NFL Player News

Darren McFadden's performance Week 6 against San Diego was notable. Not only did he again stave off Maurice Jones-Drew, who played only 25 percent of the snaps in his second game back from minor hand surgery and carried only four times, but McFadden also ran for a season-high 80 yards against a defense that ranks ninth against the run.

McFadden hasn't exactly been a workhorse for the Raiders, but for the season he's averaging 3.9 yards per carry. He has been good enough to keep getting chances.

So does he deserve a second chance (or third or fourth) in Fantasy? That might be going a bit far. Given McFadden's injury history, the Raiders may never trust him to carry a full load and may gradually increase Jones-Drew's carries as he works his way back into form. Also, a big reason McFadden didn't get more carries in Jones-Drew's absence is because the 0-5 Raiders were so often playing from behind. That doesn't figure to change.

McFadden deserves to be owned in Fantasy because the opportunity is there for him to exceed expectations, but as things stand now, you probably shouldn't start him except as a bye-week replacement.

Zac Stacy's Fantasy value took another hit in Week 6 with the emergence of Tre Mason, who was active for the first time against the 49ers. Though the rookie played only about one-third of the snaps Stacy played and just 12 percent of the team's overall, he led the team in rushing, gaining 40 yards on five carries. The first run of his career, a 24-yard scamper in the first quarter, was longer than any of Stacy's 61 this season.

Of course, the Rams running back who saw the most action, playing 51 percent of the team's snaps, was Benny Cunningham, who had a modest showing, rushing seven times for 21 yards and a touchdown and catching two passes for 12 yards. Stacy actually led the Rams in carries with eight, but for only 17 yards.

Hoping to make sense of it? Good luck. The Rams' backfield is becoming a mess on par with the Saints' -- except in this case, you can't be completely sure any of the players are actually good.

I can say that Stacy didn't get a single touch after the 49ers took the lead in the second quarter, so the Rams may not think he's as suited for comeback mode as Cunningham. The problem is they don't figure to be leading many games.

I'm not ready to cut Stacy yet, but he's looking like a sit in Fantasy. Cunningham might be the preferred start, but he's a low-end one at that. Mason, the change-of-pace guy, can remain on waivers for now.

Jaguars rookie running back Storm Johnson was never supposed to get more than 10 carries in his first start Sunday at Tennessee. Coach Gus Bradley told the Florida Times-Union that "our whole intent was to get Storm 10 carries and he got 10 carries." Johnson ran for 21 yards and a touchdown.

Running back Toby Gerhart missed the game with a foot injury. He'll be evaluated Wednesday.

Cowboys backup running back Joseph Randle was arrested Monday and charged with shoplifting about $80 worth of cologne and $40 in underwear from a Dillard's in Frisco, Tex., police told CBS 11 in Dallas/Forth Worth. The theft charge is a Class B misdemeanor.

Rams running back Benny Cunningham ran seven times for 21 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and caught both his targets for 12 yards in the loss to the 49ers. Cunningham scored for the second straight week.

He'll play the Seahawks in Week 7.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer seemed pleased Monday with rookie running back Jerick McKinnon, who made his first career start Week 6 vs. Detroit. McKinnon totaled 82 yards (40 rushing) in the 17-3 loss.

"Another bright spot I thought was Jerick McKinnon," Zimmer said during his Monday press conference, per the team's official website. "He does some things where he gets in space and he makes a lot of people miss. He has some explosiveness about him offensively and that’s a good thing."

Though, Zimmer did stop short of naming McKinnon the team's starting running back.

"I thought Jerick did a good job this week, so we will just continue to see where it’s at," Zimmer said.

Expected to carry the load from the outset this time, Chargers running back Branden Oliver delivered his second straight 100-yard rushing effort Week 6 at Oakland, following his up his out-of-nowhere breakout Week 5 against the Jets. He scored a touchdown, his third in two games, and again factored in the passing game with four catches for 23 yards.

Nice find for your Fantasy team, right? The question is how long will it continue?

Ryan Mathews, who has been out since Week 3 with a sprained right knee, will probably miss at least one more game, but after that, all bets are off. He has durability issues and is probably better suited for a platoon role, but given his history, you have to think he'll overtake Oliver as the primary back when he's ready to return. And even if the two split carries in some form or fashion, Oliver won't be as valuable as he is now.

Just something to keep in mind as we head into Week 7. For now, plan to start Oliver again against Kansas City.

Though Ben Tate continued to establish himself as the Browns' workhorse Week 6 against Pittsburgh, rushing 25 times for 78 yards and his first two touchdowns of the season, he didn't go it alone. In fact, Isaiah Crowell, one of the two rookie running backs to fill in for him when he missed Weeks 2 and 3 with a knee injury, had nearly as many yards (77) on less than half as many carries (11). Terrance West, the other rookie running back who was actually considered the higher-profile of the two coming into the year, was inactive for the game.

So does that mean Crowell is the better handcuff for Tate? It's not so clear. The two got about the same number of carries in Week 5, but West did more with his.

We'll see if West becomes a regular on the inactives list, but in the meantime, I wouldn't stress too much about finding a handcuff for Tate. The good news is he's gotten more than 20 carries in back-to-back games since returning from injury and looks like he's going to be a regular enough part of the offense to start every week in Fantasy.

After Stevan Ridley departed in the third quarter with what's feared to be a torn ACL, the Patriots turned to Brandon Bolden as their primary ball carrier Week 6 at Buffalo. He picked up just 10 yards on six carries, but Ridley himself wasn't much better against a Bills defense that entered the day ranked second against the run, picking up just 23 yards on 10 carries.

Obviously, the Patriots also have Shane Vereen to share the workload, but he's always been more of a receiver out of the backfield. If Ridley does miss significant time, the Patriots will need somebody to pick up the tough yards, and that somebody figures to be Bolden.

So does that make him a player to add in Fantasy? He's gotten double-digit carries only three times in his career, but he averaged 5.8 yards per carry in those three games. He had 137 yards on a career-high 16 carries back in 2012.

Of course, he's no Ridley, and Ridley himself had become a frustration to Fantasy owners with the Patriots not always so committed to the run game. So if Ridley's injury ends up being not as serious, maybe you add Bolden only if you have a real need at running back. But otherwise, he's a must-add.

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington rushed for 67 yards on 19 carries while adding 26 yards on six receptions in his team's 30-20 win over Washington in Week 6.

Ellington picked up 18 yards on a carry early in the first quarter but couldn't manage to break through with a big play, a problem that has plagued him for much of the season, last week's 81-yard touchdown reception notwithstanding. He's averaged 3.5 yards per carry or fewer in each of his last three games. Ellington will be looking to turn things around against the Raiders next week.