NFL Player News

Rodgers gained 29 yards on two carries and failed to secure his only target in Sunday's 40-7 loss to the Cardinals.

The veteran back, who'd just arrived in Tampa on Tuesday, was summoned to action in the blowout loss after Doug Martin exited with a hamstring injury. Charles Sims still paced the Bucs backfield in touches, but Rodgers managed to rip off a 24-yard run on one of his two carries. If Martin's injury lingers into Week 3, Rodgers should certainly stand to see an expanded role against the Rams.

Artis-Payne will certainly be promoted to a more significant role in the Panthers backfield if teammate Jonathan Stewart's hamstring injury limits him going forward.

Artis-Payne was a healthy scratch for Carolina's first two games of this season, but that should change given Stewart's uncertain availability going forward. The second-year tailback Artis-Payne received a vote of confidence from coach Ron Rivera following Sunday's game, which echoed comments made during the offseason. Despite such praise, Artis-Payne watched Fozzy Whittaker and Mike Tolbert round out the Panthers' backfield to start the season, and the former totaled 131 all-purpose yards in Stewart's absence Sunday. While that figures to make Whittaker Carolina's top tailback if Stewart's injury keeps him out, Artis-Payne could serve behind him at the position, marking an obvious improvement on his inactive status thus far.

Hightower gained nine yards on three carries in Sunday's loss to the Giants.

According to Josh Katzenstein of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Hightower played only three snaps in Week 2 and received a carry on each of them. While Travaris Cadet continues to see more playing time as the team's backfield receiving option, Cadet did not receive a single carry in Week 2. Hightower will have little fantasy value so long as starting running back Mark Ingram is healthy, but Hightower remains the best bet to carry the backfield load should Ingram miss any time this year.

Abdullah's X-rays on his injured foot revealed no broken bones, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports.

Adbullah was forced to exit early in Sunday's game against the Titans and was seen wearing a full walking boot in the locker room afterward. While that sight raised cause for concern, Abdullah's X-rays returning negative serves as a relief for the time being. Until more information surfaces, it's unclear how long his injury is expected to impact his availability, but further testing Monday should help clarify his situation. In any case, it appears Theo Riddick and rookie Dwayne Washington should be prepared for larger roles in Week 3 against the Packers.

Draughn carried the ball nine times for 21 yards but did not record a catch in Sunday's 46-27 loss to the Panthers.

Draughn hasn't been able to get anything going on the ground in the 49ers' first two games, but the more concerning issue is his lack of involvement in the passing game. For a player that was expected to be a deep PPR option, two catches on three targets just isn't going to cut it. Draughn's lack of usage through the air may have been attributed to the 49ers' gameplan for the Panthers. Carolina boasts two of the more active linebackers in the league, so Chip Kelly may have decided to steer clear of that area and take his chances against a young secondary. Next week's opponent (Seattle) has stronger defensive backs than linebackers, so Draughn may finally see his fair share of targets out of the backfield.

Grimes carried one time for eight yards and caught one of his three targets for 13 yards in Houston's win over Kansas City in Week 2.

Grimes didn't play a snap in Week 1, but was the third back Sunday, ahead of rookie Tyler Ervin. As long as Lamar Miller stays healthy, Grimes will have a very minor role in the Houston offense.

West ran for a team-leading 42 yards on 11 carries and caught one of three targets for an additional 15 yards in Sunday's win over the Browns.

West received three fewer carries than Justin Forsett, but the latter averaged just 2.6 yards per carry and managed just nine yards on three catches. Forsett has a slight edge in usage and production through two weeks, but it is clear that West will handle a sizable chunk of the backfield touches for the time being. The eventual return of rookie Kenneth Dixon (knee) could change this dynamic, but West should play a prominent role again in Week 3 versus Jacksonville.

Rawls' lower leg contusion that he suffered Sunday in a loss at the Rams is not considered serious, the Seattle Times reports.

Rawls sat out the second half after being kicked in the shin. He had practically no running room as the Rams' front seven dominated, finishing with minus-seven yards on seven carries. He added three catches for 15 yards.

Toussaint ran once for four yards, and caught his only target for nine yards in the Steelers' 24-16 win over the Bengals Sunday.

Toussaint now has four carries for 10 yards in a back-up role to DeAngelo Williams, and can expect to see even less action once Le'Veon Bell returns from his suspension after Pittsburgh's Week 3 game in Philadelphia.

Richardson had one carry for six yards in Pittsburgh's 24-16 win over Cincinnati Sunday.

This was the first rushing attempt in an NFL game by Richardson, who has spent the better part of his career on the practice squad for several teams, since 2013. It may not be another three years before he gets another carry, but there is no reason for him to be on anyone's fantasy radar.