NFL Player News

Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman cracked the 100-yard mark for the second time in three games, but was held out of the end zone in a 35-21 victory over the Chargers in Week 7.

Hillman nearly got into the end zone on the opening drive of the second half. He caught a short pass for an 8-yard gain and barely stepped out of bounds at the 3-yard line. Emmanuel Sanders caught his third touchdown of the night a few plays later. Hillman then ripped a 33-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive, only to be wiped out by a holding penalty. His running mate, Juwan Thompson, scored a pair of goal line touchdowns lined up ahead of Hillman as a fullback.

Hillman still had a productive night, rushing for 109 yards on 20 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt. He also caught three of four targets for 29 yards. He has 283 yards on the ground over his first three games since taking over for an injured Montee Ball.

He'll look for his third 100-yard game at New England in Week 9.

Rams running back Benny Cunningham was a late addition to the injury report due to a knee injury. He was a limited participant on Thursday. Cunningham has scored a touchdown in each of his past three games. He caught five passes for 46 yards and a score Week 7.

The Rams will face the Chiefs in Week 8.

Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said the team is looking for one running back to "separate himself," according to ESPN.

Shanahan stressed that he's been happy with the play of Ben Tate, Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West, but added that he would love it if one of them stepped up. "We got a bunch of solid guys who do a good job," Shanahan said. "For one of those to get the bulk of the carries and take off, then that’s up to them. They got to show us they’re ahead of the other guys." 

Shanahan has had a history of riding one primary back in the past. "I’ve never had to rotate a bunch of running backs, because usually I’ve had a running back who’s usually able to separate himself from the others," he said. 

Tate is currently receiving the bulk of the carries for the club, but the team has mixed in Crowell and West frequently. 

As expected, Broncos running back Juwan Thompson was declared active for Thursday night's clash at home against the Chargers. Thompson has been dealing with knee issues since Week 5, and was never in any danger of missing game action. He has 14 carries for 68 yards combined over his previous two games.

The Chargers have made CB Steve Williams, RB Ryan Mathews, CB Brandon Flowers, RB Donald Brown, LB Manti Te'o, LB Jeremiah Attaochu and DE Cordarro Law inactive Week 8 against the Broncos.

Mathews, Flowers, Brown and Te'o had all been ruled out prior to Thursday, so the moves shouldn't come as a surprise. Attaochu was considered doubtful, while Williams was questionable. Law was not listed on the injury report coming into the contest. 

Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson each turned in his best game of the season (or close to it) Week 7 at New England, with Ivory contributing 107 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and Johnson going for 61 yards on 13 carries. Ivory had averaged just 44.4 rushing yards in his previous five games, and Johnson had averaged just 26.4.

You know the number that jumps out to me in all of that? How likely are those two to get a combined 34 carries again? Their previous combined high was 25, and that came way back in Week 2. They managed to keep it close against the Patriots in Week 7, but that won't be the norm for a 1-6 team with Geno Smith at quarterback.

Besides, they host Buffalo in Week 8. The Bills rank fourth against the run, allowing 80.4 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry. They haven't allowed a touchdown on the ground all season.

It was nice to see Ivory and Johnson can still perform well when they get the opportunity, but they won't get the opportunity often and wouldn't be able to make the most of it this week anyway. Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard both rank Ivory among their top 24 running backs for the week, but for me, that's too high.

Thanks to a season-high 80 rushing yards in one game and a rushing touchdown in the other, Raiders running back Darren McFadden has been at least passable in Fantasy the last couple weeks. In Week 8, he has a rare opportunity to be something more than that.

The Raiders are visiting the Browns, who rank dead last against the run, allowing 155.5 yards per game and 5.0 yards per carry. They were responsible for Denard Robinson's breakthrough 127-yard performance in Week 7 and Lorenzo Taliaferro's 91-yard effort that got everyone so excited back in Week 3. The Browns also don't have such an explosive offense that the Raiders will be forced to pass all day.

McFadden has a good enough chance of delivering respectable numbers that you should at least pay him a second thought as a flex option in a standard 12-team league. Both Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard rank him among their top 24 running backs for this week.

Colts running back Trent Richardson was unable to practice Thursday.

Richardson was expected to be back on the practice field, so the move comes as a surprise. Richardson is dealing with a hamstring injury. His status will be determined based on whether he can get out on the practice field Friday. 

Chances are most Doug Martin owners didn't really miss him with the Buccaneers on bye in Week 7. He has yet to rush for more than 45 yards in the four games he's played this season, and he's scored just one touchdown.

But for better or worse, he remains the Buccaneers' go-to running back, and that role keeps him relevant enough in Fantasy that you shouldn't ignore him when he has a favorable matchup. And he has such a matchup Week 8 against Minnesota.

The Vikings rank 19th against the run, allowing 118.1 yards per game, and have surrendered the sixth-most Fantasy points per game to running backs. Like the Buccaneers, their offense is a work in progress with an inexperienced quarterback at the helm, so they may not force the Buccaneers' into catchup mode so early, allowing Martin to get more than his usual dozen or so carries.

You're probably still not excited about starting Martin this week, but if you don't like your other options for the flex spot, he may be your best choice.

You may have been tempted to start Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon in Week 7 after he appeared to wrestle the starting job away from Matt Asiata in Week 6, but a bad matchup coupled with a shortage of information made it too risky to justify in most leagues. But after he once again carried the load with 19 rushes for 103 yards -- and against the Bills, no less -- the time has come to activate McKinnon in Fantasy.

And you couldn't ask for a better matchup for it. In Week 8, the Vikings visit the Buccaneers, who rank 25th against the run, allowing 128.3 yards per game. Prior to their bye in Week 7, they gave up 172 yards to the Ravens' trio of Justin Forsett, Bernard Pierce and Lorenzo Taliaferro in Week 6 and 124 yards to the Saints' duo of Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas in Week 5. Not exactly household names there.

McKinnon might have more potential than all of them, if only because he has the role mostly to himself. Of course, you'd like to see the Vikings put him in a position to score, but the yardage potential alone makes him worth starting in all Fantasy leagues. Keep in mind the Buccaneers have surrendered the fourth-most Fantasy points per game to running backs this season.