NFL Player News

Hillman will start Sunday against the Chargers, head coach Gary Kubiak said Wednesday.

Hillman started the past few games, though C.J. Anderson outplayed him last Sunday against the Patriots, rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns versus Hillman's 59 yards and one score. While Hillman will get the start against the Chargers, who are allowing the seventh-most rushing yards per game and have given up the third-most rushing touchdowns this season, Anderson is still likely to get plenty of touches, which obviously limits the upside of both players.

Carey was cleared from the concussion protocol Wednesday, after which he logged a full practice, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Carey is merely the third running back in Chicago behind Matt Forte and Jeremy Langford, but during the former's absence with a knee injury, the second-year pro showed his value with 30 carries for 116 yards, which was good for 3.9 YPC. Upon his return, Carey will return to a reserve role, with some special teams duties.

Hunt had three carries for 27 yards in Houston's 24-6 win over New Orleans in Week 12.

Hunt has been used in each of the two games since being signed off the practice squad, but Houston's backfield is mighty crowded right now, so Hunt's upside is limited. He's played a total of seven offensive snaps in the two games, but has touched the ball six times (five carries, one reception).

McKinnon rushed for 33 yards on five carries in Sunday's win over the Falcons.

Sunday represented McKinnon's highest touch and yardage total since Week 7 and snapped a three-game stretch during which McKinnon didn't record a carry. Adrian Peterson tied a season high with 31 touches on Sunday, so it's quite possible that Sunday's carries had more to do with giving Peterson a breather than any sort of change in offensive philosophy. Unless offensive coordinator bumps his head and starts giving McKinnon goal-line carries over Peterson, McKinnon should be left in the free-agent pool.

Grimes rushed for 25 yards on seven carries and added an eight-yard reception in Sunday's win over New Orleans.

After managing just two catches and no carries during a three-game stretch, Grimes has collected 24 touches over the past three weeks, four more than No. 2 back Chris Polk. The Texans rank ninth in the league in rushing attempts, so there are plenty of opportunities to go around in Houston, but Grimes should not be considered a fantasy factor until he starts scoring touchdowns, something he has yet to do this season.

Williams was elevated from the Cardinals' practice squad to the active roster Tuesday.

With Chris Johnson (fractured tibia) placed on IR/designated to return, Williams will join Andre Ellington (turf toe), David Johnson and Stepfan Taylor in the Arizona backfield. Interestingly enough, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer mentioned Williams and David Johnson, but not Taylor, when discussing the fallout from Sunday's injuries. If Ellington can't suit up, which seems likely, it's entirely possible Williams will serve as Johnson's top backup against the Rams. Williams had 53 carries for 246 yards (4.6 YPC) and two catches for 11 yards in five games with the Cardinals last season. He didn't score any touchdowns but did reach 15 carries in three separate games.

Johnson (fractured tibia) has been placed on injured reserve/designated to return, ruling him out for the season unless the Cardinals reach the Super Bowl, NFL Network's Albert Breer reports.

With Johnson officially done for the regular season, Andre Ellington (turf toe) and David Johnson both get major boosts in value. Ellington, however, is dealing with a turf toe injury that could keep him out of Sunday's game against the Rams. He is only considered day-to-day, but turf toe is a notoriously unpredictable injury in terms of recovery time. The Cardinals may thus need contributions from Stepfan Taylor and/or Kerwynn Williams, the latter of whom is currently signed to the practice squad. Chris Johnson, who turned 30 in September, is only signed through the end of the season. He may need to fight for a job in 2016, despite his impressive work for the Cardinals this year.

Ellington (toe) is merely considered day-to-day, but his availability for Sunday's game against the Rams remains in serious question, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports.

With Chris Johnson (leg) potentially out for the rest of the regular season, Ellington could find his way to an increased role in the coming weeks, if he's able to get healthy. However, his injury history is far from encouraging, and the recovery time from turf toe can vary from a few days to multiple months. For Week 13, it appears David Johnson will lead the Arizona backfield, though Ellington hasn't yet been ruled out.

West had seven carries for 37 yards in Monday's 33-27 win over the Browns.

West looked surprisingly spry against his former team, ripping off a few nice chunks of yardage. He still played just 14 offensive snaps, compared to 36 for starter Javorius Allen, according to Pro Football Focus. There's little reason to expect a larger workload Sunday against the Dolphins, but it does appear that West is next in line to lead the Baltimore backfield in the event of an Allen injury.

Mathews (concussion) did not practice Tuesday, but he was present and able to observe the session, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

While Mathews was still unable to get back on the field Tuesday, his presence at practice represents a step forward in the concussion protocol. Mathews may have a chance to return to action in Week 13, but he will need to be fully cleared in order to do so.