NFL Player News

The Buccaneers have ruled out a pair of running backs for Week 9 against the Seahawks, due to lingering injury concerns. Doug Martin (shoulder) and Jeff Demps (groin) are both unsurprisingly out for Sunday's game.

Several key Patriots players appear set to play Sunday against Pittsburgh, including pass-catchers Danny Amendola (wrist), Rob Gronkowski (back, forearm, hamstring) and Julian Edelman (thigh). All have been deemed probable.

Also receiving that designation were running back Brandon Bolden (knee), offensive lineman Marcus Cannon (shoulder) and wide receiver Matthew Slater (wrist).

The Ravens have been decimated with injuries this season, but are getting healthy in a hurry. Only seven players dot their Friday injury report and all but two are probable for Sunday in Cleveland.

The bad news is that starting guard Kelechi Osemele (back) will need back surgery and could be out for the year. Wide receiver Brandon Stokley (thigh) is questionable.

Probable for the game are nose tackle Terrence Cody (knee), offensive linemen Ryan Jensen (foot) and Michael Oher (ankle), linebacker Josh Bynes (finger/thigh) and running back Bernard Pierce (thigh).

Rams backup running backs Daryl Richardson and Benny Cunningham are listed as questionable Week 9 against the Titans.

Richardson was unable to practice Friday due to a toe/foot injury. Cunningham was able to practice all week. Zac Stacy is also questionable this week, so it's unclear who the team will start.

Vikings RB Matt Asiata, CB Chris Cook, TE Rhett Ellison and DT Fred Evans have been ruled out Week 9 against the Cowboys. 

Evans was the only player to take part in practice this week. He was limited Thursday, but was unable to go Friday. 

The Vikings travel to Dallas in Week 9, but none of their receiving options in Greg Jennings, Jerome Simpson or Cordarrelle Patterson are worth starting in the majority of Fantasy leagues.

The Vikings haven't had a receiver score a touchdown or gain more than 45 yards since Week 4 against Pittsburgh in London. In fact, that was the only game this season where Minnesota had a receiver score a touchdown when Jenning scored twice.

This is actually a favorable matchup for the Vikings since Dallas has allowed seven receivers to reach double digits in Fantasy points and eight touchdowns. But based on what we've seen of this passing game, it's hard to trust anyone in Minnesota right now aside from Adrian Peterson.

Rank the Minnesota receivers in this order: Jennings, Simpson, Patterson since Jennings has gotten more targets than Simpson the past three games at 23-19. But none of these receivers should be considered starting options outside of deep three-receiver formats.

Dolphins running back Daniel Thomas received a healthy workload in Week 9 against the Bengals, but did little with it in a 22-20 overtime win.  

Thomas rushed for just 38 yards despite receiving 12 carries, and he did little else. He was held out of the end zone, and had just one reception for 4 yards.

Thomas has looked better as the season has gone on, but has been overshadowed by Lamar Miller over the last few games. He will try to put an end to that trend in Week 10 against the Buccaneers. 

Colts running back Donald Brown will be seeking for more touches in a favorable macthup against the Texans in Week 9.

Brown seems to be a better fit for Indianapolis' offense early on and has been more productive than Trent Richardson as of late. Brown gained 23 yards and got a season-high 11 carries in Week 7 against Denver. He also caught three passes for a season-high 42 yards. Richardson on has two catches out of the backfield since joining the Colts.

Brown will face a Houston defense that has allowed 122.1 yards per game on the ground, which is the fifth most allowed in the league. Opposing running backs have scored 16.57 Fantasy points per game against the Texans this season.

Although there's a chance that he'll get just about the same amount of touches as Richardson, Fantasy owners should still seek better alternatives this week. Consider him a low-end option in deeper formats heading into Week 9.

Rams running back Daryl Richardson finds himself on the injury report in Week 9, as he was limited in practice Thursday. Richardson's status for Sunday's game against the Titans will be determined after Friday's practice. 

Colts running back Trent Richardson could be in for a bounce back performance heading into Sunday's contest against the Texans in Week 9.

Richardson has not been productive since being traded to Indianapolis before Week 3. Fortunately for him, the Texans have been dreadful against the run and will be without linebacker Brian Cushing for the remainder of the season. Houston has allowed 122.1 yards per game on the ground, which is the fifth most allowed in the league.

The problem for Richardson is that he has been losing snaps to Donald Brown, who may be a better fit for Indianapolis' offense. Richardson has not scored in three straight games and has not topped 60 yards in a game all year. Opposing running backs have scored 16.57 Fantasy points per game against the Texans this season.

Richardson has a favorable matchup this week, which could be exactly what he needs to get back on track. Consider him a decent option in deeper Fantasy formats heading into Week 9.