NFL Player News

Williams compiled 18 rushes for 45 yards and caught two targets for seven yards during Sunday's 16-15 win versus Tennessee.

Williams accounted for all but nine of the Saints' 27 rushing attempts with rookie running back Kendre Miller (hamstring) inactive Week 1. The veteran was used sparingly in the first half, totaling six carries and one catch for 22 total yards. However, he got much more involved during the second half as the Saints focused on the ground game more with 20 rushing attempts compared to 13 passing attempts. Williams' rushing workload should remain extensive while Alvin Kamara is suspended until Week 4, though it's unclear how the team will split carries if Miller is healthy Week 2.

Singletary rushed seven times for 15 yards and wasn't targeted in the Texans' 25-9 loss to the Ravens on Sunday.

Singletary played a clear complementary role behind lead back Dameon Pierce, as expected. He was also less efficient than his backfield mate, with Pierce gaining 38 yards on his 11 carries. Singletary surprisingly wasn't utilized in the passing game whatsoever, but after recording 145 receptions over his first four seasons in Buffalo, that isn't likely to be the case most weeks in his new digs. Singeltary's first chance to atone for a forgettable Texans debut comes in a Week 2 home matchup against the Colts.

Williams rushed 15 times for 52 yards and two touchdowns while failing to catch either of his targets in Sunday's 30-13 win over the Seahawks.

Williams finished the game as the Rams' top rusher despite seeing seven fewer carries than starter Cam Akers (22-29-1). The latter's struggles re-opened the door for a potential committee approach, which would boost Williams' fantasy value while hurting Akers'. The 2022 fifth-round pick is worth a speculative add, but a wait-and-see approach is recommended before playing him against a tough 49ers defense Sunday.

Gainwell rushed the ball 14 times for 54 yards in Sunday's 25-20 win over the Patriots. He added four receptions on four targets for 20 yards.

Gainwell shifted up the depth chart after Rashaad Penny was a healthy scratch. However, he not only led the way in the Philadelphia backfield, he dominated touches as Boston Scott and D'Andre Swift each saw only one carry. While his performance was unspectacular, Gainwell did nothing to lose the job by playing without any significant mistakes in rainy conditions. As a result, he seemingly has a good chance to lead the way again in a Week 2 matchup against the Vikings.

Akers rushed 22 times for 29 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 30-13 win over Seattle.

Akers was having trouble passing the line of scrimmage Sunday, posting an abysmal mark of 1.3 YPC. A late touchdown from the 24-year-old saved this from being a horrendous fantasy performance. Kyren Williams (15-52-2) clearly outperformed Akers out of the gates while also receiving two targets to the latter's none. Akers' fantasy managers can only hang their hats on the sheer volume Akers received Sunday, but the Rams are unlikely to run the ball 40 times every week. It will be interesting to see which Rams tailback gets more run against the 49ers in Week 2 after Sunday's results.

Stevenson rushed the ball 12 times for 25 yards in Sunday's 25-20 loss to the Eagles. He added six receptions on six targets for 64 yards.

Stevenson led the Patriots' backfield in workload, racking up 18 total touches as compared to Ezekiel Elliott's 12. Neither produced much on the ground -- Elliott was more efficient -- but Stevenson shined as a pass catcher, particularly late in the game as New England was trying to catch up on the scoreboard. The split in workload between the backfield duo will be worth watching, but Stevenson should find slightly more room to work with in a Week 2 matchup against the Dolphins.

Perine rushed eight times for 41 yards and secured all four targets for 37 yards in the Broncos' 17-16 loss to the Raiders on Sunday.

Perine served as an ideal complement to Javonte Williams, who was playing in his first regular-season game since his season-ending knee injury in Week 4 of 2022. While Williams' 13 carries Sunday might be a bit misleading given head coach Sean Payton had noted his lead back would be on a "minutes limit" in the contest, Perine's workload was nevertheless encouraging for the time being. The 2017 fourth-round pick of Washington carved out a steady but relatively modest complementary role behind Joe Mixon in Cincinnati the last three seasons, and once Williams is back to normal usage, it's likely Perine's touches are accordingly scaled back somewhat from the volume he saw Sunday.

Foreman rushed five times for 16 yards and added two receptions for eight yards in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Packers.

Foreman was third among the Chicago running backs in touches, though it's uncertain what impact the blowout loss had to do with the distribution of work. Regardless, each of the three backs had between seven and 12 touches. It won't be surprising if the allocation of touches varies from week-to-week. More information about Foreman's potential workload may be learned in what should be a more competitive Week 2 game at Tampa Bay.

Johnson rushed five times for 20 yards and a touchdown and added six receptions for 35 yards in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Packers.

Johnson saw significant work after the game was out of hand, and he found the end zone late in the fourth quarter. The rookie was also targeted seven times, which tied him for the team lead with Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet. More may be learned about his long-term role in the offense next week, when the Bears will likely have a more competitive matchup when they travel to Tampa Bay.

Kelley totaled 16 carries for a career-high 91 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's 36-34 loss to the Dolphins.

Kelley saw a lot of work in the second half totaling, 70 yards in the final 30 minutes, but it wasn't as if the Chargers were trying to bleed out the clock as the lead seesawed back and forth. Teammate Austin Ekeler also exploded for 117 yards, so at least in Week 1 it was obvious Kellen Moore's offensive scheme really catered to the ground game. Kelley already had fantasy value as the obvious backup to the electric Ekeler, but if this kind of workload becomes a trend moving forward it's possible both backs could be starting options for fantasy managers.