NFL Player News

The Ravens announced Tuesday they signed wide receiver Deonte Thompson, who was waived Saturday. To clear a roster sport, running back Fitzgerald Toussaint was waived.

Texans running back Jonathan Grimes saw a significant increase in his role in Week 3 with Arian Foster out, but it hardly translated to Fantasy production.

Grimes came off the bench behind Alfred Blue but played 40 percent of the team's snaps in the 30-17 loss to the Giants. Unfortunately, Grimes was used almost exclusively in passing downs and ended up touching the ball just twice. He had one carry for 5 yards and was only targeted once in the passing game as well.

If Foster is forced to miss more time, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Grimes get more of a look than he did Sunday. However, he seems to be viewed as a third-down back in Houston, leaving him on the fringes of Fantasy relevance at this point. 

Jets running back Chris Johnson carried 10 times for 34 yards and did not catch either of his targets in Monday's loss to the Bears. Through three games, Johnson is averaging 3.5 yards per carry.

He'll face the Lions in Week 4.

Several Bears contributed to Monday night's win over the Jets. Among them, wideout Santonio Holmes caught two of three targets for 9 yards. Tight end Dante Rosario had an 8-yard reception and running back Ka'Deem Carey carried once for no gain.

Jets running back Chris Johnson, who was probable with an ankle injury, is active as expected for Monday's game against the Bears.

Browns coach Mike Pettine said rookies Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell have "made it tougher" for the team reinsert Ben Tate as the starting running back when he returns from his knee injury following the Week 4 bye, reports the Akron Beacon Journal. West and Crowell each ran for a touchdown in the Week 3 loss to the Ravens.

West is averaging 4.3 yards per carry with two scores, and Crowell 5.2 yards per carry with three scores.

Cleveland doesn't play again until visiting Tennessee on Oct. 5.

The Rams put a scare into Fantasy owner's hearts when Benny Cunningham got the start in the third preseason warmup game, but coaches were quick to stand by Zac Stacy as the team's lead back. After three games, the numbers back that up, but Stacy's hold on the role is clearly more tenuous than we might have thought even a month ago.

For the second time in three games, Stacy basically split the workload with Cunningham in Week 3. Stacy and Cunningham both played 34 of the team's 76, similar to Week 1, when Cunningham actually played one more snap. The overall season workload is skewed in Stacy's favor thanks to a 40-18 split in Week 2, but it's pretty clear these two are in a timeshare.

Stacy has been able to hold off Cunningham by just flat outworking him so far, averaging 4.3 yards per carry to Cunningham's 3.3. Stacy has also been more effective in the passing game, though it is concerning that Cunningham is still encroaching on his playing time with those edges.

At this point, both players need to be owned in all Fantasy leagues, as long as the team splits their time so evenly. However, until Stacy either pushed Cunningham out of the picture or abdicates the role, neither will be a particularly reliable Fantasy option.  

Teddy Bridgewater did not elicit as much excitement coming out of college as his fellow draft peers, and his NFL debut Sunday against the Saints reflected that. While Blake Bortles was tossing two touchdowns -- and two interceptions -- and Johnny Manziel was being used as a wide receiver on trick plays, Bridgewater came in did a solid, unspectacular job for the Vikings after Matt Cassel's injury Sunday.

Bridgewater put together a professional performance, though he didn't give the team enough to mount a comeback in the 20-9 loss. He completed 12 of 20 passes for 150 yards and added 27 on six carries, without recording a touchdown or turnover.

Bridgewater was not asked to do much, but he has plenty of weapons in this Minnesota offense, so that should change moving forward as he gets more comfortable. He targeted six players Sunday, and a breakdown of that could give Fantasy owners an idea of how he might spread the ball around moving forward:

Greg Jennings: six targets, four receptions; Cordarrelle Patterson: three targets, three receptions; Jerick McKinnon: five targets, two receptions; Matt Asiata: four targets, two receptions; Kyle Rudolph: one target, one reception; Rhett Ellison: one target, no receptions

For the first time all season, Trent Richardson saw the field more than Ahmad Bradshaw in Week 3 against the Jaguars, according to StampedeBlue.com, a Colts blog.

Richardson has shown signs of life over the last few games, and the team rewarded him with 38 of the team's 74 offensive plays. Bradshaw, on the other hand, was limited to just 25 snaps, despite averaging more yards per rush and reception. Entering Week 3, Bradshaw had played 29 more snaps than Richardson through the first two games.

The Colts are heavily invested in Richardson finding his way, and if Sunday's game is any reflection, the team is starting to reflect that in the workload. Keep an eye on this moving forward, Fantasy owners.  

With do-everything running back Danny Woodhead reportedly out for an extensive period of time, the Chargers find themselves looking to plug some major holes in the backfield. Though Donald Brown did a serviceable Ryan Mathews impression while carrying a truly massive load in Week 3 against the Bills, Woodhead's absence leaves the team searching for another dimension.

Among the players on the depth chart, neither Brown nor reserve Branden Oliver seems likely to replicate Woodhead's skillset -- few players in the NFL can. Brown's career-high in receptions came a year ago, when he hauled in 27 passes for the Colts -- that's about four good games of work from Woodhead. Oiliver is likely to see a larger role than the three carries he received in Week 3, and he might be the nearest thing the team has to what Woodhead leaves behind. 

Oliver had just 25 receptions as a senior at the University of Buffalo, but was a much more productive receiver earlier in his career. He hauled in 38 passes for 365 yards as a sophomore in 2011, good for third on the team in both categories, so he has some skills as a receiver.

With just three carries and no receptions under his belt in his NFL career, Oliver is very much an unknown quantity at this point. You won't want to rush out and add him this week, but keep an eye on how the team utilizes him in Week 4 against the Jaguars, a matchup which could get him plenty of work.