NFL Player News

Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman had a bad day running the ball Week 9 at New England, picking up 16 yards on 10 carries, but because he scored two touchdowns -- one rushing and one receiving -- his Fantasy owners didn't care much. The performance could make them a little more reluctant to start him Week 10 at Oakland, though, especially with Montee Ball back practicing after missing the last four games with a groin injury.

The matchup is so favorable that you can start Hillman with confidence. The Raiders rank 27th against the run, allowing 132.5 yards per game, and have given up the second-most Fantasy points per game to running backs. And since the Raiders are a poor offensive team, the Broncos should pull away early, making them even more likely to run the ball later in the game.

As for Ball, again, the Broncos may run so much that it won't matter if he returns. He has already said Hillman deserves to remain the starter, though, so he would likely be just a change-of-pace option anyway.

Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard both rank Hillman among their top 10 running backs for Week 10, so that should give you confidence.

Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith said Thursday he expects rookie running back Charles Sims to make his debut Sunday against the Falcons. Sims has been sidelined all season due to an ankle injury, which required surgery prior to the start of the season.

Sims was activated off short-term injured reserve Saturday. However, he was placed on the inactive list for Week 9 at Cleveland.

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin missed a second straight practice Thursday due to a lingering ankle injury, which kept him out Week 9 at Cleveland. The Bucs are preparing to play the Falcons in Week 10.

Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey validated himself again Week 9 at Cleveland, contributing more than 100 total yards of offense as a fill-in for Doug Martin. So with Martin still nursing an ankle injury, Rainey should be in line for similar numbers Week 10 against Atlanta, right?

Not necessarily. See, rumor has it rookie Charles Sims is finally going to be activated after missing the first nine weeks because of ankle surgery. With their starter down for a favorable matchup, why wouldn't the Buccaneers give him a try?

Well, because he'll be playing for the first time ever after rehabilitating a serious injury, and the Buccaneers, as you may have heard, already have a pretty good running back in Rainey. That doesn't mean Sims can't overtake Rainey (and Martin) in time, but I suspect it'll be a gradual thing.

If the Buccaneers fall behind big like they did in their first meeting with the Falcons back in Week 3, every down will be a passing down, and they've always liked using Rainey in those situations (he had seven catches for 64 yards in Week 3). But even if that doesn't happen, Rainey is an advisable play since he should still get the majority of the carries. The Falcons rank 25th against the run, allowing 128.0 yards per game, and have given up the most Fantasy points per game to running backs.

Buccaneers rookie running back Charles Sims, who's expected to make his NFL debut Sunday against the Falcons, was limited in practice Wednesday, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Sims underwent ankle surgery right before the season.

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin remained sidelined Wednesday as the team prepared for Sunday's game against the Falcons. Martin missed the Week 9 loss at Cleveland with an ankle injury.

Chargers running back Ryan Mathews practiced again Wednesday and is all but set to play in Week 11 against Oakland. He has been out since Week 3 with a knee injury.

Mathews is expected to return to the featured back spot. Backup Brandon Oliver has just 55 yards on his last 26 carries.

Chargers running back Ryan Mathews, who's missed seven straight games with a knee injury, practiced Wednesday, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune. With San Diego on a bye Week 10, Mathews is "fully expected" to return Week 11 against the Raiders, the paper said.

The Browns' decision to move Terrance West into the top spot on their running back hierarchy didn't really pay dividends for them in Week 9 against the Buccaneers, but things could work out better in Week 10 against the Bengals Thursday.

The Bengals opened the season doing a solid job against running backs, but their defense has fallen apart since their Week 4 bye. Over the last five games, eight different running backs have racked up at least nine Fantasy points against the Bengals, a stat that also bodes well for recently deposed starter Ben Tate.

Tate and West shared the workload pretty evenly last week, though Tate had the edge in carries (13 to 10) and snaps (55 percent to 45 percent). Still, with this kind of matchup on the way, Fantasy owners might find some value in both players. West seems like the better play in Week 10, but both could find their way into your lineup if you have bye weeks or injuries leaving you shallow at the position. 

Although Dolphins running back Lamar Miller is considered day to day with an AC joint sprain, there is a good chance he will play Week 10 against the Lions, according to the Miami Herald. 

Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor provided no insight Monday about Miller's availability for Sunday's game, but he didn't seem overly concerned about the team being without Miller. If Miller is sidelined, Daniel Thomas or Damien Williams will start at running back.

"If Lamar needs [rest] and he comes out, very infrequently do I start calling the game differently," Lazor said. "Sometimes if it is long-term, we would have to think about it and consider what they do best because I think that’s what the smart thing is -- to do what guys do best. For the most part, we don’t have a million different runs. For the most part, they all have been working out all the runs that we do well. I think we’ll be able to trust all of them."

Miller has started every game this season for the Dolphins. He is the team's leading rusher with 518 yards. He is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and has six touchdowns (five rushing) through eight games.