Vereen (illness) is expected to play Sunday against the Bears, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

We'll verify Vereen's status in advance of Sunday's 1:00 ET kickoff, but it looks like the illness that caused the running back to miss Friday's practice won't prevent him from suiting up in Week 8 against the Bears.

Vereen (illness) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bears, the Boston Herald reports.

Though we'd be surprised if the illness that sidelined Vereen during Friday's practice affects his Sunday status, those planning to start the running back this week are advised to verify his availability in advance of Sunday's 1:00 ET kickoff. Based on his usage in the absence of Stevan Ridley in Week 7, Vereen appears to be in line to head the Patriots' Week 8 rushing attack, with Jonas Gray and Brandon Bolden working in complementary roles.

Vereen, who was not spotted at practice Friday, is feeling under the weather, per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

While the report does not specify the nature of Vereen's illness, the running back's absence from Friday's practice is evidently not injury-related. We'll revisit Vereen's status for Sunday's game against the Bears once the Patriots release their Week 8 injury report later Friday.

Vereen was not seen at practice Friday, the Boston Globe's Michael Whitmer reports.

Vereen has not been listed on the injury report this week, so this absence is surprising and somewhat concerning just two days away from Sunday's matchup with the Bears. Then again, it could just be a day of rest, so the most fantasy owners can do is sit and wait until the Patriots reveal more information.

Vereen had five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown, adding 12 carries for 47 yards, in Thursday's 27-25 win over the Jets.

Vereen's first game sans-Stevan Ridley (torn ACL) went as well as owners could have hoped for, with Vereen getting 12 of the team's 15 carries, while RB Jonas Gray got two and Brandon Bolden only had a reception. As encouraging as the split of carries was, Vereen really did his damage through the air, highlighted by a wide-open, 49-yard touchdown on the game's fourth play from scrimmage. He finished third on the team with eight targets, trailing only TE Rob Gronkowski (10) and WR Julian Edelman (nine). While there's no guarantee that he'll be used in the same way in coming weeks, Vereen got the snaps near the Jets' end zone, and then got two of the three carries on the Pats' final, clock-killing drive. He should get plenty of touches in a Week 8 matchup with the Bears.

With Stevan Ridley out for the season, Vereen figures to see added opportunities in the Patriots' offense in the coming weeks.

In the absence of Ridley, the Patriots figure to employ a combination of Vereen, Brandon Bolden and James White, with other moves to bolster the team's backfield depth possible in the coming days. While Vereen owners would no doubt relish the thought of him assuming a lead role, we suspect that the void created by Ridley's injury will be handled in a committee fashion. At the very least, however, starting Thursday against the Jets, Vereen (who is already normally a factor in the team's passing game) figures to see more touches than he did in Week 6, when he carried just five times for four yards and caught one pass for three yards.

Vereen carried five times for four yards and recorded one catch for three yards in Sunday's 37-22 win over the Bills.

While the effort was a fantasy dud for Vereen, if Stevan Ridley is forced to miss time with a knee issue, then Vereen is candidate to see added touches in the coming weeks, along with Brandon Bolden (six carries for 10 yards Sunday) and James White.

Vereen had 90 yards on nine carries and 18 yards on three receptions in Sunday's 43-17 win over the Bengals.

Stevan Ridley dominated the first quarter and ultimately finished with a 27-113-1 rushing line, while James Develin and Brandon Bolden combined for eight yards on three carries. Vereen earned his impressive yardage total without a huge play, as five of his nine carries gained 10 yards or more. All things considered, it was an encouraging showing for Vereen, as the game circumstances worked more in Ridley's favor, and the New England offensive line was much improved from previous weeks. Vereen gets a tricky road matchup with the Bills in Week 6.

Vereen had 41 yards on five receptions and 26 yards on eight carries in Monday's 41-14 loss to the Chiefs.

New England's deficit favored Vereen over Stevan Ridley, but the team's inability to move the ball didn't work in anyone's favor. Though he caught all five of his targets, Vereen was arguably part of the problem, as he looked hesitant on most of his carries, notably coming up short of the first-down marker on a pair of plays where he probably could have plowed ahead for the needed yardage. Of course, Vereen's fantasy appeal doesn't come from any expectation of tough running, but rather from his involvement in the passing game. While his 14 receptions and 20 targets through four games are disappointing for fantasy owners, Vereen still figures to have some big days in PPR leagues. Next week's matchup with the Bengals, while obvious difficult, at least seems to favor Vereen over Ridley.

