NFL Player News

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.

Walker (groin) rushed 12 times for 64 yards and caught four passes (five targets) for three yards in Sunday's 30-13 loss to the Rams.

Walker dominated the backfield touches over DeeJay Dallas (two carries) and Zach Charbonnet (three carries) while garnering five of the six total passing targets doled out to running backs. Fantasy managers who drafted the oft-injured back should feel enthralled about the hefty workload after he dealt with a preseason groin injury. Walker could be primed for big numbers as Seattle's lead rusher so long as he stays off the injury report.

Ekeler registered 16 carries for 117 yards and one touchdown and hauled in four of five targets for 47 yards during Sunday's 36-34 loss versus the Dolphins.

Ekeler set the tone early Sunday, bursting through the line of scrimmage and flying for a 55-yard run late in the first quarter. He'd cap off that drive with a one-yard score and later would register a 35-yard reception that would set up another Chargers touchdown in the high-scoring affair. New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was brought in to improve the rushing attack, and the offense certainly showed out in Week 1, combining for 234 total rushing yards including four carries of 10-plus yards. The veteran running back did see teammate Joshua Kelley match his 16 carries and produce 91 yards, but Ekeler's explosiveness was clearly on display throughout. However, it could be tricky to see a bevy of yards on the ground against a stout Titans defense next week.

Herbert rushed nine times for 27 yards and caught three of five targets for 37 yards in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Packers.

Herbert led Chicago's offense in touches, but his total was just one higher than backup Roschon Johnson, who tallied 55 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut. With quarterback Justin Fields also rushing nine times and D'Onta Foreman garnering five totes, Herbert has competition for carries despite his top tailback status. In Week 2, he'll face a Buccaneers defense that finished 15th against the run last season.

Dillon rushed 13 times for 19 yards and caught two of three targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 38-20 win over the Bears.

Dillon led Green Bay in touches after running mate Aaron Jones exited during the third quarter with a tweaked hamstring. Despite his workload, Dillon failed to make much of an impact, with his contribution paling in comparison to Jones' 127 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 11 touches. Depending on Jones' status, Dillon could be promoted to the Packers' starting tailback position in Week 2 versus the Falcons.