NFL Player News

Raiders featured back Latavius Murray (shoulder) is listed as active for the Sunday game against Denver.

Murray, who is coming off a 15-carry, 49-yard effort against the Bears, will thus take aim at a rugged Broncos defense that has surrendered an average of 90.2 rushing yards per game.

A knee injury has knocked Chiefs premier back Jamaal Charles out of the Sunday game against Chicago. He will not return.

Charles was unable to put pressure on his right leg as he left the field, so it appears he could miss some time.

Look for the team to update his status after the game, though for now the backfield is in the hands of Charcandrick West and Knile Davis.

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington (knee) is listed as active Sunday in Detroit.

He's poised to take over David Johnson's change-of-pace role behind Chris Johnson, though head coach Bruce Arians didn't clarify Ellington's potential workload in advance of the game. In any case, Ellington is making his long-awaited return after tending to a sprained PCL the last three weeks.

Draughn (back) is inactive Sunday against the Ravens.

Draughn didn't log any practice time this week due to a back ailment, so it's not too surprising to see him sit this one out. He'll join Robert Turbin (ankle) on the inactive list, leaving Isaiah Crowell and rookie Duke Johnson to lead the charge in the Cleveland backfield. Even when healthy, look for Draughn to be used in a limited basis in the Browns' offensive game plan.

Barner is inactive for Sunday's game against the Saints, ESPN's Adam Caplan reports.

With the Eagles' running back corps back to full health, Barner will be inactive for the third time in five games this season. The former Oregon standout ranks fourth on the depth chart behind DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, and Darren Sproles.

Ravens running back Lorenzo Taliaferro (foot) is listed as inactive for the Week 5 game against Cleveland.

Taliaferro had been listed as probable for the contest after practicing on a limited basis both Thursday and Friday. He'll give way to Javorius Allen to be the primary backup to starter Justin Forsett. Fantasy owners hoping to vulture a goal line touch from Taliaferro should quickly execute their contingency plan.

Ed Werder of ESPN suggests that Cowboys running back Darren McFadden is a candidate to replace Lance Dunbar (who is now on IR) as the preferred backfield option in passing situations.

While that doesn't change the fact that Joseph Randle will remain the primary ball carrier, Dunbar did manage 21 catches for 215 yards in four games prior to suffering his season-ending injury. So if McFadden does end up absorbing some added work as a pass-catcher, it could result in a degree of added Fantasy value for him, notably in PPR formats.

Running back Dan Herron, picked up by the Bills on Tuesday, is already looking good in practices with his fresh legs and is hitting the hole better than any of the team's healthy backs, BuffaloBills.com reports.

"I think Boom is going to...you know there's a good chance that he's going to be a part of the game plan," said offensive coordinator Greg Roman. "I really like what I see out of him, like what I hear out of him and he's picking things up pretty quickly."

Herron knows this offensive system because it's the same one used by his former team, the Colts. While Anthony Dixon will get first crack at the Titans this week, don't be surprised if Herron gets at least a handful of carries, with the potential for more should he look significantly better than Dixon. Still, he's a dart this week until things better sort themselves.

The continued absence of backfield mate Joique Bell to an ankle injury will result in Lions running back Ameer Abdullah getting more carries Sunday against visiting Arizona.

Abdullah failed to take advantage of the same situation in Week 4, gaining just 33 yards on 13 carries and 11 yards on two receptions in a dreadful road matchup with the Seahawks. The battle against the Cardinals provides a somewhat more manageable matchup, but it's still far from ideal, and Detroit's offensive line doesn't inspire any confidence.

Until Bell returns, Abdullah figures to dominate the early-down and goal-line/short-yardage work.

Seahawkscoach Pete Carroll said running back Thomas Rawls' teammate Fred Jackson (ankle) will likely play in Sunday's game against the Bengals, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Jackson previously seemed unlikely to play, having suffered a high-ankle sprain in Monday's win over the Lions. Rawls is still primed to lead the Seattle backfield in the absence of Marshawn Lynch (hamstring), but a tough matchup with the Bengals looked much more attractive when Rawls was a good bet to dominate both the early-down and passing-down snaps. Though the rookie still figures to get the bulk of the carries, Jackson could have a key role on passing downs. Despite the 1:00 PM ET kickoff, this situation could be murky, as the Seahawks might keep Jackson active just as an emergency option off the bench, even if they don't want him to play.