NFL Player News

The Chargers' Ryan Mathews enters Week 17 as the No. 13 Fantasy running back. As the 26th running back selected on average, he's severely outpaced expectations.

Mathews is dealing with an ankle injury but is expected to play in Sunday's must-win game against the Chiefs. He's averaged 110 rushing yards over his last three games, scoring in each.

In Week 12 at Kansas City, Mathews ran 14 times for 55 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 10 yards. Mathews is almost guaranteed to put up better numbers this time, assuming he's healthy. His workload has increased dramatically since the first meeting, and he'll be facing a watered-down Chiefs' defense.

Kansas City cannot change its playoff seeding; coach Andy Reid indicated he might remove his starters early. Roll with Mathews as a top-5 play.

Chiefs rookie running back Knile Davis spent 2013 on multitudes of Fantasy rosters as a mandatory handcuff to superstar Jamaal Charles. In Week 17, Davis is worth a start.

Coach Andy Reid isn't going to put Charles at risk, not with the Chiefs locked in as the No. 5 seed. Thus Davis could see 15-20 touches. Davis is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry on 43 totes. But he's scored three touchdowns, one on a kickoff return, and has caught nine passes for 70 yards.

Reid told the Kansas City Star this month that coaches are confident in Davis. "I just think it's a matter of reps under his belt and production," Reid said. "It's getting used to the NFL, protections in particular. I think everybody's got quite a bit of trust in him to go out there and do a good job."

Play Davis as a low-end RB2 or high-end flex Sunday. CBSSports.com senior Fantasy experts Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard rank Davis 24th and 28th respectively among running backs.

Patriots running back Shane Vereen, who left the win over Baltimore with a groin injury, participated in Tuesday's walkthrough, reports ESPN.com. It's a positive sign for Vereen heading into Week 17 vs. Buffalo.

New England will practice Thursday and Friday.

Chargers running back Ryan Mathews (ankle) is expected to be fine for Week 17 vs. the Chiefs, reports ESPN.com. Coach Mike McCoy noted Mathews was able to return from his injury in Sunday's win over Oakland.

“We're not going to just put him back into the game to put him in the game,” McCoy said, per the website. “So we make those decisions as the game goes along. If the medical staff says he's fine to play, he's going to play, just like every other player on our team."

Mathews wore a protective boot after the game. 

Falcons running back Jacquizz Rodgers exited the game at San Francisco in the fourth quarter after suffering a concussion. Rodgers ran three times for 10 yards and caught three passes for 15 yards before leaving.

Chargers coach Mike McCoy did not provide an update Monday on running back Ryan Mathews, who left Sunday's game vs. Oakland with an ankle injury before returning. Afterward, Mathews was seen wearing a protective boot.

Mathews carried 24 times before the injury, once afterward. He's rushed for a career-high 1,111 yards this season.

A few Ravens made small offensive contributions Week 16. Tight ends Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson each finished the game with four grabs. Pitta had 34 yards while Dickson had 44 yards.

Wide receiver Marlon Brown also chipped in with four receptions for 51 yards on seven targets. Vonta Leach had one catch for 1 yard. Running back Bernard Pierce rushed for 31 yards on 10 carries and caught three of his five targets for 27 yards. Bernard Scott had two carries for 11 yards and one catch for 2 yards. Tandon Doss was targeted once but held without a grab in a 41-7 defeat.

Vikings fullback Rhett Ellison and running Joe Banyard both made small contributions on offense Week 16 at Cincinnati. Ellison had two catches for 22 yards, and Banyard had one for 11.

Ellison's only other two catches this year came Week 12 against the Packers. Banyard hadn't recorded a catch all season.

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington, who had 158 total yards his last time out, worked past a thigh injury and was held under 65 yards on the ground during Sunday's win at Seattle in Week 16.

Ellington broke for a 26-yard run in the first quarter for his longest gain of the afternoon. He shared the load with Rashard Mendenhall and finished the game with 15 carries for 64 yards (4.3 yards per carry). He also caught two of his three targets for 8 yards in a 17-10 victory.

Ellington will try to get back on track in Week 17 against the 49ers. He rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown his last time out against the 49ers this season.

The Patriots got several offensive contributions in their win over Baltimore. Among them, running back Brandon Bolden caught two passes for 16 yards and had a 6-yard run. Wideout Aaron Dobson hauled in one of four targets for 21 yards.

Tight end Michael Hoomanawanui added a 9-yard reception. They'll all face the Bills in Week 17.