NFL Player News

Coach John Harbaugh said Hill (neck) will be sidelined 3-to-4 weeks, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Hill was apparently injured in practice last week and was placed on injured reserve ahead of last Thursday night's game against the Bengals. He'll miss at least three more contests while on IR, but it sounds like he'll have a chance to return when eligible Week 17. Keaton Mitchell and Rasheen Ali will continue to handle backup duties behind Derrick Henry for the next few weeks.

The Vikings don't consider Jones' shoulder injury to be severe, and he's day-to-day, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Jones sustained a shoulder injury on a lost fumble in the middle of the third quarter of Sunday's loss at Seattle and wasn't able to return, finishing Week 13 with six carries for three yards and four catches (on four targets) for 22 yards. He's been playing through a shoulder issue since Week 10, so his ability to suit up and what kind of workload he can hold moving forward may come down to pain management. Jordan Mason and Zavier Scott are the next players up out of Minnesota's backfield if Jones cedes any reps or ultimately is inactive Sunday against the Commanders.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Sampson (calf) is viewed as day-to-day after being injured in Sunday's loss to the 49ers, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Sampson was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against San Francisco in the third quarter after he rushed four times for 23 yards. However, it sounds like the rookie running back avoided a serious injury. If Sampson needs to miss time, Jerome Ford would likely reassume his role as the pass-catching complement to Quinshon Judkins.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.