NFL Player News

Ekeler (hip), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Patriots, told Adam Schefter of ESPN that he'll be ready to play.

Ekeler's hip injury cost him practice time during the week, but the running back himself seems confident in his health. While Ekeler's own optimism about his availability isn't as definitive as an official word from the team, his positive outlook should leave fantasy managers encouraged. Confirmation of Ekeler's Week 8 playing status will arrive upon the release of the Chargers' inactive list prior to Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff.

Ozigbo was waived by the Saints on Saturday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Ozigbo was rendered moot after Mark Ingram joined the team in a trade earlier in the week. The 25-year-old will look to latch on with another team or hang around on the practice squad.

Sanders (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Saturday.

It was reported Friday the talented back would move to injured reserve, but the Eagles opted to wait slightly longer in order to finalize the rest of the roster ahead of Sunday's contest. Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott figure to operate the larger side of the backfield opportunities, but newly elevated running back Jordan Howard could see a handful of prominent carries, particularly near the red zone and on critical short-yardage attempts.

Williams is being elevated to the Bengals' 53-man roster for Sunday's game against the Jets, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.

Williams gets the call with Chris Evans set to miss the game with a hamstring issue. The 24-year-old Williams is unlikely to see much work behind Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine.

Laird will make the jump from the practice squad to the 53-man roster for Sunday's game against Buffalo, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Laird will be the third running back behind Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed since Malcolm Brown (quadriceps) hit IR earlier in the week. The 26-year-old will likely see a handful of snaps against a Bills defense that ranks sixth in DVOA so far this season.

Jackson was elevated to the Colts' active roster ahead of Sunday's tilt against the Titans.

Jackson signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent in the past offseason. While he figures to primarily be available for special teams contribution, he will also provide depth at running back.

Wilkins has been waived by the Colts.

Wilkins will presumably revert to the team's practice squad should he ultimately go unclaimed off waivers. With four healthy backs on the roster, it looks like he was the odd man out.

Barkley (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday night's game against Kansas City.

Barkley was listed as a "DNP' throughout the week, and he'll now miss his third straight contest. In his continued absence, Devontae Booker will head the Giants' Week 8 rushing attack, with Elijhaa Penny mixing in.

Washington (neck) will remain sidelined for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Washington absence will mark his second straight due to a neck injury. He was unable to practice all week, so this news is relatively unsurprising. He is primarily used on special teams when healthy.

Gainwell likely will be the Eagles' top running back with Miles Sanders (ankle) ruled out for Sunday's game in Detroit, Bo Wulf and Zach Berman of The Athletic report.

The rookie saw five carries and eight targets on 51 percent snap share in last week's loss to the Raiders, while Boston Scott got seven carries and two targets on 33 percent share. That was with Sanders playing most of the first quarter and taking seven touches of his own before the ankle injury, though for the most part his 2021 workload has been heavier on snaps than carries with QB Jalen Hurts dominating Philadelphia's offensive volume. It is possible coach Nick Sirianni makes more of an effort to run the ball moving forward, but Scott and Jordan Howard are also candidates to take those carries if it happens. Gainwell does get an excellent matchup against the Lions this weekend, and he's second on the team in targets (31) this year.