NFL Player News

Robinson carried the ball 19 times for 59 yards and caught one of two targets for a seven-yard touchdown in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Cardinals.

The second-year running back got Washington on the board late in the first quarter when he slipped out into the flat and gave Sam Howell an open target as the quarterback tried to escape an Arizona pass rush that rang up six sacks on the afternoon. Robinson had only nine catches and one receiving TD in 12 games as a rookie, so that kind of production likely won't become a regular occurrence, but he still appears to be the top option on the ground for the Commanders. He'll look to get into the end zone the conventional way in week 2 against a Denver defense that held Josh Jacobs to 48 rushing yards in a season-opening loss.

Williams rushed 13 times for 52 yards and brought in four of six targets for five yards in the Broncos' 17-16 loss to the Raiders on Sunday.

Playing in his first regular-season game since tearing his ACL and LCL in Week 4 of last season, Williams enjoyed a solid touch count. The third-year back comfortably paced the Broncos' backfield in carries and was as involved in the passing game in the team's new offense as he'd been under prior coaching regimes. Williams should progressively build his workload in the coming weeks, with his first opportunity to do so coming in a Week 2 home matchup against the Commanders.

Jacobs carried the ball 19 times for 48 yards and no touchdowns while catching two of his three targets for 23 yards in Sunday's 17-16 win over the Broncos.

Jacobs ran into the brick wall that was Denver's defensive front Sunday. On a positive note, the star back dominated the rushing touches, with only one other back (Zamir White) receiving a carry. Despite the poor production to kick off the season, fantasy managers can feel good about Jacobs' usage heading into next week's matchup against the Bills.

Conner carried the ball 14 times for 62 yards and caught all five of his targets for eight yards in Sunday's 20-16 loss to the Commanders.

The veteran running back was the most productive player for Arizona on the afternoon, as Marquise Brown was the only other Cardinal to even top 50 scrimmage yards, but Conner's longest gain went for just 12 yards. With starting QB Joshua Dobbs still learning the playbook after being acquired in late August and his only competition for the job being 2023 fifth-round pick Clayton Tune, the team's whole offense figures to struggle, but a healthy Conner should be the most reliable part of it. He'll try to find his way into the end zone, something he's done 26 times over his first 29 games with Arizona, in Week 2 against the Giants.

Jones suffered a hamstring injury during Sunday's game at Chicago.

After his 35-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown in the third quarter, Jones appeared to grab at his upper leg as he made his way back to the sideline. He was examined by the medical staff and even stretched out by team trainers before the Packers deemed him questionable to return. If he remains sidelined Sunday, Jones will finish Week 1 with 11 touches for 127 yards from scrimmage and two TDs.

Pierce rushed 11 times for 38 yards and brought in two of three targets for nine yards in the Texans' 25-9 loss to the Ravens on Sunday.

Pierce led the Texans in rushing yards and outpaced new backfield mate Devin Singletary by four carries, but his day was hardly a fantasy success. The matchup against a talented Baltimore defensive front certainly didn't help his cause, but rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud's serviceable performance in his pro debut supports the notion defenses could soon be loosening up some for Pierce if his rookie QB continues on an upward trajectory. Pierce's first chance to improve on the lackluster season-opening effort comes in a Week 2 home battle versus the Colts.

Sanders rushed 18 times for 72 yards and brought in four of six targets for 26 yards in the Panthers' 24-10 loss to the Falcons on Sunday.

Sanders doubled up backfield mate Chuba Hubbard in carries and demonstrated he was past his preseason groin injury, checking in as the Panthers' second-leading receiver along the way. The offseason addition and his fantasy managers are hoping he'll have more reliable week-to-week usage than was sometimes the case in Philadelphia, and early returns are certainly promising on that front. Sanders should continue to see reliable volume, albeit in a tough matchup, when the Panthers face off with the Saints at home in an NFC South clash Monday night, Sept. 18.

White rushed 17 times for 39 yards and brought in both targets for 10 yards in the Buccaneers' 20-17 win over the Vikings on Sunday.

As expected, White handled a true lead-back role to kick off his second season, but the matchup proved anything but favorable. A Vikings defense that already looks more aggressive under new coordinator Brian Flores repeatedly stifled White on the ground, limiting him to a miserable 2.3 yards per carry and a long run of six yards. Nevertheless, the touch volume was certainly encouraging, and White could encounter a more palatable scenario against the Bears during a Week 2 early afternoon home matchup in the fatiguing Florida heat.

Evans rushed twice for 12 yards and caught his only target for minus-1 yard in Sunday's 24-3 loss to the Browns.

Joe Mixon led the Bengals in both rushing attempts (13) and targets (five), while Evans shared the leftovers with Trayveon Williams, who had seven yards on two rushing attempts. Samaje Perine carved out a substantial role in passing situations at Mixon's expense last season, but Evans currently looks like more of a true backup following Perine's departure, even if he's marginally ahead of both Williams and rookie fifth-round pick Chase Brown, who was a healthy scratch Sunday. Evans and the Bengals will face the Ravens in Week 2.

Mattison rushed 11 times for 34 yards and brought in three of four targets for 10 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 20-17 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Playing his first game as the Vikings' unquestioned lead back, Mattison came up considerably short statistically overall, even when factoring in his early fourth-quarter receiving touchdown. The fifth-year back was repeatedly stifled by a traditionally tough Buccaneers run defense, so perhaps the highly inefficient performance -- which featured a long run of just nine yards -- will prove to be an outlier over time. However, Mattison doesn't exactly get a reprieve in his Week 2 matchup, a road date with the Eagles on a short week Thursday night.