NFL Player News

Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon (ankle) had three carries for six yards in Sunday's win over Detroit. 

McKinnon played just nine snaps on offense as the Vikings didn't make a big effort to get him carries. McKinnon is likely going to have a small role off the bench as long as Adrian Peterson is healthy. McKinnon was bothered by a sore ankle last week in practice, but it didn't look like an issue Sunday.

Raiders running back Latavius Murray had 15 rushes for 65 yards with a touchdown and caught all three of his targets for 22 yards in Sunday's 37-33 win over Baltimore.

Murray had a long rush of only nine yards, but still averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Taiwan Jones was the only other running back to carry the ball, and he had just two rushes for nine yards.

It was a nice rebound performance for Murray, who had the benefit of playing with Derek Carr for an entire game, after the young QB left Week 1's loss to Cincinnati early. Murray will face a solid Browns' defense in Week 3.

Giants running back Shane Vereen caught all eight of his targets for 76 yards in Sunday's game against the Falcons. He also gained 19 yards on six carries in the 24-20 defeat.

Despite the mild rushing total, Vereen showed his trademark effectiveness in the passing game, finishing second on the team in targets and receiving yardage. No wideout besides Odell Beckham topped 17 yards receiving on the day and Vereen will likely remain heavily involved in that capacity until another receiver steps up.

The Giants will welcome the Redskins to town in Week 3.

Cowboys running back Joseph Randle had 18 carries for 51 yards and caught his lone target for 14 yards in Sunday's 20-10 win at Philadelphia.

Randle had a long rush of just six yards, but he did run with a lot of determination and made positive gains on busted plays several times. Meanwhile, Darren McFadden also wasn't impressive on a per-play basis, rushing for just 31 yards on 10 carries.

After two weeks, it appears as though Randle will lead the Cowboys' committee, but it's hard to get excited about anyone with the news that Tony Romo will miss 4-to-12 weeks due to a fractured clavicle. If you need to use Randle in Week 3, he'll face the Falcons at home.

Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey did not register a carry but did secure his one target for eight yards in Sunday's 26-19 victory over the Saints. He also gained 37 yards on his one kickoff return and tallied 34 yards on three punt returns.

Rainey's role on plays from scrimmage will very likely vary week-to-week, but he retains a hold on both top returner spots, where he was productive once again in Week 2.

Rainey provides valuable insurance as an every-down tailback behind Doug Martin, and also is a dependable checkdown option for Jameis Winston when he's in the ballgame.

Buccaneers running back Charles Sims rushed for 38 yards on eight carries and also secured all three of his targets for 14 yards in Sunday's 26-19 victory over the Saints.

Sims had a refreshingly strong game on the ground, where he has often struggled to find running room in the past. Conversely, he was only a moderate factor in the passing game, which is usually his strong suit, but did successfully secure all three balls thrown his way.

Sims is clearly a key component of a diverse Bucs backfield that features a trio of running backs with different skill sets.

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin rushed for 78 yards on 21 carries and also secured both of his targets in the passing game for 20 yards in Sunday's 26-19 victory over the Saints. He also fumbled twice, losing both.

Martin's second fumble was costly for the moment, eventually leading to a fourth quarter 16-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Willie Snead that cut the Bucs' lead to 23-19. Despite the turnovers, Martin ran hard and decisively on the afternoon and continues to rebound from the lackluster performances he has put forth over the last two seasons. He has a firm hold for the moment on the top running back role, but given that there is an established precedent of benching him for poor performance, Martin clearly will have to produce week in and week out and avoid turnovers to retain it.

Dolphins running back Damien Williams had two carries for five yards and caught two of three targets for 12 yards with a touchdown in Sunday's 23-20 loss at Jacksonville. While it wasn't a big statistical game, Williams took over for an injured Lamar Miller, who left the game in the second half with an ankle injury, and did not return.

Williams' touchdown came in the second quarter, before Miller exited the game, so he was seeing some meaningful snaps. In any event, Williams could be a hot pickup this week on the waiver wire, depending on the severity of Miller's ankle injury. He wouldn't have a great matchup next week, however, against the Bills

Chargers explosive rookie running back Melvin Gordon rushed for 88 yards on 16 carries and pitched in a 10-yard reception Sunday in Cincinnati.

Gordon racked up nearly two yards per carry more than he did in his debut against Detroit. Any notion that he is the every-down back in Sand Diego is quickly evaporating, however.

Though his 30 carries over the first two weeks eclipses his teammates' 25 total rushes, he is losing out to Danny Woodhead in passing situations, 13 targets to four.

Expect Gordon to continue to be the lead back in San Diego's stable, but it will be difficult for him to develop the same kind of chemistry in the passing game as Woodhead already has with Rivers.

Perhaps that will change, however, next Sunday at Minnesota.

Rams running back Benny Cunningham rushed once for zero yards and caught four passes on six targets for 27 receiving yards during Sunday's loss at Washington.

Tre Mason returned from his hamstring injury to start over Cunningham, but the former rushed just seven times for 26 yards while catching two passes for four receiving yards.

Cunningham was certainly more impressive in Week 1, when Mason was out, and his ability to catch passes out of the backfield may allow him to keep getting looks on third down, but with rookie Todd Gurley expected to make his NFL debut in Week 3, Cunningham's fantasy impact isn't likely to be nearly as high as it was in the regular-season opener.