McFadden could be included among the Cowboys' seven inactives for the Week 7 matchup with the 49ers after starting running back Ezekiel Elliott was granted a temporary restraining order Tuesday for his six-game suspension, the Associated Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

Since being handed the suspension during the preseason in August, Elliott has had the ban overturned twice by the courts, and it remains unlikely that the saga has concluded. However, the most recent legal decision at least tentatively puts Elliott on track to play Sunday against San Francisco, meaning that McFadden will likely miss out on an opportunity to earn his first snaps of 2017. With Elliott having suited up in all five games to date, Alfred Morris has acted as his primary backup, while the lone other running back on the roster, Rod Smith, has seen the bulk of his snaps on special teams. Since McFadden doesn't offer any value on the special teams units, the Cowboys have little reason to keep him active as a third-string option when all of their other running backs are available.

McFadden could find himself with a role in the Cowboys' offense following the team's Week 6 bye if fellow running back Ezekiel Elliott is forced to begin serving the six-game suspension he was handed by the NFL.

EDGE Analysis

McFadden has been a healthy inactive all season, but if Elliott is ultimately suspended, the Cowboys would likely turn to either him or Alfred Morris as the team's top running back. Morris has been the No. 2 option behind Elliott all season, but McFadden has shown the Cowboys he is capable of handling primary ball-carrier duties, running for over 1,000 yards just two years ago, so the team could decide to look his direction despite the way the depth chart has looked up to this point.

McFadden (coach's decision) is listed as inactive Sunday against the Packers, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

A healthy scratch in every game this season, McFadden will likely be a regular on the inactive list unless Ezekiel Elliott's legal prospects take a turn for the worse. The other options is an injury afflicting either Elliott or Alfred Morris. In the end, McFadden isn't deserving of a roster spot in the majority of formats.

McFadden (coach's decision) is listed as inactive Monday at Arizona, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

For the third time in as many games to begin the season, Alfred Morris and not McFadden will serve as the primary backup to Ezekiel Elliott. McFadden's best chance at active status is likely a change in the legal proceedings surrounding Elliott's pending suspension, though an injury to Elliott or Morris would also do the trick.

McFadden (coach's decision) was inactive for Sunday's 42-17 loss to the Broncos, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's becoming increasingly clear that Alfred Morris is the true backup to Ezekiel Elliott at this point, as McFadden was a healthy scratch for the second time in as many weeks Sunday.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday it remains a close competition between McFadden and Alfred Morris for the top backup running back job, Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

EDGE Analysis

After being inactive for the Cowboys' season-opening win over the Giants on Sunday, McFadden remains behind Morris on the depth chart, but Morris didn't do much to create separation in the battle for backup duties behind starter Ezekiel Elliott, as he logged just eight snaps and gained one yard on four carries. While neither McFadden nor Morris will be in store for a bounty of snaps in any given week while Elliott is healthy, the two players could take on greater importance later on in the season in the event that Elliott ends up having to serve a portion or all of the six-game suspension the NFL initially handed him in August. Elliott received a preliminary injuction last week from a Texas district court that will allow him to continue playing while the legal process unfolds, but the NFL's recent decision to appeal the injuction could result in Elliott's status being somewhat uncertain from week to week until a resolution is reached.

McFadden (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Giants, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

With no injury reported during the week, it appears McFadden has simply fallen behind Alfred Morris for the No. 2 running back job. The team wants its No. 3 back to contribute on special teams, so Rod Smith will be active over McFadden. There wasn't any real hint of this prior to Sunday, though Morris did outplay McFadden during the preseason. Morris instantly becomes the preferred handcuff for Elliott owners.

McFadden's backfield mate Ezekiel Elliott (suspension) is eligible to play Sunday against the Giants, ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert reports.

EDGE Analysis

Elliott's six-game suspension was upheld by arbitrator Harold Henderson, but the NFL decided the running back can still play Week 1 because a federal court has yet to rule on the NFLPA's request for a temporary restraining order that would put the suspension on hold while Elliott pursues a lawsuit to have it overturned. The court is expected to make a ruling by Friday, at which point there will be some level of clarity regarding Elliott's availability (and McFadden's likely role) this season. McFadden will have a tough time getting more than a handful of touches whenever Elliott is available.

McFadden rushed nine times for 59 yards and lost a fumble while catching his lone target for four yards in Saturday's preseason Week 2 win over the Colts.

EDGE Analysis

McFadden and Alfred Morris both got work with the first-team offense, though the latter didn't see his first carry until McFadden had already rushed seven times. While the former Raider averaged a robust 6.6 yards per carry, he didn't do himself any favors by putting the ball on the ground in the red zone. Still, McFadden will prove valuable during Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension if this workload breakdown carries over into the regular season.

McFadden is expected to start in Ezekiel Elliott's (suspension) absence for the first six games of the regular season, Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News reports.

EDGE Analysis

McFadden said he's been preparing like he's the top guy in Dallas' backfield, and following Friday's news that Elliott will be sidelined until Week 8, it appears the veteran will indeed return to a prominent role. In the wake of DeMarco Murray's departure, McFadden started 10 games during the 2015 season, when he finished with 1,089 rushing yards and three touchdowns, and caught 40 passes for 328 more yards. Although injury limited him to just three appearances last season, McFadden has years of starting experience, as does Alfred Morris, who figures to serve as the Cowboys' No. 2 back in Elliott's absence.