NFL Player News

Hightower rushed for 29 yards and a touchdown on three carries in Sunday's loss to Atlanta.

Hightower ran a stretch to the left for his third touchdown in as many weeks. Few 30-year-old running backs get much attention in free agency, which is Hightower's next stop. His skill set might translate best down by the Bayou, but don't be surprised if he has a number of suitors given his ability to both barrel through defenders near the goal line and contribute in the passing game.

West rushed for 18 yards on five carries and added 17 yards on four catches in Sunday's loss to Cincinnati.

Week 15's tilt against Philadelphia aside, West had as many or fewer touches than rookie Kenneth Dixon from Week 11 on. With offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg now set to come back, it is quite possible that if West returns to Baltimore in free agency, it will be as a complement to the emerging Dixon.

Michael carried the ball three times for six yards in Sunday's win over the Lions.

Ty Montgomery has solidified himself as the Packers' go-to back late in the season, but the team also turned to fullback Aaron Ripkowski to pound the ball throughout Sunday's win, leaving Michael as the odd-man out in the backfield. It is unknown if the Packers will continue with this new one-two punch for their playoff tilt with the Giants on Sunday, but Michael has seen his carries drop every game since Week 14, so he doesn't seem poised for a major workload.

Patterson had one reception for 39 yards on two targets in Sunday's win over Chicago.

Patterson started at wide receiver with Stefon Diggs hurt, but wide receivers had just 11 targets as Sam Bradford threw mostly to his tight ends and running backs. Patterson entered the 2016 season relegated to special teams, but revived his career when given a chance at wide receiver. He finished the season with 52 receptions for 453 yards and two touchdowns. He should find a robust market for his services as a free agent, especially since he may be the best kickoff returner in the NFL (five career touchdowns).

Asiata had eight carries for 14 yards and three receptions for 31 yards on three targets in Sunday's win over Chicago.

Asiata had a productive season with 402 yards rushing, six touchdowns and 32 receptions for 263 yards. He worked as the goal-line back and the No. 2 running back most of the season with Adrian Peterson missing 13 games. His 3.3 yards per carry wasn't impressive, but he was running behind an injury-depleted offensive line and he's always been more of a sure-handed player than explosive back. He'll likely have a similar role in 2017, but much of his fantasy value depends on whether the Vikings bring back Peterson.

Carey was a healthy scratch for the final two games of the season, and ended the campaign with 32 carries for 126 yards while catching five passes for 55 yards

Carey rushed for 3.9 yards per carry on the year, and once Jordan Howard emerged as a rising star, Carey touched the football just 11 times over his last seven games before being deactivated for the final two games of the season. During Weeks 16 and 17, Jeremy Langford saw 21 touches in the two games, though he rushed for just 2.7 yards per carry during that time. Carey's under contract next year, and he'll likely be given a chance to compete for a backup role behind Howard, but based on his 2016 performance, he'll need to significantly improve over the off-season to be considered as a fantasy factor.

Watson ran nine times for 28 yards and a score in the Eagles' season finale against the Cowboys.

With three of its top four running backs ruled out, Philadelphia deployed a three-pronged rushing attack on Sunday behind the likes of Watson, Darren Sproles and Byron Marshall. Each player received only nine or 10 carries, though, so there wasn't a clear leader of the bunch. With the regular season now all wrapped up, Turner will look to stay injury-free throughout the offseason in hopes to secure a role in the Eagles' run game for the 2017 campaign.

Henry rushed 15 times for 65 yards and a touchdown while catching his lone target for three yards in Sunday's 24-17 win over Houston.

Henry outplayed DeMarco Murray, who looked gassed after receiving 293 carries this season. The second-rounder out of Alabama performed well in a complementary role as a rookie, finishing with 490 yards and five touchdowns on 110 carries. He'll need to work on catching the ball out of the backfield if he wants to earn more of an even split with Murray next season, as Henry hauled in just 13 receptions in 14 games.

Hillman finished the season with 131 rushing yards and 93 receiving yards playing parts of the year with the Vikings and the Chargers.

Hillman joined the Chargers late in the season and immediately became a factor following injuries to Melvin Gordon (hip/knee) and Kenneth Farrow (shoulder). While the journeyman running back likely doesn't factor into the organization's long-term plans given the emergence of Gordon, Hillman played well enough through the final few weeks to at least warrant interest from other teams during the offseason. There's even a possibility Hillman could return to the Chargers, given that both Branden Oliver and Danny Woodhead are unrestricted free agents this offseason, but even a return to his current team would not necessarily guarantee fantasy relevance next year.

Sims signed a future contract with the Buccaneers on Monday, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Sims joined the Buccaneers practice squad a week ago and will now have an opportunity to spend the offseason with the team. However, the former Alabama quarterback signed with the team as a running back so he'll compete for a spot in the team's backfield over the next several months.