NFL Player News
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Raheim Sanders RB | CLE
Browns' Raheim Sanders: Activated but does not play
Sanders was added to the active roster but did not play in Sunday's 31-3 loss to the Bears in Week 15.
Sanders was poised to pick up some opportunities for the first time since the season opener, as both Dylan Sampson (calf) and Jerome Ford (shoulder) were unavailable, but it was the newly signed Trayveon Williams who served as the top backup to Quinshon Judkins. It speaks volumes that Sanders, who has been with the team all season and is familiar with the playbook, did not get on the field.
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Trayveon Williams RB | CLE
Browns' Trayveon Williams: Debuts for Cleveland
Williams had one carry for three yards and caught both of his targets for four yards in Sunday's 31-3 loss to Chicago in Week 15. He also returned two kickoffs for 41 yards.
Williams, who was signed off the Chargers' practice squad early in the week, was making his Cleveland debut. The Browns were down two backs, as both Dylan Sampson (calf) and Jerome Ford (shoulder) were unavailable. It's noteworthy that Williams was allotted 19 snaps, while Raheim Sanders, who has been with the Browns all season, was active but did not play. Once Sampson is healthy enough to play, Williams will slip back a spot on the depth chart, if not off the roster entirely.
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Chuba Hubbard RB | CAR
Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Held to 38 yards
Hubbard rushed the ball eight times for 29 yards in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Saints. He added one reception on one target for nine yards.
Hubbard looked to be regaining momentum in the Carolina backfield, but he operated as a clear secondary option to Rico Dowdle in Sunday's loss. Hubbard managed only nine touches compared to 17 for Dowdle, and he's now been held below 50 yards from scrimmage in six of the Panthers' last seven games.
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RJ Harvey RB | DEN
Broncos' RJ Harvey: Reaches end zone again
Harvey rushed the ball 19 times for 65 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-26 win over the Packers. He did not catch his only target.
Harvey got off to a tough start, as he fumbled on Denver's opening possession and his third touch of the game. He was benched for the team's next possession, though he was the team's lead back from there and managed a season-high carry total. As has been the case for most of his rookie season, Harvey wasn't efficient, with his longest gain of the night going for only eight yards. However, he did manage to punch in a four-yard rushing score late in the contest, his third straight game reaching the end zone. With J.K. Dobbins (foot) still likely to be sidelined for the foreseeable future, Harvey's role as the lead back looks secure, and he has a minimum of 16 touches in each of his last three games.
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Zach Charbonnet RB | SEA
Seahawks' Zach Charbonnet: Leading rusher on eight carries
Charbonnet rushed eight times for 31 yards while failing to secure his only target in Sunday's 18-16 win over Indianapolis.
Charbonnet was the Seahawks' leading rusher despite finishing with single-digit carries for the fifth time this season. Starter Kenneth Walker continued his recent struggles with an abysmal 9-17-0 rushing line, resulting in no Seattle players averaging over four yards per carry Sunday. Charbonnet has provided a solid baseline for those in deeper fantasy leagues while serving as a touchdown-dependent asset in standard formats for week 16.
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Ameer Abdullah RB | IND
Colts' Ameer Abdullah: Leads team in receiving Sunday
Abdullah rushed four times for 15 yards and caught all five of his targets for 32 yards in Sunday's 18-16 loss to the Seahawks.
Abdullah benefited from having Philip Rivers take over under center for the injured Daniel Jones (Achilles) after the backup running back finished as the Colts' leading receiver Sunday. The 32-year-old Abdullah hadn't recorded more than two receptions in any of his previous nine appearances this season, but the higher target share could become a trend with Rivers needing to make plenty of check-down passes to preserve his own health down the stretch. Abdullah represents a sneaky play in Week 16 for those in deep PPR formats, but the veteran backup can safely be ignored elsewhere.
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Emanuel Wilson RB | GB
Packers' Emanuel Wilson: Two carries in Week 15 loss
Wilson (illness) rushed twice for three yards and wasn't targeted in Sunday's 34-26 loss to the Broncos. He also returned four kickoffs for 95 yards.
Wilson played through a questionable tag but so did starter Josh Jacobs (knee), who had 92 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 14 touches to lead Green Bay's backfield as usual. Chris Brooks had two carries for 10 yards and caught one of two targets for six yards as both backups played sparingly. Wilson's role is unlikely to grow as long as Jacobs is available Saturday against the Bears.
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Blake Corum RB | LAR
Rams' Blake Corum: Punches in fifth TD this season
Corum took 11 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown without garnering a target in Sunday's 41-34 win over Detroit.
Corum kept up his recent string of hot play in fantasy by scoring his fifth touchdown of the season in the second half of Sunday's shootout win. Four of the five scores have come over the talented backup's last three appearances, a span in which he is also averaging 9.3 yards per carry. Kyren Williams (15-78-2) is still the lead back for the Rams, and Corum's value is being boosted by some favorable situations combined with unsustainable efficiency. Fantasy managers should continue to ride Corum's wave of production while also being aware that his touches are capped while sitting behind Williams on the depth chart.
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Javonte Williams RB | DAL
Cowboys' Javonte Williams: Strong showing after injury scare
Williams rushed the ball 15 times for 91 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-26 loss to the Vikings.
Williams picked up 13 yards and a touchdown on the Cowboys' first offensive possession, but he then sat out the rest of the first half with a shoulder injury. While he rotated with Malik Davis more than usual in the second half, Williams managed to run and put together a good showing with chunk gains of 21, 15 and 11 yards in the final two quarters. After averaging only 3.4 yards per carry combined across the last two games, this was a solid bounceback effort for Williams, particularly considering he almost certainly wasn't playing at 100 percent.
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Aaron Jones RB | MIN
Vikings' Aaron Jones: Gains 65 yards on 15 touches
Jones took 12 carries for 34 yards while catching all three of his targets for 31 yards in Sunday's 34-26 win over the Cowboys.
Jones has been limited in recent practice weeks with a nagging shoulder injury picked up back in Week 9, but it has yet to affect the veteran's workload or status once game days roll around. Backup Jordan Mason (10-29-0) continues to split backfield duties with Jones, giving both runners modest fantasy value as flex options on a weekly basis. It wouldn't be surprising to see Jones limited in practice again in Week 16, but managers should prepare to deploy Minnesota's veteran starter in a plus matchup against the Giants next Sunday.