NFL Player News

Linebacker Nate Irving (knee) is the lone Broncos player ruled out for the Sunday game in Oakland. Only running back Montee Ball (groin), tackle Paul Cornick (shoulder) and tight end Virgil Green (calf) are questionable.

The probables are headlined by wideout Wes Welker (back). The others are safety Quinton Carter (hamstring), linebacker Steven Johnson (ankle), kicker Brandon McManus (groin) and running back Juwan Thompson (knee).

Nine offensive players for the Jets have been deemed probable for the Sunday game against Pittsburgh with minor injuries, including linemen Oday Aboushi (shoulder), Willie Colon (knee), Breno Giacomini (illness) and Nick Mangold (shoulder).

The other offensive probables are wide receivers Greg Salas (wrist) and Percy Harvin (heel), running back Chris Johnson (ankle) and quarterbacks Michael Vick (foot) and Geno Smith (shoulder).

The Buccaneers unveiled a lengthy injury report for Week 10 vs. Atlanta. Doug Martin is among the most notable players on the list. He was labeled doubtful for Sunday's game with an ankle injury. Alterraun Verner (hamstring) and Anthony Collins (foot) were the only other players deemed doubtful.

The following players were ruled questionable: Lavonte David (knee), Vincent Jackson (foot), Michael Johnson (hand), Austin Seferian-Jenkins (thumb), Charles Sims (ankle), Akeem Spence (hamstring) and Luke Stocker (hip).

Browns running back Terrance West received the bulk of the carries Thursday against the Bengals.

West saw his workload take a step forward last week against the Bucs, and it appears the team could use him more down the stretch. West led the Browns Thursday with 26 carries, 14 more than the next rusher. He was just averaged, picking up 94 yards on the day, but did manage a rushing touchdown. West was not a factor in the receiving game, and was not targeted.

West will take on the Texans Week 11. 

The Browns will utilize a hot hand approach at running back Thursday, according to ESPN.

Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell and Ben Tate are all expected to receive carries during the contest.  It's unclear which player will get the start, though. Last week, West led the way with 15 carries to Tate's 10. Crowell didn't have a catch or a carry despite being active for the contest. 

CBSSports.com Fantasy Football analysts Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard both rank Darren McFadden among their top 30 running backs for Week 10 against Denver, which makes him at least a passable flex option in standard leagues. But in a week with six teams on bye, that's not saying much.

McFadden, of course, hasn't been the most productive back to begin with, only once rushing for even 60 yards in a game, and the Broncos rank No. 1 against the run, allowing 71.6 yards per game. And because they have one of the best offenses in the league and the Raiders one of the worst, they're likely to pull away early, giving the Raiders even more incentive to pass.

Of course, McFadden is a big enough part of the passing game that he could still factor that way, but his chances of putting up big numbers this week appear even slimmer than usual. If you're able to sit him, it's probably a good idea.

Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman had a bad day running the ball Week 9 at New England, picking up 16 yards on 10 carries, but because he scored two touchdowns -- one rushing and one receiving -- his Fantasy owners didn't care much. The performance could make them a little more reluctant to start him Week 10 at Oakland, though, especially with Montee Ball back practicing after missing the last four games with a groin injury.

The matchup is so favorable that you can start Hillman with confidence. The Raiders rank 27th against the run, allowing 132.5 yards per game, and have given up the second-most Fantasy points per game to running backs. And since the Raiders are a poor offensive team, the Broncos should pull away early, making them even more likely to run the ball later in the game.

As for Ball, again, the Broncos may run so much that it won't matter if he returns. He has already said Hillman deserves to remain the starter, though, so he would likely be just a change-of-pace option anyway.

Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard both rank Hillman among their top 10 running backs for Week 10, so that should give you confidence.

Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith said Thursday he expects rookie running back Charles Sims to make his debut Sunday against the Falcons. Sims has been sidelined all season due to an ankle injury, which required surgery prior to the start of the season.

Sims was activated off short-term injured reserve Saturday. However, he was placed on the inactive list for Week 9 at Cleveland.

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin missed a second straight practice Thursday due to a lingering ankle injury, which kept him out Week 9 at Cleveland. The Bucs are preparing to play the Falcons in Week 10.

Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey validated himself again Week 9 at Cleveland, contributing more than 100 total yards of offense as a fill-in for Doug Martin. So with Martin still nursing an ankle injury, Rainey should be in line for similar numbers Week 10 against Atlanta, right?

Not necessarily. See, rumor has it rookie Charles Sims is finally going to be activated after missing the first nine weeks because of ankle surgery. With their starter down for a favorable matchup, why wouldn't the Buccaneers give him a try?

Well, because he'll be playing for the first time ever after rehabilitating a serious injury, and the Buccaneers, as you may have heard, already have a pretty good running back in Rainey. That doesn't mean Sims can't overtake Rainey (and Martin) in time, but I suspect it'll be a gradual thing.

If the Buccaneers fall behind big like they did in their first meeting with the Falcons back in Week 3, every down will be a passing down, and they've always liked using Rainey in those situations (he had seven catches for 64 yards in Week 3). But even if that doesn't happen, Rainey is an advisable play since he should still get the majority of the carries. The Falcons rank 25th against the run, allowing 128.0 yards per game, and have given up the most Fantasy points per game to running backs.