NFL Player News

Conner is still in the concussion protocol, but coach Mike Tomlin expects the running back to practice Wednesday, Dale Lolley of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Conner has three extra days to make it through the protocol after suffering a brain injury in last Thursday's 52-21 win over the Panthers. Even if he's a limited participant, Conner's presence on the practice field Wednesday would put him on track to avoid an absence Sunday at Jacksonville. With Le'Veon Bell not expected to join the team, Conner is positioned for a massive workload over the final seven weeks of the season.

Breida rushed 17 times for 101 yards and a touchdown and caught three of four targets for 31 yards and another score in Monday night's 27-23 loss to the Giants.

Breida was again San Francisco's standout offensive player, doing damage both on the ground and through the air. The second-year back struck first with a three-yard touchdown rush in the second quarter, then hauled in an 11-yard score shortly after halftime. Overall, Breida's 132 scrimmage yards marked his second-most this season, offering a resurgence following 104 total yards and zero touchdowns in his previous three games combined. Seemingly back to his healthy self, Breida now enters the Niners' bye week for extra rest ahead of a Week 12 matchup with the Buccaneers.

Barkley rushed 20 times for 67 yards and caught four of five targets for 33 yards in Monday night's 27-23 win over the 49ers.

Barkley was bottled up in the running game, where over a quarter of his total came on a long rush of 18 yards. The prized rookie has now gone for under 3.5 yards per carry in three straight games, and in four of his last five outings. While the Giants will need to improve their run blocking to help Barkley out, he again made an impact through the air, particularly with a 23-yard reception to set up New York's go-ahead touchdown with under a minute left. In doing so, Barkley hit an even 100 yards from scrimmage, giving him another nice all-around outing.

Foreman (Achilles) "definitely" expects the Texans to open his 21-day window to be activated from the PUP list this week, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

In the wake of a bye week, the Texans held an unofficial practice Monday, but Foreman wasn't participating in the part open to the media, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. When discussing the prospect of Foreman returning to the field, coach Bill O'Brien was non-committal but told Drew Dougherty of the Texans' official site "sooner, rather than later." Once Foreman gains clearance from the relevant authorities, the team will have a three-week period to monitor whether his left Achilles is up the challenge. If he rejoins the 53-man roster, he'll have to contend with the RB duo of Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue for touches.

Walton did not record a single carry or target during Sunday's 51-14 loss to the Saints.

Walton saw only two offensive snaps during the Week 10 loss. With both Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard healthy for the first time since Week 2, Walton no longer appears to possess a notable role in Cincinnati's offense. The rookie fourth-round pick is expected to see most of his snaps on special teams going forward.

Anderson was waived by the Panthers on Monday, Max Henson of the Panthers' official site reports.

With Christian McCaffrey handling a 96.3 percent snap share, Anderson presumably was frustrated with a role much smaller than what he signed up for in the offseason. The 27-year-old shouldn't have much trouble finding work, as he averaged 4.3 yards on 24 carries for the Panthers after producing the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career with the Broncos in 2017. Anderson might provide an immediate upgrade in the backfield for Philadelphia or Tampa Bay.

Coach Vance Joseph reiterated Monday that he expects Freeman (ankle) to return to practice this week, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

Freeman did get in one limited practice Friday of Week 9, but he never seemed to have much chance of playing in an eventual loss to the Texans. Coming out of a Week 10 bye, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him listed as a full participant at Wednesday's practice, though a limited session is also possible. Freeman will be a full month removed from suffering a high-ankle sprain when the Broncos travel to Los Angeles to face the Chargers on Sunday. His return would be bad news for anyone invested in Phillip Lindsay, who posted his top two carry totals (18 and 17) in the two games Freeman missed. Devontae Booker benefited to a lesser extent, receiving 12 carries and eight targets over two weeks.

Ekeler carried the ball three times for 19 yards in the 20-6 win over the Raiders on Sunday. He did not record a target.

Only five players actually received a target as Philip Rivers efficiently dissected a mundane Raiders defense all afternoon. Ekeler actually had a touchdown called back on a holding penalty, which would have aided an otherwise disappointing fantasy performance, but he remains a comfortable change-of-pace option behind starter Melvin Gordon.

Dayes was promoted to the 49ers' active roster Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Dayes was elevated just ahead of Monday's tilt against the Giants. He'll figure to take the spot of Raheem Mostert (forearm), who was moved to IR last week. Look for Dayes to operate as the No. 3 option at running back behind Matt Breida and Alfred Morris.

Patterson was on the field for 12 of the Patriots' 66 snaps on offense in Sunday's 34-10 loss to the Titans.

The versatile wideout's profile in the Patriots offense was predictably reduced Week 10 due to the return to action of running back Sony Michel (knee). Patterson did end up with four carries for 11 yards Sunday, but as long as Michel is healthy enough to head the New England backfield, Patterson will be largely off the fantasy radar in his complementary WR/RB role.