NFL Player News

Ekeler carried the ball 10 times for 45 yards and caught all three of his targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 19-16 win over the Broncos.

He accounted for the Chargers' only TD of the afternoon in the second quarter on a nine-yard toss from Justin Herbert, helping the quarterback set a new NFL rookie record for touchdown passes in a season. Despite the score -- his first since returning to action in Week 12 -- Ekeler otherwise had his second straight fairly quiet performance, and he's seen only seven targets over the last two games combined, limiting his production. He'll look to finish the season on a high note in Week 17 against a Kansas City defense that could be resting key personnel after clinching the AFC's No. 1 seed.

Gordon carried the ball 16 times for 79 yards in Sunday's 19-16 loss to the Chargers.

He just missed posting a yards per carry of at least 5.0 for the fourth straight game, and Gordon saw his largest carry volume since Week 7. With Phillip Lindsay (hip) on IR, expect Gordon to see a big workload again in Week 17 against a vulnerable Raiders defense that just gave up 169 scrimmage yards and two TDs to the Dolphins' Myles Gaskin.

Gibson carried the ball 10 times for 61 yards in Week 16 against the Panthers. He added three receptions for eight yards.

Gibson returned to the field for the first time since Week 13 after recovering from a toe injury. Washington fell behind and was scripted out of their run game early on, though Gibson still accounted for 10 of the team's 19 rushing attempts -- three of which went to quarterbacks. Gibson also showcased some explosiveness, breaking off gains of 22 and 13 yards . He should be relied upon heavily with the NFC East title at stake in a Week 17 matchup against the Eagles.

Vaughn rushed 15 times for 62 yards and secured one of two targets for seven yards in the Buccaneers' 47-7 win over the Lions on Saturday.

The rookie turned a career-high number of carries into a new personal best in rushing yardage, with the combination of the absence of Ronald Jones (finger/reserve/COVID-19) and a blowout win affording him an unprecedented amount of opportunity. Vaughn often looked quick and decisive with the ball in his hand. although the caliber and motivation level of the competition does have to be taken into account. Nevertheless, with the Buccaneers now having sewn up a playoff spot, Vaughn could be in for another solid workload in a Week 17 finale versus the Falcons.

Williams collected 46 yards on 10 carries and secured four of six targets for 27 yards during Sunday's 17-14 win against the Falcons.

Williams' workload exceeded that of Le'Veon Bell (seven carries, one catch) with Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle/hip) inactive for the Week 16 matchup. This was a surprising development after Bell garnered a team-high 15 rush attempts last Sunday in a win over New Orleans. Williams not only delivered a 4.6 yards-per-carry average on the ground, but he also tied Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman for second on the team in targets. With Edwards-Helaire expected to sit Kansas City's regular-season finale against the Chargers, Williams' workload will depend on whether coach Andy Reid wants to preserve the 25-year-old for a home game in the AFC divisional round.

Williams (quadriceps) is listed as inactive Sunday against the Titans.

After failing to practice in any capacity during Week 16 prep, Williams' imminent DNP was forecast with a doubtful designation for this contest. While Williams tends to a quadriceps injury that knocked him out of Week 15 action versus the Panthers, the Packers will ride the coattails of Aaron Jones out of their backfield. There's also the potential for rookie second-round pick AJ Dillon to get his first significant run of the campaign.

McKinnon logged 10 offensive snaps (18 percent) Saturday, registering one carry for four yards and three receptions for 28 yards in a 20-12 win over Arizona.

McKinnon was still used in a reserve/receiving role even with Raheem Mostert (ankle) missing the contest. Instead of deploying his usual two-back attack, head coach Kyle Shanahan used Jeff Wilson Jr. (22 carries for 183 yards) as a bell cow with incredible results. We should see a similar backfield setup in the 49ers' season finale against the Seahawks on Sunday, giving McKinnon little to no fantasy value in Week 17.

Hines carried eight times for 44 yards and caught all five of his targets for 20 additional yards during Sunday's 28-24 loss to the Steelers.

Hines averaged a healthy 5.5 yards per carry and snared every pass sent his way, but his inability to break off big plays limited his overall output. Although his 145 rushing yards over the last three games is by far his best stretch of the season, he's averaging just 16 receiving yards per game during the same timeframe. Hines could have plenty of chances to add to his numbers in next Sunday's regular-season finale against the hapless Jaguars.

Ogunbowale rushed 14 times for 71 yards, secured three of five targets for seven yards, and had six kick-return yards in the Jaguars' 41-17 loss to the Bears on Sunday.

Stepping into the lead role in the backfield with James Robinson (ankle) out of action, Ogunbowale thrived with his opportunity by putting together an efficient performance on the ground. The fourth-year journeyman had logged just four carries all season prior to Sunday and had never topped 11 rush attempts in any of his three previous seasons, so he was in uncharted territory in terms of workload. If the 1-14 Jaguars hold Robinson out again in Week 17, Ogunbowale figures to helm the ground attack again versus Indianapolis.

Perine (ankle) rushed nine times for 30 yards and caught one of two targets for 14 yards in Sunday's 23-16 win over Cleveland.

Perine came off IR for his first action since Week 11, and he finished with nine carries while Frank Gore got 13 and Ty Johnson received two. The distribution of carries was tilted further in Gore's favor until the veteran running back suffered a second-half chest injury, which paved the way for Perine to take over as the lead back with New York trying to run clock late. If Gore's unable to suit up in next week's season finale, Perine would likely get the majority of the carries against the Patriots with Johnson subbing in on passing downs.