NFL Player News

Hines carried the ball seven times for 21 yards and caught four of five targets for 40 yards in Sunday's 36-7 win over the Jets.

After scoring twice on 15 touches in the Colts' opener and then getting only one reception last week, Hines found something of a happy medium between those two extremes. The scatback actually led the team in targets on a day when the passing game wasn't really needed, which bodes well for his developing connection with Philip Rivers. Hines might be on the back burner again behind Jonathan Taylor in Week 4, however, on the road against a Bears defense that just got gashed for 148 rushing yards and two TDs by Atlanta.

Taylor carried the ball 13 times for 59 yards and a touchdown and caught his only pass for three yards in Sunday's 36-7 win over the Jets.

Despite the lopsided final score, Taylor didn't get a lot of work down the stretch as Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines got 16 carries and five receptions between them. Still, the rookie's third-quarter TD salvaged his day from a fantasy perspective. Assuming it's a more competitive contest, Taylor could be more involved, and more productive, in Week 4 against a Bears defense that just gave up 148 rushing yards and two TDs to the Atlanta backfield.

Drake carried 18 times for 73 yards and caught his only target for an additional six yards during Sunday's 26-23 loss to the Lions.

Drake found the sledding a bit tough on the ground as he averaged a pedestrian 4.1 yards per carry against a middling run defense. Despite the absence of Christian Kirk and the fact that the Cardinals were trailing for much of the game, he curiously wasn't used much as a pass catcher and has now drawn just five targets through three games this season. Drake also failed to reach the end zone again and has one touchdown to his name. He still carries plenty of fantasy upside given his current role and will look to break out next Sunday in a favorable matchup against the Panthers.

Gordon collected 26 rushing yards on eight carries, also catching four of six targets for 12 receiving yards during Sunday's 28-10 loss to the Buccaneers.

Gordon enjoyed a solid Week 2 outing against a comparably dominant Steelers rush defense, accumulating 84 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 21 offensive touches. With Jeff Driskel stepping in as the starting quarterback against Tampa Bay, Gordon got out to a sluggish start with seven yards on his four first-quarter rush attempts. From there, game flow largely mitigated Gordon's usage as Denver fell into a 17-3 hole at the 6:35 mark of the second quarter. Things may be looking up for Gordon heading into a Thursday night matchup against the Jets, however, as Gang Green has given up more than 4.6 yards per carry to opposing RBs in 2020.

Kelley carried the ball eight times for 43 yards and also caught both of his targets for nine yards in the 21-16 loss Sunday to the Panthers. He also lost a fumble.

Kelley took a back seat to Austin Ekeler in this one as the Chargers fell behind early. Part of that reason was because of the rookie's second-quarter fumble off a 16-yard run. That turnover set up the Panthers' lone touchdown and also a two-score lead. It's possible Kelley might find tough sledding again next week with the Chargers set to square off against a high-powered Buccaneers unit.

Jones rushed 13 times for 53 yards and brought in two of four targets for 20 yards in the Buccaneers' 28-10 win over the Broncos.

A week after Leonard Fournette took center stage and went over the 100-yard mark on the ground, Jones served as the clear lead back, outpacing his teammate by six carries and six touches overall. There was nothing spectacular about Jones' day -- he had a long run of 13 yards on his way to 4.1 yards per rush -- but the USC product encouragingly enjoyed a solid presence in the passing game as well. Through three games, Jones is now averaging 12.1 carries and three targets per contest, numbers that his fantasy managers hope will be exceeded in a Week 4 home matchup against the Chargers.

Ekeler carried the ball 12 times for 59 yards and also caught all 11 of his targets for 80 yards in Sunday's 21-16 loss to the Panthers. He also accounted for a touchdown.

It should have been an even better day for Ekeler, but the running back botched a hook-and-ladder attempt which would have resulted in a walk-in, game-winning touchdown. After a Week 1 which saw the star back record just one target, the Chargers have made a concerted effort to include Ekeler in the passing game with 15 targets over the past two weeks. Most of that workload came Sunday with the team trailing from the jump, though the 11 targets weren't simply off of checkdowns or dump-offs but rather clearly designed screen plays and flare routes. It's fairly clear Ekeler will get the majority of the workload in the event the team is trailing, something that wasn't necessarily confirmed throughout the first two games with Joshua Kelley acting in tandem with Ekeler to begin the season. It might be a bit tougher to pile up the yards next week when the Chargers travel to face a Buccaneers defense that just held Melvin Gordon to under 3.2 yards per touch.

Henry carried the ball 26 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the team's Week 3 win over the Vikings. He added two receptions for 11 yards.

Henry topped 100 yards for the second time in his first three games. However, he managed to find the end zone for the first time, punching in a pair of one-yard scores to play a major role in the Titans' narrow victory. While it's no surprise Henry has dominated rushing work out of the team's backfield, he also has five receptions early on this season and has recorded multiple receptions on two occasions. Though that doesn't place him among the elite pass-catching running backs in the league, he recorded multiple receptions in only four games during the entire 2019 campaign.

Patterson carried four times for 13 yards in Chicago's 30-26 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

Even though the Bears were trailing this game by 16 points early in the second half, Patterson wasn't targeted, though he was used to occasionally spell David Montgomery out of the backfield. With Tarik Cohen potentially missing time with a possible knee injury, Patterson could see a slight increase in his workload. He's currently averaging 27 combined yards per game, so it's possible that he emerges as a potential flex option.

Sanders registered 95 rushing yards on 18 carries while catching four of his eight targets for 12 receiving yards during Sunday's 23-23 tie against Cincinnati.

Sanders has notched exactly 95 yards on the ground in each of his first two outings of the year, and he has 100-plus scrimmage yards in five of his past seven appearances dating back to Week 13 of last year. Given injuries to wide receivers DeSean Jackson (hamstring), Alshon Jeffery (foot) and Jalen Reagor (thumb), Sanders may also continue to build upon a strong workload of 15 targets across two appearances. Facing a 49ers front in Week 4 that is dealing with injuries to Nick Bosa (knee-ACL), Dee Ford (back) and Solomon Thomas (knee-ACL), Sanders remains a top-shelf option as a feature component in the Eagles offense.