NFL Player News

Coach Anthony Lynn suggested Friday that Gordon's workload may be limited in the running back's season debut this weekend against the Broncos, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports. "I don't want to put him in there and play him too much, and I really don't have to," Lynn said of Gordon. "I like what Austin Ekeler has been doing."

The Chargers' official site now lists Gordon atop the depth chart at running back, but that doesn't mean he'll immediately take back the nearly 20 touches per game he averaged in 12 regular-season starts in 2018. Since Gordon has only had two weeks of practice time following his 64-day holdout, the Chargers are cognizant of easing him into the mix, with Ekeler's solid performance over the first four games affording the team that luxury. The prospect of a restricted snap/touch count makes Gordon a risky selection in DFS contests, though he might still have a path to enough touches this week to bring value in season-long leagues.

Coach Anthony Lynn said Friday that Ekeler will play "a lot" in Sunday's game against the Broncos, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Though the team's official site lists Melvin Gordon atop the depth chart at running back, Lynn suggested that the 26-year-old's role will be limited to some extent while he plays in his first game since mid-January. The introduction of Gordon into the game plan hinders Ekeler's fantasy outlook moving forward, but the latter could still offer plenty of value in Week 5 if he ends up taking on the larger share of backfield touches. In the Chargers' first four games sans Gordon, Ekeler has averaged 122.5 total yards and six catches per contest while finding the end zone six times.

Williams (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday night's game against the Colts despite practicing fully all week.

That said, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star relays that coach Andy said the running back would play this weekend, which makes sense given Williams' participation level at practice throughout the week. Assuming that's the case, Williams figures to join a Week 5 timeshare with LeSean McCoy, while Darrel Williams would be a candidate to work in a complementary/backup role.

The Giants listed Barkley (ankle) as a limited participant on their Friday injury report, though he's already been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Vikings.

The limited listing suggests Barkley took a step up in his activity from individual drills earlier in the week, giving him a chance to return for a Week 6 game against the Patriots on Thursday. The running back initially was given an estimated recovery timeline of 4-to-8 weeks, but it's become increasingly clear he's a fast healer. Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com believes Barkley's goal all along has been a return for the matchup with New England.

Mack (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans.

Mack was able to turn in a full practice Friday after sitting out sessions Wednesday and Thursday, but the Colts evidently still aren't certain that he'll be good to go for Week 5. Per Stephen Holder of The Athletic, the running back was similarly unsure about his status when he spoke to the media Friday, which could render Mack more of a game-time decision heading into the weekend. More information regarding whether or not Mack is trending toward suiting up may arrive before the first wave of games kick off Sunday, but he'll be a risky lineup option in the absence of additional news. Since the Colts and Chiefs are playing in the Sunday night game, Indianapolis won't have to offer official word on Mack's status until releasing its inactive list 90 minutes before the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff.

The Packers list Williams (concussion) as out for Sunday's game against the Cowboys, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

After exiting the Packers' Week 4 loss to the Eagles on Thursday following a hit to the head, Williams was unable to partake in practice at any point this week. He'll thus miss his first game of the season while he remains embedded in the concussion protocol, leaving rookie sixth-round pick Dexter Williams and fullback Danny Vitale as the lone depth options on the roster available behind lead back Aaron Jones.

Conner (ankle) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Ravens, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

As he suggested would be the case, Conner practiced fully Friday, erasing any concern about his availability for the weekend. The third-year back is averaging only 3.2 yards per carry through four games but could find more open real estate against a Ravens defense that has yielded 4.9 per attempt this season, a bottom-six mark in the NFL.

Singletary (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Tennessee after practicing Friday on a limited basis for the third straight day.

It looks like the rookie will be a game-time decision once again, though owners -- in addition to those that own Frank Gore -- will get the benefit of a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday.

Coach Andy Reid said Friday that Williams (knee) is "ready to go" for Sunday's game against the Colts, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.

Williams' ability to practice fully Wednesday and Thursday always made it likely that the running back would return from a two-game absence this weekend, but it's nice to hear further assurance from Reid on that front. The coach didn't offer any specifics on what Williams' role might look like Sunday, so it's possible some sort of timeshare arrangement with LeSean McCoy and Darrel Williams could be in place. Damien Williams struggled with efficiency in the Chiefs' first two contests of the season, gaining only 34 yards on 22 carries.

Penny rushed six times for 18 yards and caught both of his targets for 31 yards in Thursday's 30-29 win over the Rams.

This was Penny's first game back after he missed two contests with a hamstring injury. If he had been able to play in one of those games, Penny may have enjoyed an increased workload since Chris Carson was having fumble issues back then. However, Carson was the clear bell cow in this outing with 27 carries for 118 scoreless yards. Penny did show a spark of versatility by lining up out wide and catching a 30-yard pass in the third quarter, but he appears to simply be a change-of-pace option since he played just 12 of a possible 74 offensive snaps.