NFL Player News

Barner compiled eight carries for 42 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's win versus the Steelers.

Barner has 26 offensive snaps through three games, yet he has a remarkably high carry-to-snap ratio, considering he's received 14 rushes for 86 yards on the season. The increase in O-snaps from six in Week 1 to 12 on Sunday was likely the result of Ryan Mathews' own downward trend due to ankle stiffness, which allowed Wendell Smallwood and Darren Sproles to pick up 24 apiece this past weekend. When healthy, Mathews should handle most of the work out of the Eagles' backfield, and a bye awaits, giving him ample time to recover for the team's next contest in Week 5. If the ailment lingers, though, Sunday's development indicates Barner will otherwise be a part of the offense in some way, shape, or form.

With Shane Vereen out indefinitely, Rainey could see work as the team's third-down back.

Rashad Jennings is still iffy for Week 4, Orleans Darkwa isn't known for his pass catching and rookie Paul Perkins is considered raw, so Rainey is probably the favorite for pass-catching work out of the backfield.

Vereen is likely to undergo surgery on his triceps injury, but is a candidate to be placed on injured reserve and return later this season given the procedure's two-month recovery timetable, NFL.com's Mike Garafolo reports.

Vereen was initially thought to be lost for this season due to his triceps injury suffered Sunday, but the Giants have since backtracked on that outlook, as the NFL's new injured reserve rules could make him eligible to return after eight weeks, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. That preserves hope that Vereen could be healthy to play the last month or so of this season, which would obviously help New York's backfield options. While it remains to be seen exactly how Vereen's situation will pan out, the Giants' immediate focus will turn to the status of fellow running back Rashad Jennings (thumb) ahead of next Monday night's game against the Vikings.

Fowler caught a 14-yard pass Sunday against the Raiders.

Fowler has been used almost exclusively as a traditional fullback this season. The 2015 fourth-rounder out of Alabama hasn't been the versatile weapon the Titans were hoping for when they drafted him that early.

Vereen will miss the rest of the season due to a triceps injury.

With Rashad Jennings (thumb) out of commission in Week 3, Vereen split the workload with Orleans Darkwa out of the Giants' backfield, racking up 11 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown. Vereen supplemented his line with a typical two catches (on five targets) for 28 yards, but his season will now come to an abrupt end. Depending on his health, Jennings could return to the No. 1 spot in the RB pecking order next Monday night at Minnesota. However, Darkwa (10 rushes for 53 yards and one TD on Sunday) and Paul Perkins (active but no touches) are waiting in the wings in the event Jennings is out for the second game in a row.

Rawls will be sidelined for a few weeks due to a fibula injury, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Rawls' upcoming sideline stint comes after testing was conducted Monday to further investigate the lower-leg injury that forced him to miss Sunday's win over the 49ers. Unfortunately, those results deemed it necessary to rule him out for upcoming action, even though coach Pete Carroll's timetable of Rawls missing "a few weeks" leaves some room for clarification. In terms of a diagnosis, Rawls is dealing with a hairline fracture, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports. Regardless of the accompanying time out, what's certain is that Rawls' absence, which follows a season-ending ankle injury last year, should result in Christine Michael assuming the bulk of Seattle's backfield work, with rookie Alex Collins a likely alternative while fellow first-year player C.J. Prosise (hand) returns from injury.

Mathews' ankle stiffened during Sunday's game against the Steelers, explaining his light workload of just two carries, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Mathews reportedly had the same ankle that limited him before the preseason rolled on during his 22-carry Week 1 performance against the Browns. That discomfort contributed toward his combined 11 carries over the past two weeks, clarifying his situation to owners. Fortunately, the Eagles now have a Week 4 bye, giving Mathews extra time for his ankle's condition to improve. While coach Doug Pederson maintains Mathews is the Eagles' starting running back when healthy, he also revealed the veteran will continue to be subject to a rotation that includes Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner, thus adding a frustrating layer to Mathews' current injury situation.

Gillislee carried the ball three times for 20 yards during Sunday's win over Arizona, while seeing the field for 10 of the team's 64 offensive snaps.

Gillislee looked good on his runs, even though he lost the handle on one where the Bills were fortunate enough to recover. He only saw seven snaps combined in the first two games, so this is a good development as he cements his No. 2 standing behind LeSean McCoy after Anthony Lynn took over the offensive coordinator duties a week ago. Meanwhile, Reggie Bush didn't even see an offensive play, though rookie Jonathan Williams was on the field for six offensive snaps (three carries for two yards).

Drake started at running back and led the Dolphins' backfield with 27 offensive snaps Sunday against the Browns, Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post reports.

Drake figured to be the lead back in Week 3 with Arian Foster nursing a groin injury, and while he did lead the team in carries, he saw only a 39-percent share in the Dolphins' running back snaps. Jay Ajayi picked up 18 snaps and seven carries, Isaiah Pead saw 13 snaps and five carries, and Damien Williams was allotted 11 snaps, which he turned into 15 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown. Ajayi also got the Dolphins' only two carries in overtime, cashing one in for a game-winning touchdown. It is sure starting to sound like a backfield to avoid as far as fantasy goes, as the Dolphins are clearly not afraid to spread the workload around when rushing the ball.

Kelley rushed for seven yards on four attempts in Sunday's win over the Giants.

Kelley saw the field for the first time this season, as he was given the ball four times. While it wasn't a breakout performance, his presence on the field is a step in the right direction, as he looks to challenge Chris Thompson for second-string reps.