NFL Player News

Dillon (thumb) is active for Sunday's game in Carolina, Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site reports.

Dillon will put an end to a one-game absence due to a broken right thumb, but the primary reason he missed last Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers in the first place was ball-security issues. The Packers appear to believe it won't be a problem for Dillon this weekend as he rejoins Aaron Jones (knee/finger) in the team's backfield. In the seven games (Weeks 1, 4 and 7-11) in which both running backs have been available this season, Dillon has racked up 71 carries for 241 yards, 15 catches (on 19 targets) for 138 yards and no touchdowns.

Mattison (ankle) is active for Sunday's game against the Lions.

Coming off his first absence of the season in the Vikings' Week 15 overtime loss to the Bengals, Mattison turned in just one limited practice this week, but the coaching and training staffs apparently came away encouraged enough with his health to give him the green light to play Saturday. However, Mattison likely isn't close to 100 percent healthy and could be in store for a smaller role than usual out of the backfield, as Ty Chandler is expected to serve as the team's lead back, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Head coach Kevin O'Connell hasn't outlined his plans for the backfield beyond Week 16, though he suggested earlier in the week that Chandler could have an opportunity to stake his claim to the No. 1 role beyond Sunday's game. Chandler broke out for the best performance by a Minnesota running back all season in last week's loss to Cincinnati, finishing with 132 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries to go with three catches for 25 yards on four targets. Mattison, meanwhile, is averaging a middling 3.9 yards per carry and hasn't found the end zone on 168 carries through 13 appearances.

Walker (shoulder) is active for Sunday's game at Tennessee.

The second half of Walker's 2023 season has been characterized by injuries, with the current shoulder issue capping the second-year running back to one limited session (Friday) during Week 16 prep. Nevertheless, coach Pete Carroll told Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic on Friday that Walker would play Sunday, and Adam Schefter of ESPN mimicked that sentiment via a report late Saturday. Now that Walker's status has been confirmed, there's a good chance he handles a similar workload to last Monday's win against the Eagles, when he parlayed a 56 percent snap share into 22 touches for 112 yards from scrimmage and a rushing TD. Meanwhile, reserve RB Zach Charbonnet logged 44 percent of snaps into four carries for 16 yards in that contest.

Mattison (ankle), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions, is expected to play, but he may be less than 100 percent healthy, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

After sitting out the Vikings' 27-24 overtime loss to the Bengals in Week 15 due to a sprained right ankle, Mattison has put himself in position to play Sunday after he was able to return to practice Friday as a limited participant. When active this season, Mattison has typically paced the Vikings in snaps and touches out of the backfield, but Pelissero suggests that the 25-year-old will likely find himself in a supporting role Sunday while Ty Chandler gets another chance to lead the backfield after producing 157 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 26 touches in Week 15. Head coach Kevin O'Connell intimated earlier in the week that Chandler had likely earned himself another opportunity as the lead back, and O'Connell even seemed to leave the door open for Chandler sticking atop the depth chart once Mattison is closer to 100 percent healthy. How both Chandler and Mattison perform Sunday could have significant sway in how the running-back depth chart shakes out for Weeks 17 and 18.

Foreman (personal), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, isn't expected to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Foreman returned to practice as a limited participant after missing Thursday's session due to a personal matter, but despite not being listed with any health-related issue, the veteran running back isn't expected to suit up against Arizona. His expected absence provides a clearer path to Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson to dominate Chicago's backfield opportunities. Official word on Foreman's status will arrive with the release of the Bears' inactive list 90 minutes ahead of Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.

Walker (shoulder), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest against the Titans, is trending toward playing, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Head coach Pete Carroll echoed a similar sentiment about Walker's status following Friday's practice, which marked the running back's lone on-field work during Week 16 prep. More concerning for Walker's fantasy managers than his health is a difficult matchup against Tennessee's rugged run defense, although that unit may take a step back due to the absence of star lineman Jeffery Simmons (knee), who was placed on injured reserve Saturday. Official confirmation regarding Walker's availability will arrive when Seattle releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

Cook rushed the ball 20 times for 70 yards in Saturday's 24-22 win over the Chargers. He also lost a fumble and was not targeted.

On the surface, Cook's stat line isn't all that concerning as he continued to dominate work out of the Buffalo backfield. However, he saw zero targets for only the second time this season and for the first time since Week 6. Cook also lost out on red-zone work to both Leonard Fournette and Josh Allen on two separate drives, a concerning trend for his potential to score touchdowns in the final two weeks of the regular season, though it's worth noting that Cook hasn't always been used as a clear goal-line back this season and the Bills have looked to several different players from in close all season, including backup Latavius Murray. Cook will still have a safe floor as Buffalo's lead back, but it will be difficult for him to replicate his stellar recent performances with the usage that he saw in Saturday's win. His fumbling issues also merit watching, as he had one key turnover Saturday and almost lost another one earlier in the contest.

Ekeler rushed 15 times for 63 yards and caught three of four targets for 21 yards in Saturday's 24-22 loss to the Bills.

Ekeler saw his role reduced to single-digit touches in last week's loss to the Raiders, but his role was quickly restored by interim head coach Giff Smith on Saturday after Brandon Staley was let go last week. Ekeler responded with one of his better performances in what has been a down year affected by injury. The 28-year-old finished with a per-carry average above 4.0 yards for just the third time in 11 attempts since returning from a high-ankle sprain back in Week 6. Two of the three have come over the star tailback's last three contests, which could be the product of his ankle returning to full health in recent weeks. Ekeler's improved play coupled with a high touch count make him a plus fantasy play next Sunday against Denver.

Warren rushed eight times for 24 yards and caught five of six targets for 30 yards in Saturday's 34-11 win over the Bengals.

Najee Harris worked as Pittsburgh's primary option on the ground, rushing 19 times for 78 yards and a touchdown, but Warren caught five passes for a second consecutive game while Harris went without a target Saturday. Warren has reached 50 rushing yards only five times in 15 games, but his steady involvement as a pass catcher gives Warren a respectable PPR floor for a Week 17 matchup with the Seahawks.

Harris rushed 19 times for 78 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 34-11 win over the Bengals. He wasn't targeted in the passing game.

Harris powered in a three-yard touchdown in the second quarter, raising his season rushing touchdown total to five. He had a season-high 99 rushing yards and scored against the Bengals back in Week 12, so two of Harris' three highest yardage totals on the ground this season have come against the Bengals. Harris is averaging only 3.7 yards per carry against opponents other than Cincinnati, but he continues to handle the majority of rushing opportunities in Pittsburgh's backfield over Jaylen Warren (eight carries Saturday) heading into a Week 17 trip to Seattle.