NFL Player News
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Rico Dowdle RB | PIT
Cowboys' Rico Dowdle: Scores first career TD
Dowdle carried the ball four times for 21 yards and caught all three of his targets for 25 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-16 loss to the Cardinals.
Starting running back Tony Pollard ran for 122 yards on the day, but it was Dowdle who found the end zone, catching a 15-yard pass from Dak Prescott in the second quarter for Dallas' only TD. The touchdown was the first of Dowdle's NFL career in his 23rd game. As long as Pollard remains healthy, Dowdle's fantasy ceiling will be limited, but he's seen between six and eight touches in every game so far in 2023.
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Tony Pollard RB | TEN
Cowboys' Tony Pollard: Big yardage in Week 3 loss
Pollard carried the ball 23 times for 122 yards in Sunday's 28-16 loss to the Cardinals. He also caught all three of his targets for minus-1 yard.
The running back had his most productive game of the season on the ground, but it was backup Rico Dowdle who scored the Cowboys' only TD of the day. Pollard's numbers were even more impressive considering he was working behind an offensive line missing three starters, including Zack Martin (ankle). Pollard faces a tough test in Week 4 against a Patriots defense that just held Breece Hall and the Jets to 38 total rushing yards.
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Nick Bawden RB | HOU
Jets' Nick Bawden: Scores first career TD
Bawden scored a one-yard touchdown on his only carry in Sunday's 15-10 loss to the Patriots.
Bawden scored his first NFL touchdown in the fourth quarter. The fullback has New York's only rushing touchdown through three weeks in 2023, while running backs Breece Hall, Dalvin Cook and Michael Carter have yet to find the end zone.
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Zach Charbonnet RB | SEA
Seahawks' Zach Charbonnet: Best game yet in NFL
Charbonnet carried the ball nine times for 46 yards and caught one of two targets for minus-1 yard in Sunday's 37-27 win over the Panthers.
The rookie running back nearly scored his first NFL touchdown on a 12-yard run in the red zone in the fourth quarter, but he was forced out of bounds at the two. It was Charbonnet's most productive game yet for Seattle, but he was still a distant second in usage and fantasy output to Kenneth Walker, who scored two rushing TDs for the second straight game and had more than double the touches. Charbonnet will look to build on this performance in Week 4 against a Giants defense that's allowed four rushing touchdowns to RBs through its first three games.
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Roschon Johnson RB | CHI
Bears' Roschon Johnson: First back used in loss
Johnson rushed eight times for 38 yards and caught both of his targets for 11 yards in a 41-10 loss to Kansas City on Sunday.
Johnson continued to split backfield work with Khalil Herbert (7-31-0) after usurping veteran D'Onta Foreman on the depth chart last week. The fourth-round rookie didn't finish with a gaudy stat line, but he was efficient when called upon (4.8 YPC). It is worth noting that he was the first back deployed Sunday, indicating his growing trust from a coaching staff looking for answers after an 0-3 start. It will be interesting to see if Johnson's role continues to increase as the season progresses. For now, he should continue to split work with Herbert against the Broncos next Sunday.
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Kenneth Walker III RB | KC
Seahawks' Kenneth Walker: Scores two TDs against Carolina
Walker carried the ball 18 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns and caught all three of his targets for 59 yards in Sunday's 37-27 win over the Panthers.
Both TDs came in the second half as the Seahawks pulled away, with Walker getting into the end zone on a one-yard plunge in the third quarter and a seven-yard run in the fourth. His 59 receiving yards were also a career high, topping the 55 yards he hauled in last year in Week 10. Walker appears headed for another productive day in Week 4 against a Giants defense that's allowed four rushing touchdowns to running backs through its first three games.
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Khalil Herbert RB | SF
Bears' Khalil Herbert: Continues splitting backfield work
Herbert rushed seven times for 31 yards and caught both of his targets for four yards in Sunday's 41-10 loss to the Chiefs.
Herbert continued splitting backfield duties with Roschon Johnson (8-38-0), receiving nine combined touches to the latter's 10. Neither back stood out on the stat sheet, and it appears that Chicago will continue its backfield time-share for the foreseeable future. The reduced workload limits Herbert's fantasy potential ahead of next Sunday's matchup against the Broncos.
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Joshua Kelley RB | TEN
Chargers' Joshua Kelley: Struggles again as lead back
Kelley rushed the ball 11 times for 12 yards in Sunday's 28-24 win over the Vikings. He added one reception for five yards.
Kelley had the opportunity to serve as the Chargers' lead back for the second consecutive week with Austin Ekeler (ankle) sidelined. His poor performance in Week 2 was excused due to a tough matchup against the Titans, though Sunday's effort was disastrous with the Vikings being an exploitable unit. After ripping off 91 yards in Week 1 as the complementary back, Kelley has combined to gain only 51 yards on 24 carries as the starter in two games since. Even if Ekeler remains sidelined in Week 4 against the Raiders, there's a possibility that Kelley won't have the backfield to himself.
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Miles Sanders RB | DAL
Panthers' Miles Sanders: Finds end zone against Seattle
Sanders carried the ball nine times for 24 yards and a touchdown and caught five of nine targets for 38 yards in Sunday's 37-27 loss to the Seahawks.
After averaging nearly 20 touches a game in the first two weeks of the season with rookie Bryce Young (ankle) at quarterback, Sanders wasn't nearly as involved in the game plan with Andy Dalton under center despite the fact that the contest was close until late in the fourth quarter. The running back did salvage his day with a one-yard TD plunge early in the fourth, however. Young could be back in Week 4 against the Vikings, but Sanders' fantasy floor appears to be lower if Dalton is at the helm once again.
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Isiah Pacheco RB | DET
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Leading rusher in blowout win
Pacheco (hamstring) had 15 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown while catching two of three targets for 16 receiving yards in Sunday's 41-10 win over Chicago.
Pacheco was able to suit up after being labeled a game-time decision earlier in the week due to a hamstring injury. The 24-year-old wound up playing his full share of snaps while leading the team in rushing Sunday. Pacheco had good burst on his first touchdown run of the season, showing no lingering effects from his recent injury. The 2022 seventh-round pick split rushing duties with Clyde Edwards-Helaire (15-55-1) while Jerick McKinnon cashed in two short receiving scores. The Chiefs should continue mixing in all three backs this season, but Pacheco likely provides the most consistent role for fantasy purposes.