NFL Player News

There are no surprises among those ruled out by the Dolphins for Sunday against the Jets. Those listed are guard Jonathan Martin (illness), cornerbacks Jamar Taylor (hamstring) and Dimitri Patterson (groin) and running back Daniel Thomas (ankle).

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington is questionable Week 13.

Ellington is dealing with a knee injury. He was limited in practice Thursday, but unable to get through practice Friday. He was seen earlier in the day with his knee wrapped. 

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington is dealing with a knee injury, according to azcentral.com.

Ellington was seen with his knee wrapped Friday morning. He said he's hopeful that he'll be able to play Week 13. The team is set to practice shortly, but it's unclear how much work he'll be able to do.

Ravens running back Bernard Pierce didn't do much in Week 13 against the Steelers, but he still finished with his best performance in seven games in a 22-20 win.

Pierce led the team with 35 yards rushing on nine attempts, though was less effective in the passing game. Pierce hauled in all three of the passes thrown his way, but managed just 4 yards.

Pierce continues to see a decent workload, but has largely struggled to do much with it. He enters Week 14 against the Vikings with just 344 yards on 123 carries. 

Raiders running back Darren McFadden returned to the lineup Week 13 at Dallas after missing three games with a hamstring injury. However, he didn't get a lot of work as Oakland continued to ride the hot hand of Rashad Jennings, who scored two touchdowns in a 31-24 loss.

McFadden finished with just five carries for 13 yards. His longest rush went 6 yards and McFadden had just three carries by halftime.

While McFadden didn't get a lot of work Thursday, his workload could increase Week 14 at N.Y. Jets after Jennings left the game late against the Cowboys with a concussion. If he's out next week, then McFadden will likely return to a feature role in the backfield.

Chargers running back Ryan Mathews returned to practice Thursday after sitting out Wednesday to rest a hamstring injury. Coach Mike McCoy said Mathews was limited Thursday "more (for) rest than anything," according to U-T San Diego.

The Chargers host the Bengals Week 13.

Cardinals running back Andre Ellington was added to the injury report Thursday with a knee injury. He was listed as limited in practice as the team prepares for Week 13 at Philadelphia.

As expected, Raiders running back Darren McFadden returned to action Week 13 at Dallas (Thursday) after sitting out three games with a hamstring injury. McFadden was listed as questionable despite practicing all week.

Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson has made a bigger impact on special teams than he has on offense in his rookie season. Patterson is averaging 34 yards per kickoff return, which leads the NFL, and he has returned two kicks for touchdowns, including one 105 yards in Week 2 against the Bears.

In leagues that reward for special teams yards, Patterson is a decent Fantasy option. Unfortunately, in most standard and PPR formats, he's yet to blossom. Though, Patterson did show some potential for a late-season surge in Week 12 at Green Bay, when he totaled a career-high eight catches for 54 yards.

Patterson now heads into Week 13 vs. Chicago looking to build off his Week 12 performance. Wide receivers have had moderate success against the Bears. They have averaged 142.3 receiving yards and 20.4 Fantasy points per week through 11 games. Wide receivers have also totaled 11 touchdowns against Chicago.

The Vikings don't exactly have a great passing offense. The Vikings are averaging 207 passing yards per game (25th). They also have just 11 passing touchdowns, which is tied for the third-fewest amount in the NFL.

Patterson could be considered a desperation Fantasy option in deep PPR formats Week 13, but the first-round pick still isn't a great option in standard formats.

Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey -- who broke out with a 163-yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 11 against the Falcons -- came back to earth in Week 12, gaining just 35 yards on 18 carries against Detroit.

Week 13 brings a matchup against the Panthers, who have been brutal against opposing running backs, allowing the fifth-fewest Fantasy points per game. They've allowed four touchdowns to running backs all season, and just one -- C.J. Spiller -- has run for 100 yards.

Rainey has breakout potential -- and the Bucs have been far more balanced with the pass and run recently (Mike Glennon has averaged 22 pass attempts in each of the past four games), so he could see 18-20 carries -- but this is a tough matchup. If better options are available, Rainey can be left on the bench.