NFL Player News

McCaffrey played 47 of 67 offensive snaps in Sunday's 23-3 win over the 49ers, taking 13 carries for 47 yards and catching five passes for 38 yards on a team-high seven targets.

McCaffrey lost a fumble in the fourth quarter and didn't have any big plays or touchdowns, but Sunday's usage was still highly encouraging for his prospects the rest of the season. Consider that power back Jonathan Stewart logged 18 fewer snaps even though the Panthers were ahead by at least 20 points for the final 26 minutes of the game. Stewart had a 7-3 advantage in carries on the meaningless final drive, but McCaffrey held a 15-13 edge in touches prior to that series. The usage suggests McCaffrey's workload could dwarf Stewart's if the Panthers eventually find themselves playing from behind. Of course, a Week 2 home matchup with the Bills should allow both running backs to stay heavily involved. It's also worth noting that Carolina had McCaffrey and Stewart on the field together for at least a handful of plays.

The NFL has filed an appeal in response to Elliott's preliminary injunction, ESPN.com's Todd Archer reports.

The injunction allows Elliott to keep playing for the Cowboys while his legal case plays out in court. Although it's unclear when the NFL's appeal will be heard, Elliott presumably will be available at least for the early part of the season. The league filed a similar appeal two years ago when Tom Brady won an injunction, and Brady didn't end up serving his suspension until the following season. Elliott is still tentatively expected to be eligible for the entire 2017 campaign.

Patterson caught one pass for two yards on one target to go along with one rush for five yards during Sunday's win over the Titans.

Patterson wasn't too involved in the Raiders' Week 1 offensive game plan, while No. 3 receiver Seth Roberts was on the field for 83 percent of the team's snaps compared to 33 percent for Patterson. The explosive free-agent newcomer made his mark on special teams, however, returning a fourth-quarter kickoff 41 yards to give the Raiders solid field position for what would be their final drive. If Oakland is able to build an early lead against the Jets in Week 2, Patterson could be in line for additional opportunities on offense, though Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Seth Roberts appear to be solidified at the top of the team's wideout depth chart.

Perine did not log any offensive snaps in Sunday's 30-17 loss to the Eagles, Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post reports.

Perine did log 10 snaps on special teams, and it wasn't exactly a banner performance for Rob Kelley, who was held to 30 yards on 10 carries. Perine will get his chance if Kelley doesn't improve, but it would be unwise to expect much from the rookie Week 2 against the Rams.

Williams had two carries for nine yards and didn't draw any targets in Sunday's 17-9 win over the Seahawks.

Ty Montgomery operated as an every-down workhorse, barely leaving the field besides a brief stretch in the fourth quarter when he missed a few plays while being evaluated for an injury. Williams clearly is next in line for carries, but it appears he won't get many so long as Montgomery stays healthy. Though he only missed a few snaps, it won't be surprising if Montgomery is on the injury report for Week 2 in Atlanta.

Foreman had one carry for four yards in Houston's 29-7 loss to Jacksonville in Week 1.

Foreman played just two snaps on offense during his NFL debut. With Alfred Blue (ankle) unavailable, this was a potentially good spot for Foreman, but his between-the-tackles skills weren't needed when the Texans fell behind. Let's hold judgment on Foreman until we see his usage in the coming weeks. The fact that Houston returns quickly to play Thursday at Cincinnati could work in his favor, given the relatively limited pounding his body took Sunday.

Mostert didn't record an offensive touch in Sunday's season-opening loss to the Panthers.

Mostert was a surprise addition to the 53-man roster after he flashed his speed and special teams ability this preseason. The 25-year-old is clearly a distant third on the depth chart after seeing just one offensive snap compared to Carlos Hyde's 45 and Matt Breida's 12. Mostert didn't get a chance to return a kick Sunday, but he will serve as the team's primary kick returner this season.

Vereen had nine catches for 51 yards Sunday night. He did not receive a carry.

Given the Giants' lack of a running game or deep threat with Odell Beckham out, and the poor play of the offensive line, dumping the ball off to Vereen was their go-to play for much of the game. That makes him a useful fill-in for PPR, but even PPR backs need some carries to be every week starters.

Elliott rushed 24 times for 104 yards and caught all five targets for 36 yards in Sunday's 19-3 victory over the Giants.

Elliott earned this 100-yard effort the hard way, as he never broke off a run longer than 10 yards going against the Giants' stout defensive front. No matter, he saw the same heavy workload fantasy owners became accustomed to seeing in his rookie year and, therefore, seems safely locked into a workhorse role for as long as he remains legally eligible to play. Speaking of which, Darren McFadden -- who was firmly considered Elliott's handcuff entering the season -- was a healthy scratch Sunday in favor of Alfred Morris and Rod Smith. If this scenario becomes a trend moving forward, then Morris, and not McFadden, would seemingly be the appropriate contingency plan in case Elliott's temporary restraining order against the NFL doesn't last the entire season.

Mack had 10 carries for 24 yards, including a three-yard touchdown, and one reception for 21 yards in Sunday's loss to the Rams.

Mack would have had another touchdown on the reception, but the officials said he was out of bounds before going into the end zone. However, replays showed the ball crossed the goal line, and head coach Chuck Pagano missed a chance to challenge as he quickly called for running another play. While it was an ugly game for the Indy offense, it was encouraging for Mack, as he was used early in the game, mostly ahead of Robert Turbin and with the same frequency as Frank Gore. He averaged just 2.4 yards per tote, but he had a big play in the passing game and could have more of a role in the offense from the jump than many expected.