of the season.

A week after topping the 100-yard mark, Jones was bottled up to the tune of just 2.2 yards per carry versus a stout Ravens defensive front. Jones caught multiple passes for the third straight game, and the modest receiving yardage was actually his highest output of the season in that category. He received fewer carries than he had in any game since Week 2, but Washington ran the ball just 20 times compared to 41 passes. Next week's opponent, Philadelphia, has been stingy against the run this season, but they did allow a pair of rushing touchdowns Sunday.

Carey (hamstring) had two rushes for two yards and caught his only target for 15 yards Sunday against the Colts.

Carey did little more than give Jordan Howard an occasional breather. It appears that the only way that he'll be able to have consistent fantasy value will be if the Bears suffer injures at the position.

Anderson rushed for 41 yards on 11 carries and added 21 yards on three catches in Sunday's loss to Atlanta.

The match-up was in Anderson's favor entering Sunday's game, with Atlanta's linebacking corps depleted. Instead, Anderson was held under four yards per carry for the fourth straight game. Part of Anderson's struggles could be attributed to the absence of right tackle Donald Stephenson and tight end Virgil Green in recent weeks, but the results on the field are worrisome nonetheless. Anderson has been held under 50 yards rushing in three straight games and has failed to score in two of the three games.

Gordon carried the ball 16 times for 69 yards in Sunday's 34-31 loss to the Raiders. He also caught his lone target for an 18-yard touchdown.

Gordon bounced back a bit from back-to-back unproductive outings as a rusher, though he lost another fumble. He continues to reach the end zone with regularity, scoring seven times in five games. It's hard to imagine Gordon going off next week though, as he'll face the rugged Broncos' defense at home.

West gained 95 yards on 11 carries and lost six yards on two receptions (three targets) in Sunday's 16-10 loss to Washington.

West was the only real positive for the Baltimore offense, consistently picking up what was blocked and then some. However, he did cede four carries to Javorius Allen and three more to rookie Kenneth Dixon, who struggled in his NFL debut. The Ravens mixed their other two running backs in during the first quarter, but West seemed to dominate the workload thereafter, as it became apparent he was the team's best option. There is some concern Dixon could eventually push for a larger role, but West has seemingly assured himself of lead-back status for at least another few weeks. He'll have a tough Week 6 road matchup against the Giants, followed by another difficult draw in Week 7 at the same stadium versus the Jets.

Elliot had 15 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Bengals. He also caught three of four targets for 37 yards.

Elliot got off to a great start Sunday, racking up 42 yards and a touchdown on Dallas' first possession of the game. He later added a spectacular 60-yard touchdown, showing off an extra gear in the open field. The talented rookie has improved each week as a runner, and final saw meaningful work as a pass catcher, setting a career high in receptions and receiving yards. Furthermore, he looks like and has served as a true workhorse back, with 20+ carries in four of five games. Next week, he'll face the Packers at Lambeau Field.

Zenner totaled just nine yards on seven carries Sunday against the Eagles, adding 23 yards on two catches.

With rookie Dwayne Washington (ankle) ruled out for the contest, Zenner assumed backup and "big-back" duties behind starting RB Theo Riddick. However, he was easily contained by a stout Eagles defensive front and found most of his success on check-down passes out of the backfield. Even if Washington is sidelined another week, Zenner will not be a strong fantasy option in Week 6 against the Rams.

Ellington picked up 14 of the Cardinals' 68 offensive snaps during Thursday's 33-21 win at San Francisco.

Following Chris Johnson's (sports hernia) placement on injured reserve, Ellington becomes the veritable backup running back to workhorse David Johnson. Snaps are thus guaranteed for the fourth-year pro, but the younger Johnson dominated the RB touches Thursday, racking up 157 yards on the ground and 28 more through the air. Meanwhile, Ellington earned six carries but no targets, all of them in the second half of a game that was less in question as the clock wound down. He'll likely parlay his pass-catching chops into a handful of big plays as the season proceeds, but Johnson is more than competent in that realm as well, hindering Ellington's potential opportunities.

Mathews gained 42 yards on 11 carries during Sunday's 24-23 loss to the Lions. He also caught all five of his targets for 33 yards and a touchdown while losing a fumble as well.

Mathews only ceded five carries to other backs Sunday in his return to action, but he generated just 3.8 yards per carry and fumbled the game away in the fourth quarter. However, he also made his first significant impact of the season as a pass-catcher, and found the end zone for the first time since Week 2. Mathews appears poised to handle the majority of the backfield touches, and he should find the sledding easier next week versus the Redskins.

Asiata rushed 14 times for 55 yards and a touchdown, and caught all three of his targets for 46 receiving yards Sunday against the Texans.

Asiata once again saw fewer carries than Jerick McKinnon, but scored a touchdown for the second straight week. While the 29-year-old veteran has emerged as Minnesota's preferred goal-line option in the wake of Adrian Peterson's knee injury, McKinnon still gets most of the work in general. Despite the timeshare, both are playable options most weeks for a Vikings team that often finds itself protecting leads.