NFL Player News

Gordon rushed the ball nine times for 29 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 21-17 win over the Jaguars. He added three receptions for 23 yards.

Latavius Murray led the Denver backfield with 15 touches compared to Gordon's 12. However, Gordon still managed a productive fantasy performance thanks to a one-yard touchdown plunge midway through the third quarter. He has now failed to reach 35 rushing yards in five of his last six games and continues to lose work to Murray.

Though Williams (ankle) won't play Sunday against the 49ers, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic relays that the running back was spotted getting in a pregame workout prior to the contest.

The Rams designated Williams (ankle) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, but the running back isn't quite ready to suit up at this stage. However, Sunday's report suggests that he's trending in the right direction, and it's possible that Williams could be activated ahead of next weekend's game against the Buccaneers.

Etienne rushed the ball 24 times for 156 yards in Sunday's 21-17 loss to the Broncos. He added three receptions for six yards.

As expected, Etienne was used as Jacksonville's workhorse back and tallied a career-high in attempts and yards. He had a number of explosive plays, highlighted by a 49-yard gain early in the second quarter, and he also found the end zone on a one-yard plunge to briefly put the Jaguars ahead late in the fourth quarter. The only thing lacking from the performance was extensive involvement as a receiver, but Etienne's otherwise elite involvement and efficiency far outweighed any concerns.

The hamstring injury Edwards suffered Thursday night against the Buccaneers is described as minor, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

While it's encouraging that the running back appears to have avoided a serious injury, Rapoport suggests that "if (Edwards) misses time, it's likely just a week or so." With that in mind, Edwards' status is worth monitoring closely as the Ravens' (Monday) Nov. 7 contest against the Saints approaches. If he's out or limited at that time, added Week 9 backfield reps would be available for Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill.

Sermon (coach's decision) is listed as inactive for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports.

Sermon won't play for a second-straight contest due to a coach's decision, after he saw eight-combined snaps between Week 4 and Week 5. Barring any injuries to the team's RB room, the second year back isn't expected to see much time on the field for the Eagles.

Pollard is in line to handle a featured role out of the Dallas backfield in Sunday's game against Chicago with Ezekiel Elliott (knee/thigh) inactive for the contest, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Dallas moved up running backs Malik Davis and Qadree Ollison from the practice squad Saturday, but neither is a sure bet to poach a significant amount of snaps or touches from Pollard, who could be in store for one of the largest workloads of his career while Elliott sits out for the first time since Week 15 of the 2020 season. The Cowboys are on bye Week 9 before returning to action in Green Bay on Nov. 13, at which point Elliott may have made enough progress in his recovery from a Grade 2 right MCL sprain and a thigh bruise to re-enter the lineup. With that in mind, Pollard may be in store for only one game as the Cowboys' unquestioned lead back, but he'll at least make for a strong option in fantasy lineups this week.

Elliott (knee/thigh) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Bears, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Elliott will miss his first game since Week 15 of the 2020 season after he failed to practice in any capacity this week while recovering from a Grade 2 right MCL sprain and a thigh bruise. With Elliott out of the lineup for at least this weekend, Tony Pollard should have an uncontested path to the lead role out of the Dallas backfield. The Cowboys are on bye Week 9, so Elliott may only miss one game due to his injuries before Dallas returns to action Nov. 13 in Green Bay.

Williams (knee) is listed as active Sunday at Minnesota, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

While Williams is putting an end to a two-game absence, the Arizona's No. 1 running back James Conner (ribs) is not, setting the stage for the former to get some work out of the backfield. That said, Williams may play second fiddle to Eno Benjamin, who has notched 34 touches for 178 yards from scrimmage and one rushing TD the last two contests. As the healthier option, Benjamin again may be the team's main back, but Williams is a decent bet to get some short-yardage work.

Robinson will officially make his Jets debut Week 8 against the Patriots.

While it's unclear exactly what type of role Robinson will have in his first game since getting traded from the Jaguars, it sounds like he'll at least be involved in the offense in some capacity. Michael Carter is in line to serve as the likely top back following the season-ending knee injury to Breece Hall, but Robinson will look to cement a role behind him and potentially earn a larger one moving forward. Ty Johnson is another possible candidate to see a few more offensive snaps while Robinson gets acclimated, and the likely committee will be going against a New England run defense that ranks in the top-10 in terms of fewest fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs in both standard and PPR formats.

Williams is expected to serve as a complementary option out of the Detroit backfield Sunday against the Dolphins while D'Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder) returns from a three-game absence, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.

In the Lions' three games without Swift, Williams didn't see a major jump in his snap share -- which ranged between 34 and 54 percent -- but the 27-year-old still averaged 17 touches and 82.7 yards in those contests. Williams still earned double-digit touches in each of Detroit's first three games when Swift was active, but the former's fantasy ceiling is undoubtedly lower with Swift back in the lineup. Craig Reynolds, who served as the Lions' No. 2 back the past three games, will also see his opportunities take a hit in Swift's return.