NFL Player News
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Jeremy McNichols RB | WAS
Commanders' Jeremy McNichols: Eight touches vs. Denver
McNichols rushed six times for 30 yards and caught both of his targets for zero yards in Sunday night's 27-26 overtime loss to the Broncos.
The 29-year-old's eight touches were the most he's received in a single game this season, playing behind Chris Rodriguez (11 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown) but ahead of Jacory Croskey-Merritt (four carries for 20 yards). McNichols' role in Washington's backfield has grown over the last three games, during which he's logged 15 carries for 68 yards and caught all five of his targets for 20 yards. He's likely to operate as the Commander's top pass-catching back in the Week 14 matchup against the Vikings.
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Kaleb Johnson RB | PIT
Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Two carries in Week 13
Johnson rushed twice for three yards during Sunday's 26-7 loss to Buffalo.
Johnson didn't take the field during last week's loss to Chicago, and he played just three offensive snaps during Sunday's Week 13 matchup. The Steelers have continued to deploy Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell as their top two running backs, and Johnson is unlikely to have a fantasy-relevant role late in the year as long as those two remain healthy. Johnson has appeared in just eight games this season, rushing 24 times for 61 yards while securing one of two targets for nine yards.
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Tank Bigsby RB | PHI
Eagles' Tank Bigsby: Logs one offensive snap Friday
Bigsby didn't record a touch while playing just one of Philadelphia's 53 offensive snaps in Friday's 24-15 loss to the Bears.
Bigsby had received at least one carry in each of the Eagles' last five games prior to Friday's loss. The negative game script likely factored into his lack of playing time, as Philadelphia turned to a pass-catching back in Will Shipley when spelling Saquon Barkley while trailing for nearly the entire game. Despite limited usage, Bisgby has been incredibly efficient in his 11 games with the Eagles, averaging 9.1 yards per carry on just 18 rush attempts. However, he'll likely remain a minimal portion of the team's offensive game plan in the Week 14 matchup against the Chargers.
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Will Shipley RB | PHI
Eagles' Will Shipley: Minimal impact in Week 14
Shipley caught his lone target for 11 yards while playing four of the Eagles' 53 offensive snaps in Friday's 24-15 loss to the Bears.
The Clemson product received his first offensive touch since the Eagles' Week 10 win over the Packers and played ahead of Tank Bigsby (no touches on just one offensive snap) during Friday's loss, suggesting he may be emerging as the team's No. 2 running back. Shipley has now appeared in 10 games this season, recording 84 total yards on 16 touches while also accumulating 520 kick-return yards. He's likely to remain a minor factor in Philadelphia's offense in the Week 14 matchup against the Chargers.
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Jaleel McLaughlin RB | DEN
Broncos' Jaleel McLaughlin: Seven touches in OT win
McLaughlin rushed six times for 24 yards and caught his lone target for six yards in Sunday's 27-26 overtime win over the Commanders.
McLaughlin played 13 of Denver's 70 offensive snaps Sunday, his highest snap count of the season but the lowest total of any Broncos running back in the contest. Meanwhile, starter RJ Harvey and Tyler Badie played ahead of the 25-year-old McLaughlin, seeing the field for 33 and 18 offensive snaps, respectively. McLaughlin rushed six times and recorded one reception for the second straight game, and with such limited usage, he is unlikely to present much fantasy value most weeks. The Youngstown State product serves as a solid insurance policy behind Harvey but should not be trusted in fantasy lineups in Week 14 when the Broncos visit the Raiders.
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Jacory Croskey-Merritt RB | WAS
Commanders' Jacory Croskey-Merritt: Plays just 13 snaps in SNF loss
Croskey-Merrit gained 20 yards on four carries in the Commanders' 27-26 overtime loss to the Broncos on Sunday night.
The rookie running back has fallen behind Chris Rodriguez as the Commanders' preferred early-down running back, as Croskey-Merrit was out-snapped 37 to 13 by Rodriguez, who carried the ball 11 times for 41 yards and one touchdown. Both backs played fewer snaps than Jeremy McNichols, who produced six carries for 30 yards and two catches for zero yards on 44 offensive snaps. Stuck in a three-man committee, Croskey-Merrit can't be trusted in fantasy lineups.
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Jerome Ford RB | CLE
Browns' Jerome Ford: More active than usual
Ford caught all three of his targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 26-8 loss to San Francisco in Week 13.
Ford lost roles as the primary backup to Quinshon Judkins and pass-catching back to Dylan Sampson, but the latter was removed from Sunday's game early in the third quarter with a calf injury. Ford's three touches were the most he'd seen since Week 7, but he could see extra work again in Week 14 against the Titans if Sampson's injury proves to be serious.
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Chris Rodriguez Jr. RB | WAS
Commanders' Chris Rodriguez: Paces backfield again
Rodriguez rushed the ball 11 times for 41 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-26 overtime loss to the Broncos. He did not record a catch on one target.
Rodriguez retained his role as the lead back for the Commanders, with his 11 total touches bettering Jeremy McNichols by three. Rodriguez didn't have a particularly efficient showing, though he did find the end zone from eight yards away shortly before halftime to account for his fourth touchdown in his last six matchups. He now has double-digit rushing attempts in three of his last four matchups heading into a Week 14 contest against the Vikings.
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RJ Harvey RB | DEN
Broncos' RJ Harvey: Bounces back with two scores on SNF
Harvey ran the ball 13 times for 35 yards and two touchdowns while corralling three of four targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 27-26 overtime win over the Commanders.
Harvey finished as the star of Sunday Night Football after giving Denver its third lead in a back-and-forth contest with his first trip to the end zone in the third quarter, following that up with a second touchdown in overtime that wound up being the game-deciding score. The second-round rookie fared better this time around compared to his last outing starting in place of J.K. Dobbins (foot), when he handled a similar workload but failed to hit pay dirt against the Chiefs on Nov. 16. Harvey has registered double-digit carries in consecutive contests for the first time in his career, a trend that figures to continue while he operates as Denver's No. 1 backfield option. The 24-year-old is shaping up to be a strong fantasy play against the lowly Raiders in Week 14.
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Ray Davis RB | BUF
Bills' Ray Davis: Excels in change-of-pace role
Davis took nine carries for 62 yards without being targeted as a receiver in Sunday's 26-7 win over the Steelers.
Davis added 15 yards on his only kick return, failing to recreate the electricity from last week's return TD against the Texans. The 25-year-old backup instead stood out by outproducing his entire rushing yardage total from his 11 previous appearances in one contest. Davis had reached nine carries just twice prior to Week 13, with both occurrences coming in blowouts just like Sunday's. Fantasy managers can safely ignore Davis ahead of next Sunday's tilt against the Bengals.