NFL Player News

Hubbard is expected to serve as the Panthers' lead back Sunday against the Dolphins with Miles Sanders (shoulder) ruled out for the contest, David Newton of ESPN.com reports. "We'll do it by committee, but Chuba will more than likely get the bulk of the carries,'' head coach Frank Reich said.

Hubbard had already seemingly worked his way into a timeshare with Sanders the past two weeks, playing 73 snaps on offense to the latter's 64 while out-touching him 26-23 during that stretch. With Sanders sidelined Week 6, Hubbard could be ticketed for a true three-down role for the first time this season, though Reich's comments suggest that Laviska Shenault and third-string back Raheem Blackshear -- who has been inactive the past four weeks -- could be sprinkled into the backfield mix. Regardless, Hubbard should handily outpace Shenault and Blackshear for snaps and touches, making him a viable option in fantasy lineups this week.

Edwards-Helaire had two carries for seven yards and caught his only target for nine yards in Thursday's 19-8 win over the Broncos.

Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon got just three touches apiece while Isiah Pacheco racked up 98 scrimmage yard on 22 touches, so Edwards-Helaire didn't see enough volume to take advantage of facing Denver's porous run defense. As long as Pacheco's healthy, Edwards-Helaire will likely remain limited to a handful of snaps and touches per game.

Sanders (shoulder) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Sanders has already dealt with groin, pectoral and shoulder injuries this season, averaging 3.1 yards per carry while ceding around 40 percent of the touches and snaps to backup Chuba Hubbard. Coach Frank Reich confirmed Friday that Hubbard will get most of the carries Sunday, with Sanders now shifting his focus toward a return after the team's Week 7 bye. Reich also said the Panthers don't consider Sanders' injury to be anything long term, so it might end up being just the one game he misses.

The Dolphins have yet to decide whether Wilson (ribs/finger) will be activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game against the Panthers, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Wilson was designated for return from injured reserve Wednesday, but he was limited in practice both Wednesday and Thursday. Miami may wait to see how he looks in Friday's practice before deciding whether to activate the running back. If Wilson ultimately plays, he would likely cede the majority of backfield touches to Raheem Mostert while splitting the remaining workload with Chris Brooks and Salvon Ahmed in De'Von Achane's (knee) absence.

Gibbs (hamstring) isn't practicing Friday, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic reports.

Another absence suggest Gibbs is unlikely to play Sunday in Tampa Bay, especially after he told reporters earlier this week that Friday would be crucial to determining his availability. Craig Reynolds will be next up behind David Montgomery in the event of another Gibbs absence, and there isn't much competition after fellow reserve Zonovan Knight suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last week. Montgomery has topped 70 percent snap in three of his four appearances this year, including 75 percent last week with Gibbs sidelined for a win over the Panthers.

Mitchell (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans in London.

Mitchell remains on injured reserve after being designated to return to practice prior to Baltimore's Week 5 matchup with the Steelers. After logging three full practices this week, the rookie running back could make his NFL debut against the Titans, though he would first need to be activated from injured reserve. Fantasy managers considering deploying Mitchell will need to set their alarms to check his status, as Sunday's game kicks off at 9:30 a.m. EDT from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Knight (shoulder) sustained a season-ending injury versus the Panthers in Week 5, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Knight's injury specifics remain undisclosed, but his shoulder issue is expected to land him on IR for the remainder of the 2023 campaign. The second-year pro suited up for only two games with Detroit this season, in which span he carried three times for 13 yards and secured his only target for eight yards. His absence leaves the Lions lacking for backfield depth, especially if Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring) remains sidelined any longer.

Perine (leg/knee) logged nine of a possible 52 snaps on offense in Thursday's 19-8 loss to the Chiefs, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.

With Javonte Williams (18 snaps/10 carries) back in action after a one-game absence Thursday and Jaleel McLaughlin (21 snaps/seven carries) also factoring in, Perine saw a reduced role in Week 6 en route to recording zero carries, two catches for 16 yards, and a fumble late in the game. Per Troy Renck of Denver 7 News, Perine may have suffered a leg or knee injury during the contest, so the running back's status will be something to monitor ahead of Denver's Oct. 22 matchup against Green Bay.

McKinnon didn't log any rush attempts and brought in three of five targets for 20 yards in the Chiefs' 19-8 win over the Broncos on Thursday night.

McKinnon was strictly deployed in his familiar pass-catching role, going without a carry for the first time since Week 1. He tied a season high with his three catches and set a new one with his target tally. McKinnon figures to continue in a low-upside fantasy role that will likely require him to score multiple touchdowns through the air to truly warrant a starting spot in lineups. He'll next take the field in a Week 7 home matchup against the Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 22.

McLaughlin rushed seven times for 30 yards and brought in both targets for 12 yards in the Broncos' 19-8 loss to the Chiefs on Thursday night.

McLaughlin came into the contest with plenty of momentum after taking advantage of an expanded role against the Jets in Week 5 by gaining 89 total yards and scoring a receiving touchdown on 12 touches. However, the return of Javonte Williams, whose absence had facilitated that opportunity, from a quadricep injury pushed McLaughlin back into more of a complementary role. With backfield mate Samaje Perine apparently having suffered a leg injury on the last play of the game Thursday night, McLaughlin could have a chance to see some extra touches in a Week 7 home matchup on Sunday, Oct. 22 against the Packers if his teammate is sidelined.