NFL Player News

Elliott said he'll play in Sunday's game against the Giants, Kate Hairopoulos of The Dallas Morning News reports.

While he doesn't have final say on the matter, Elliott did at least provide a glimpse into his team's possible logic for using key players in the regular-season finale. As Hairopoulos notes, the Cowboys aren't in the same place they were in 2016 when Elliott was rested for a meaningless Week 17 contest. That iteration of the team had already clinched the No. 1 seed with a 13-2 record, while the 2018 Cowboys are locked in as the No. 6 seed at 9-6. Of course, it will still be a major surprise if Elliott handles his normal workload come Sunday. The early signs point toward an abbreviated appearance, with Rod Smith and Darius Jackson providing backfield relief thereafter.

Ekeler (neck/concussion) practiced Wednesday, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Ekeler is thus trending in the right direction as Sunday's game against the Broncos approaches. If he's able to play this weekend, Ekeler would be in line to work in a change-of-pace role behind top back Melvin Gordon, likely bumping rookie Justin Jackson down to the No. 3 role.

Patterson (knee) practiced Wednesday, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

The versatile Patterson left the Patriots' Week 16 win over the Bills with a knee injury, but his presence at practice suggests he's not in much danger of sitting out the regular-season finale against the Jets. It's welcome news for the Patriots, who can't really afford to lose more depth at receiver with Josh Gordon (suspension) out of the picture.

Edmonds ran four times for 20 yards and added a one-yard reception during Sunday's 31-9 loss to the Rams.

Edmonds has now recorded at least five touches in five of his last six games, averaging a respectable 4.2 yards per carry during that span. A two-touchdown explosion in Week 13 aside, the rookie has been quiet for much of the season, a byproduct of playing on a woeful offense behind a quality do-it-all back in David Johnson.

Barner caught his only target for a three-yard gain during Sunday's 24-10 loss to Atlanta.

Barner was relegated to mostly special-teams duty in his first three games with the Panthers after being scooped up off waivers from the Patriots. That changed Sunday, as the scatback recorded his first reception on either squad this season. While the Panthers haven't clarified their plans for the season finale against the Saints, there's a decent chance do-it-all lead back Christian McCaffrey is more limited than usual as Carolina looks to preserve his health heading into the offseason. If that's the case, Barner and fellow reserve backs Cameron Artis-Payne and Travaris Cadet could see more opportunities than usual.

Hines rushed twice for two yards and a touchdown and added 41 yards on four catches during Sunday's 28-27 win over the Giants.

The Colts were down by 14 points before Hines barreled into the end zone late in the second quarter. The rookie's role has become more defined down the stretch, but it's still one that limits his carries behind Marlon Mack. With the playoffs on the line, he'll take on a tough Titans defense in the regular-season finale. Tennessee limited Hines to 34 yards from scrimmage back in the two sides' Week 11 meeting.

Freeman is expected to work as the Broncos' lead rusher out of the backfield Sunday against the Chargers with Phillip Lindsay (wrist) set to miss the contest, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

After undergoing an MRI on Tuesday, Lindsay was diagnosed with significant ligament damage in his right wrist, which he injured in the Week 16 loss to the Raiders. Lindsay will receive a second opinion on the injury before it's determined whether surgery is necessary, but the Broncos won't keep the undrafted rookie active even if he receives positive news. As a result, Freeman will likely have his best opportunity since Week 1 -- when he logged a season-high 15 carries -- to make a major splash in the fantasy realm. He won't necessarily have a clear path to a three-down role, however, as Devontae Booker likely will see a fair amount of work in obvious passing situations.

Coach Mike Tomlin indicated Tuesday that he views Conner (ankle) as questionable for the Steelers' Week 17 game against the Bengals, Dale Lolley of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Tomlin noted that Conner's availability for the regular-season finale will hinge on the running back's participation in practices Wednesday through Friday. Conner was unable to log any on-field activity in practice at any point before Sunday's 31-28 loss to the Saints, resulting in him missing a third straight contest. If Conner fails to demonstrate meaningful progress within the next few days, Jaylen Samuels would again be positioned to lead the Pittsburgh backfield for another game.

Freeman rushed seven times for 21 yards and couldn't corral his lone target in Monday night's 27-14 loss to Oakland.

Freeman became the Broncos' lead back once Phillip Lindsay was ruled out in the second half with a wrist injury, but the 22-year-old didn't do much with the opportunity. Game script didn't help, though, as the Broncos trailed by multiple scores for much of the contest. If Lindsay is unable to go at home Week 17 against the Chargers, Freeman likely would share backfield duties with Devontae Booker.

Martin rushed for 107 yards and one touchdown on 21 attempts, adding one reception for nine yards during Monday's 27-14 win against the Broncos.

Coming into Monday night's game, it had been 40 straight outings for Martin since the last time he reached 100 rushing yards. But against a Denver defense that earlier this year became the first in NFL history to allow 200-yard rushers in consecutive games within the same season, anything is possible. Martin entered Christmas Eve having averaged a putrid 2.8 yards per carry between Weeks 14 and 15, but he scampered for a 24-yard score in the second quarter to provide Oakland with a 14-0 lead and rode that momentum to an impressive 107-yard showing. He continues to provide virtually no added value as a pass catcher with just three catches for 15 yards over his past four games, but he's offset that deficiency with three rushing scores during that span. Week 17 presents a promising matchup, as Martin and the Raiders backfield prepare to go up against a Kansas City defense that ranks bottom five in terms of both rushing yards (1,987) and rushing touchdowns (19) allowed this season.