Vereen (shoulder) carried the ball seven times for for 20 yards and caught four passes for 17 yards in Sunday's 16-9 win over the Raiders.

Meanwhile Stevan Ridley carried 19 times for 54 yards in the game, and as long as he sees the bulk of the Patriots' carries, Vereen figures to do most of his damage as a pass-catcher out of the team's backfield.

Vereen (shoulder) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Raiders.�

Vereen is out there if you need him this week and assuming no issues with his shoulder, we'd expect him to see more touches Sunday -- in particular in the passing game -- than he did in Week 2, when the Patriots leaned heavily on the power running of Stevan Ridley in a 30-7 win over the Vikings.

Vereen (shoulder) is expected to play Sunday against the Raiders, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

We'll verify Vereen's status, either way, as Sunday's 1:00 ET kickoff approaches, but Schefter's report suggests that the running back seems likely to give it a go through his shoulder issue on Sunday.

Vereen (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Raiders, the Patriots' official site reports.

Vereen, practiced in a limited fashion this week, generally a decent sign, but given that he is among the six Patriots' players who enter the game with a questionable designation, his status is worth monitoring in advance of Sunday's 1:00 ET kickoff.

Vereen (shoulder) was listed as a limited practice participant Thursday, the Patriots' official site reports.

We'll revisit Vereen's status Friday, but so far there's nothing to suggest that his Week 3 status is in any peril.

Vereen (shoulder) was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports.

We'll track Vereen's status in the coming days, though so far we haven't heard anything to suggest that the running back's availability for Sunday's game against the Raiders might be in question.

Vereen carried six times for 40 yards and caught one pass for zero yards in Sunday's 30-7 win over the Vikings.

Meanwhile, fellow RB Stevan Ridley carried 25 times for 101 yards in a contest in which the Patriots weren't forced to lean much on the passing game. In the coming weeks, we would expect Vereen to help out PPR owners more often than not, but through two games he has recorded just 13 carries.

Vereen was on the field for 61-of-86 snaps on offense in Sunday's loss to the Dolphins, ESPN.com reports.

Meanwhile, fellow RB Stevan Ridley saw 22 snaps, though he edged Vereen in the carry department, 8-7. Vereen's PPR utility is established, but if such a ratio extends beyond Week 1, the overall fantasy value of Vereen -- who recorded 36 rushing yards and 35 receiving yards on Sunday -- will be solidified.

Vereen carried seven times for 36 yards and a TD and caught five passes for 35 yards (on eight targets) in Sunday's 33-20 loss to the Dolphins.

Meanwhile, fellow RB Stevan Ridley carried eight times for 21 yards and caught two passes for seven yards in the game. While there's a time-share in terms of carries in play here, as expected, Vereen was a key cog in the Patriots' passing game in Week 1, which reinforces his standing in PPR formats.

Vereen had five receptions for 57 yards and two touchdowns and six carries for 18 yards in Friday's preseason game against the Panthers.

The Patriots went with a heavy dose of Vereen in the first half, as he even got the starting nod over Stevan Ridley. While Ridley and, to a lesser extent, James White figure to have roles in the offense, Vereen has the most secure role as a pass-catching specialist with the ability to contribute on the ground.

Vereen was on the field for 7-of-91 of the Patriots' snaps on offense in Friday's preseason contest against the Eagles, ESPN.com reports.

While Vereen didn't record a carry in his limited workload Friday, he did notch two catches for 21 yards in the contest. With LeGarrette Blount no longer in the Patriots' backfield mix, Vereen is in line to work this season in tandem with Stevan Ridley and rookie James White. Vereen's projected role as pass-catcher out of the backfield puts him on track to be a productive PPR option, but it remains to be seen how big a share of the team's carries he'll see. While Ridley is probably the best suited among the team's RB options to handle early-down work, he's had issues with fumbles. If they persist, Vereen and/or White would presumably be in a position to receive added touches in the New England offense.