Gray (not injury related) is slated to be active for Sunday's game against the Lions after missing Friday's practice for reporting late to the Patriots' facilty, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports. The report adds that the Patriots are expected to make LeGarrette Blount active Sunday, with CBS's Jason LaCanfora suggesting that game-flow and production are likely to determine how much work Gray sees Sunday on the heels of his 201-yard, four-touchdown effort against the Colts last week. In any case, we'd expect Gray to see his share of Week 12 action, though facing a tough Detroit run defense, it wouldn't be surprising to see a scenario unfold in which the flow of Sunday's game leads to fellow RB Shane Vereen seeing a more prominent role than he saw in the team's Week 11 backfield, given his ability as a pass-catcher.

Gray (not injury related) is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Lions, the Patriots' official site reports. Per ESPN.com, Gray didn't practice Friday because he didn't report to the Patriots' facility on time, noting that coach Bill Belichick's policy is that if a player is late, he doesn't practice that day. It remains to be seen if Friday's development impacts Gray's playing time Sunday at all, but it's worth noting that when a similar scenario occurred with Darrelle Revis earlier this season, the cornerback's playing time was not impacted. In any case, while Gray is coming off a 201-yard, four-touchdown effort against the Colts this past Sunday, he figures to find production harder to come by this weekend, with the Patriots facing a Lions' defense that is giving up a league-low average of 68.8 rushing yards per game to date.

Gray missed Friday's practice after reporting late to the Patriots' facility, the Providence Journal reports. The report confirms that Gray is not injured, but it remains to be seen if his tardiness affects his playing time against the Lions this weekend at all. Gray is coming off a 201-yard, four-touchdown effort against the Colts this past Sunday, but a tough matchup against Detroit, as well as Friday's development, appear to be cause to temper expectations some with regard to his Week 12 fantasy prospects.

Gray (unspecified reason) was not present during the media-access portion of Friday's practice, the Boston Herald reports. More on Gray's status no later than the release of Friday's injury report, but the running back has been practicing fully this week, so his absence for the start of Friday's practice is both worth noting and tracking until the reason for it is clarified.

The Boston Globe suggests that the Patriots' addition of LeGarrette Blount is more about adding depth -- both short-term and for 2015 -- than it is about any potential plans to replace Gray as the team's power back. As ESPN's Mike Reiss notes, the Patriots "are known to ride the hot hand," and Gray is, after all, coming off a 201-yard, four-touchdown effort against the Colts this past Sunday. That said, based on this week's matchup, Gray figures to find both yards and TDs harder to come by this weekend, with the Patriots facing a Detroit defense that is giving up a league-low average of 68.8 rushing yards per game to date. Regardless of whether or not Blount is in uniform Sunday, we'd expect Gray to see plenty of Week 12 action, though it's not hard to imagine a scenario in which the flow of the game leads to Shane Vereen seeing a more prominent role than he saw in the team's Week 11 backfield.

An official stat change has resulted in Gray being credited with 37 carries for 201 yards this past Sunday against the Colts, rather than 38 carries for 199 yards, ESPN.com reports. Things just keep getting better for those who rolled with Gray (who scored four TDs in the contest) in Week 11, especially for those in leagues that award bonuses for 200 rushing yards. In any case, Gray's stock is rising following his big game against the Colts, though he's likely to find both yards and TDs harder to come this weekend, with the Patriots facing the Lions, who are giving up a league-low average of 68.8 rushing yards per game to date.

Gray had 38 carries for 199 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday's 42-20 win over the Colts. Instead of relying on Tom Brady's arm like in previous weeks, the Patriots went with a heavy dose of Gray. The 2013 UDFA rewarded the gameplan, while Shane Vereen had four receptions but just one carry. The Patriots had mostly been using Vereen and spread formations since Stevan Ridley suffered a season-ending knee injury, but Sunday's game may restore faith in the power running game. Gray and the offensive line both played very well, and the 24-year-old back stayed in the game after the two-minute warning. He hit pay dirt from four, two, two and one yards out, going 4-for-4 on carries from inside the five-yard line. As we've seen with Ridley, the power role in New England's offense can be lucrative some weeks, especially when the team is winning. The downside is that Gray won't catch many passes, which means he'll likely have a limited role when the team is trailing or unable to run. As great as Gray was on Sunday against Indianapolis, the Patriots' Week 12 matchup with the Lions seemingly favors Vereen's role.

Gray ran for 33 yards on 12 carries in Sunday's 43-21 win over the Broncos. He was targeted once, but did not have a reception. Gray was actually very quiet, until he had six carries for 19 yards on New England's final possession of the game. Meanwhile, Shane Vereen had 11 carries for 29 yards and caught 5-of-10 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. There's very little doubt that Vereen is the superior pass catcher, but Gray did get some snaps around the goal line, although he did not score. The opponent and game flow will dictate Gray's usage, but he's clearly ahead of Brandon Bolden, who did not record a touch, and an inactive James White.

Gray carried 17 times for 86 yards in Sunday's 51-23 win over the Bears. Meanwhile, Shane Vereen, who was the team's busiest back in Week 7 -- carried five times for 22 yards and James White carried six times for 17 yards in the contest. While there figures to be weeks where Vereen (who also caught three passes for 23 yards Sunday) sees added touches, at this stage, per ESPN's Mike Reiss, the 5-10, 230-pound Gray appears to have assumed the team's "big back" duties, previously held by Stevan Ridley, who is now on IR. It's an assignment that can result in some hit-or-miss production, but one that nonetheless carries fantasy utility.

After being on the field for 12-of-60 snaps on offense in Week 7, Gray is a candidate to see added action behind Shane Vereen (48 snaps) in the coming weeks, ESPN.com reports. While Vereen was the Patriots' primary back in Week 7, it's not hard to imagine the 5-11, 230-pound Gray (who recorded three carries for 12 yards in his season debut) seeing more opportunities at the expense of Brandon Bolden in the coming weeks. While Gray can't be considered a reliable fantasy lineup option at this stage, he is worth a roster stash to see how his role in the team's backfield evolves in the coming weeks.