NFL Player News

Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson had just two catches Thursday against the Packers.

Patterson finished with just 8 yards on the day. He had some injury issues in the third quarter. After hauling in a 6 yard pass, Patterson left the field limping. He was considered questionable to return due to a hip injury. Though Patterson was able to return on the next drive, he didn't see much playing time the rest of the night. It's unclear if his injury flared up, or if the team wanted to sit him during the blowout.

Patterson will look for more Week 6 against the Lions. 

Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon was limited Thursday against the Packers.

McKinnon picked up 24 yards on seven carries during the contest. He averaged just 3.4 yards per carry. McKinnon was outshined by his running mate Matt Asiata. Asiata averaged 4.8 yards per carry on 15 attempts. The Vikings fell behind pretty early, meaning the team had to abandon the run game. McKinnon did play a role as a receiver, catching three balls for 22 yards. 

McKinnon will look for more Week 6 against the Lions. 

Vikings running back Matt Asiata had an average start during the team's blowout Thursday.

Asiata only had 15 carries, but picked up 72 yards. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry during the start. Asiata was also targeted three times in the passing game, but failed to come up with any catches. The Vikings fell behind fairly early, meaning Asiata couldn't get a lot of work during the game. Asiata received just three carries after halftime. Asiata also lost a fumble during the contest, but was not benched despite the turnover.

Asiata will take on the Lions Week 6. 

Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson returned to action Thursday against the Packers.

Patterson initially left after injuring his hip in the third quarter. He was able to return for the team's next drive, and only missed three offensive plays. Patterson has two receptions for 8 yards. 

Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson is questionable to return to Thursday's game against the Packers.

Patterson caught a 6 yard pass in the third quarter, and limped off the field. He was ruled questionable with a hip injury. Patterson had two receptions for 8 yards before leaving the contest. 

The Vikings will have all but one player listed as probable Week 5 against the Packers.

Jerome Felton, Michael Mauti, Jerick McKinnon, Captain Munnerlyn, Josh Robinson and Rodney Smith will all give it a go Thursday.

McKinnon is expected to see time at running back behind Matt Asiata. He entered the week with an ankle injury, but will play through it. 

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington was limited in practice Wednesday.

Ellington has been dealing with a foot injury all year, but has managed to play through it. With the team on a bye last week, Ellington should be a bit healthier entering Week 5. 

Prior to Week 4, you probably weren't the least bit excited about starting Trent Richardson in Fantasy. But then he scored a touchdown, which, combined with an uncharacteristic 52 receiving yards, led to a 15-point showing in standard CBSSports.com leagues.

But here's what he still didn't do against the Titans: run the ball effectively, which is saying something considering they rank 22nd against the run, allowing 127.0 yards per game. On a daring 20 carries, Richardson picked up only 47 yards for an average of 2.4 yards per carry.

I don't see him doing any better against the Ravens in Week 7. They rank seventh against the run, allowing 82.5 yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry.

No one can predict whether or not Richardson will get a carry at the goal line -- for some reason, the Colts keep going back to him -- but if he doesn't, just like the first three weeks, you won't like what he does for your Fantasy team.

At the Fantasy Football Today blog, we took a look at the most-dropped players in CBSSports.com leagues.

The five most-dropped players are Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins and tight end Niles Paul, Chargers running back Donald Brown, Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams and Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey. 

You probably won't regret dropping Williams or Paul given their injuries, and Cousins' next few matchups will probably bring out more bad habits. However, if Brown is available in your league (as he is in 19 percent of leagues), you might want to snatch him. He has a tough matchup in Week 5, but we think he can run all over the Raiders in Week 6. 

Making sense of the Ravens backfield is going to be a chore for the next few weeks, especially since we assume Bernard Pierce will return to the field at some point in Week 5 against the Colts. How should Fantasy owners view Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro heading into this weekend's matchup?

Dave Richard and Jamey Eisenberg are in agreement that Justin Forsett is the guy to own and start this weekend, with both ranking him among the top-21 for running backs in Week 5. Dave is higher on Taliaferro than Jamey, ranking him 24th, just behind Forsett; Jamey has him at 31.

Neither has Pierce ranked this week, as his role is a total mystery. Pierce was active but didn't see the field in Week 4, and we aren't sure how much he is expected to play Sunday. Even if you are desperate, there have to be better options on your roster with just two teams on bye.