NFL Player News

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.

Vikings second-year wideout Cordarrelle Patterson, who had dealt with a hip flexor strain since Week 5, is not listed on the team's injury report, according to 1500ESPN.com. Patterson has been a big disappointment, catching 19 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown in seven games.

Minnesota visits Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Chargers running back Branden Oliver will once again be the go-to guy in Week 8 against the Broncos Thursday, so what should Fantasy owners expect of him?

After consecutive double-digit Fantasy games, Oliver slowed up a big in Week 7, racking up just 7 points in a standard scoring format. Now he runs into a Broncos defense that is starting to live up to expectations. In consecutive games against the Jets and 49ers, the Broncos have allowed just 3 Fantasy points in each outing, and have not allowed a running back to find the end zone since Week 5.

Opposing backs are averaging just 2.90 yards per carry against the Broncos this season, so Oliver could be in for a tough game. Still, he has a workload few backs can compete with, so continue consider Oliver a solid start.  

The Chargers released their Week 8 injury report for Thursday's game against the Broncos, and running back Donald Brown (concussion), running back Ryan Mathews (knee) and cornerback Brandon Flowers (concussion) were all ruled out. Linebacker Manti Te'o was also ruled out due to a foot injury.

The team also listed linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu (hamstring) as doubtful, and cornerback Jason Verrett (shoulder) and cornerback Steve Williams (groin) as questionable. Four players were listed as probable -- linebacker Kavell Conner (ankle), tackle D.J. Fluker (ankle), linebacker Dwight Freeney (probable) and offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger (back).