NFL Player News

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington struggled to find running lanes in the Week 11 win over the Lions, gaining 42 yards on 19 carries (2.2 ypc). Ellington caught all four of his targets for 24 yards, his third straight game with at least four grabs.

Over the last two games, Ellington has run 37 times for just 65 yards (1.8 ypc). He has another tough matchup Week 12 at Seattle.

Charges running back Ryan Mathews took the lead role back from  Branden Oliver in Week 11, after missing seven games with a knee injury.

The Chargers didn't really ease Mathews back in too much, as he touched the ball 17 times in the win. The blowout still left Oliver plenty of opportunities to contribute, as he added 13 carries, but was far less effective than Mathews, rushing for 34 fewer yards on just three fewer carries.

There is no question Mathews is the better option in the backfield, so it was good to see get something close to a full workload in his return. The Chargers trust Oliver enough to keep him involved, but Mathews is likely to get 15-20 touches per game. He should be a solid Fantasy option down the stretch, while Oliver will likely be just a handcuff option for Mathews owners.

Raiders running back Darren McFadden rushed for just 21 yards on eight carries while failing to catch any of his three targets in his team's 13-6 loss to the Chargers Sunday.

McFadden had trouble getting anything going in the running game, only gaining five yards twice on his best carries. He appeared to lose plenty of time to Latavius Murray in the fourth quarter after the youngster provided a spark late in the third. McFadden's 2.6 yards-per-carry mark Sunday represented his best total in his last three games, and it's possible the Raiders could feed Murray more in the late part of the season as they evaluate the roster for the future. The Raiders have a Thursday night matchup with the Chiefs on tap.

Raiders running back Latavius Murray led his team with 43 rushing yards on only four carries while catching three of his four targets for another 16 yards in his team's 13-6 loss to the Chargers in Week 11.

Murray didn't get his first carry of the game until late in the third quarter but ripped off gains of 14 and 23 yards to put his team in Chargers territory for the first time since the first quarter. The running back had just nine offensive touches coming into the day, but it's possible the team gives him more chances after he provided a spark in limited action Sunday. The Raiders have a quick turnaround to face the Chiefs Thursday.

The Falcons received minor contributions from several role players in Week 11 against Carolina.

In the running game, Jacquizz Rodgers carried the ball twice for 4 yards and caught three passes for 8 yards. In the passing game, Levine Toilolo caught two of the four passes thrown his way for 23 yards. Patrick DiMarco came down with two receptions for 14 yards.

The roulette wheel that is the Browns backfield landed on Isaiah Crowell in Week 11, as Terrance West and Ben Tate took a back seat in a 23-7 loss to the Texans.

Crowell got the bulk of the work Sunday, as he picked up 14 of the team's 24 carries Sunday, while hauling in the only two passes the team's backs had in the game. He rushed for 61 yards and had 91 all-purpose yards overall, though he also lost a fumble, his second lost fumble of the season.

Crowell, the undrafted rookie, has been the team's best option this season out of the backfield, though he had been limited to reserve work prior to Sunday's game. He leads the team in yards per carry and touchdowns, and it will be interesting to see whether they continue to look his way more down the stretch.

At this point, the Browns' backfield is a nightmare for Fantasy owners, so hopefully they can settle one lead back moving forward. For now, each player has his value, but none make sense as starters. 

The Browns were a mess Sunday against Houston, but several players did make small contributuons to their offensive effort.

Among them was tight end Jim Dray, who filled in admirably for usual starter Jordan Cameron with two catches for 46 yards. Not so proficient was wideout Miles Austin, who dropped two critical passes, one of which he bobbled into an interception down the stretch. Miles finished with three catches for 31 yards.

Running back Terrance West added 12 yards on five carries while wideout Travis Benjamin and tight end Gary Barnidge pitched in with one catch each.

Running back Jonathan Grimes led a trio of Texans making minor contributions to a critical win Sunday in Cleveland.

Grimes pitched in with 54 yards on 13 carries to help his team. Also chipping in was wide receiver Damaris Johnson with five catches for 21 yards, as well as one run for six yards, and fellow wideout Keshawn Martin, who caught one passes for two yards.

Even on a day when the offense had trouble getting much going, Broncos running back C.J. Anderson was still productive in a 22-7 loss to the Rams in Week 11.

Anderson was the only running back to receive carries for the Broncos, who abandoned the ground game early on. He rushed for just 29 yards on nine carries, but showed his abilities as a pass-catcher, hauling in eight for 86 yards in the loss.

Anderson had 22 Fantasy points last week and followed that up with 10 Sunday in an off-day. The Broncos' offense is so effective, it's hard for the lead running back not to put up big Fantasy numbers. As long as Anderson is getting the bulk of the work, there is little reason for Fantasy owners not to have him in their starting lineup.  

Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey got the start in Week 11 against the Redskins, but he quickly took a backseat to rookie Charles Sims in the 27-7 win.

Neither back was particularly effective in the win, but Rainey hardly got the chance to show what he could do. He finished the game with just 5 rushing yards on four carries, while Sims had 13 carries for 36 yards. The duo's struggles came against a Redskins defense that has allowed just one of their last four opponents to average more than 4 yards per carry on the ground.

Rainey has been productive when given the chance this season, but it looks like Sims might get the bulk of the work down the stretch. If you have to own one of the Bucs' backs, Sims looks like the one at this point.