NFL Player News
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Raheem Mostert RB | LV
Dolphins' Raheem Mostert: Scores league-leading 21st TD
Mostert (ankle/knee) had 11 carries for 46 yards and caught his only target for a four-yard touchdown in Sunday's 22-20 win over the Cowboys.
Mostert's short score at the end of the first half wound up being Miami's only touchdown as the juggernaut offense uncharacteristically struggled in the red zone against Dallas. It was the veteran tailback's 21st touchdown of the season, temporarily putting him ahead of Christian McCaffrey for the league lead, with the latter still having yet to play in Week 16. Mostert ceded seven carries to De'Von Achane (7-24-0), but the former is the preferred fantasy option heading into next Sunday's tilt against Baltimore.
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Jahmyr Gibbs RB | DET
Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs: Keeps finding pay dirt
Gibbs rushed 15 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns while catching four of seven targets for 20 yards during Sunday's 30-24 win over the Vikings.
Christmas again came early for Gibbs' fantasy investors, with the rookie posting at least 100 total yards and two total touchdowns in consecutive games to open the fantasy playoffs. He didn't even need a full workload to accomplish the feat, as David Montgomery handled the first seven rushing attempts of the game and 17 carries in total. Instead, Gibbs came in after Montgomery started wearing Minnesota down and beat the defense with his speed, not only by darting for a 14-yard touchdown run in the first half but also by dusting the Vikings defense for a near touchdown on 4th-and-1 in the fourth quarter. Now joining Barry Sanders and Billy Sims as the only Lions players to post at least 1,000 total yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie, Gibbs will look to remain productive in a challenging Week 17 showdown with the Cowboys.
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Travis Etienne RB | NO
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Held to 31 yards on nine touches
Etienne rushed six times for 12 yards and caught all three of his targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 30-12 loss to the Buccaneers.
Etienne saw his touch count decrease for the third week in a row, but this time it was due to an undesirable game script that had the Jaguars starting the second half down 20-0. The Clemson product didn't help the situation when given opportunities, finishing with a per-carry average well below 4.0 yards for the fourth time over his last five starts. Etienne's fantasy value is heavily tied to his usage, and his recent decline in touches makes him a riskier play than usual against Carolina on Dec. 31.
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Ty Chandler RB | NO
Vikings' Ty Chandler: Touchdown salvages down game
Chandler had eight carries for 17 yards and a touchdown and was not targeted as a receiver in Sunday's 30-24 loss to Detroit.
The North Carolina product stuck as Minnesota's starter even with previous starter Alexander Mattison (ankle) active Sunday. Chandler was unable to reproduce last week's massive 157-yard performance, but he did score his second rushing touchdown in as many weeks. Mattison wound up losing a yard on his two rushing attempts as the Vikings featured a pass-heavy gameplan against the Lions. Given that the latter was being eased back from injury, there is a chance the backs work in more of a split against the Packers on Dec. 31.
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Alexander Mattison RB | MIA
Vikings' Alexander Mattison: Sparse usage in return
Mattison had two carries for minus-1 yard during Sunday's 30-24 defeat to the Lions.
In a game in which the Vikings were in catch-up mode from the outset, the offense led by quarterback Nick Mullens leaned toward the air and not the ground, resulting in 36 pass attempts and just 11 rushes. Fellow running back Ty Chandler handled eight of those carries, and the only member of the backfield to receive a target was FB C.J. Ham, despite WR Jordan Addison (ankle) and TE T.J. Hockenson (knee) leaving the contest with injuries. According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, there was an expectation that Mattison would be the second RB behind Chandler in the former's return from a one-game absence due to a sprained right ankle, and Mattison's upcoming activity level during Week 17 prep may give a sense of how much work he'll be able to handle Sunday, Dec. 31 against the Packers.
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Devin Singletary RB | NYG
Texans' Devin Singletary: Limited workload in Week 16 loss
Singletary carried the ball nine times for 44 yards and caught all three of his targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 36-22 loss to the Browns.
The running back was effective on the ground once again, with his longest gain going for 17 yards, but Singletary's workload dwindled as the game got away from the Texans. Since his breakout performance in Week 10, Singletary has amassed 689 scrimmage yards in seven games with three rushing TDs and a 4.8 yards per carry average. He should be more involved in Week 17 against the Titans.
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Tyjae Spears RB | TEN
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Earns 14 touches in Week 16
Spears notched nine carries for 40 yards and five catches (on six targets) for 27 yards during Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Seahawks.
The Titans have incorporated the rookie third-round pick more in the offense in the last three contests, as he has earned at least 10 touches on each occasion. The trend continued Sunday, and the current four-game stretch has yielded 174 yards on the ground and 136 yards through the air on 57 touches. Tennessee's lead runner Derrick Henry got back into a groove Sunday, though, with 20 touches for 99 yards from scrimmage and one rushing TD, so Spears seemingly will be capped in the lower teens in terms of touches down the stretch. In any case, Spears will look to keep it up Sunday, Dec. 31 at Houston.
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Kareem Hunt RB | KC
Browns' Kareem Hunt: Scores TD in Week 16 win
Hunt carried the ball seven times for 11 yards and a touchdown and caught two of four targets for five yards in Sunday's 38-22 win over the Texans.
The veteran RB continues to see usage in the red zone as he scored his eighth touchdown in the last 11 games, but Hunt has gained more than 50 rushing yards only once during that stretch and has seen his targets dwindle as he works behind Jerome Ford. Even with Joe Flacco sparking the passing attack to life over the last month, the Browns' running game hasn't really benefitted, which will make Hunt a risky fantasy option in Week 17 against the Jets.
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Jerome Ford RB | WAS
Browns' Jerome Ford: Finds end zone in Houston
Ford carried the ball 15 times for 25 yards and a touchdown and caught one of two targets for minus-2 yards in Sunday's 36-22 win over the Texans.
The running back opened the scoring early in the first quarter with a four-yard run, but Ford didn't make much impact after that as the Browns' offense turned into the Amari Cooper Show, with the wideout setting a franchise record with 265 receiving yards. It was Ford's first rushing TD since Week 11 and his seventh touchdown of the season in total, and the second-year year back sits just 21 scrimmage yards shy of 1,000 for the campaign heading into a Week 17 clash with the Jets.