NFL Player News

ESPN's Dianna Russini relays that Dobbins (knee) is not in line to be active for Sunday's season opener against the Jets.

The report indicates that the running back wants to give it a go, but it looks like the team will play it safe in Week 1, setting the stage for Mike Davis, Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill to handle Baltimore's backfield duties versus the Jets.

Dobbins (knee), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's season opener versus the Jets, is considered a game-time decision but is "unlikely to play," a source tells Dianna Russini of ESPN.

The source notes that Dobbins is "going to try" to give it a go in pregame warmups, but even if he feels fine physically following his morning workout, the Ravens could still be inclined to err on the side of caution and hold him out for Week 1 while he builds back to 100 percent after undergoing surgery Sept. 7, 2021 to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. Dobbins was a limited participant in all three of the Ravens' practices this week, so the team may want to see him log a full workout before clearing him for his season debut. If Dobbins does in fact find himself on the inactive list Week 1, Mike Davis would be the leading candidate to draw the start in what could be a backfield committee that may also include Justice Hill and Kenyan Drake.

Robinson (knee) has a "realistic" chance to return to the field Week 5, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Robinson will be out through at least the first four games of the season due to his placement on the reserve/non-football injury list, but the rookie third-round pick may not be sidelined beyond the minimum amount of time while he continues to make good progress in his recovery from being shot twice in the leg during an attempted robbery Aug. 28. While Robinson is on the mend, Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic are expected to headline Washington's backfield. Robinson has reportedly already shed his crutches, and the Commanders expect him to resume conditioning work during the upcoming week.

Walker (hernia) is listed as questionable for Monday night's season opener against the Broncos, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

The 2022 second-rounder was listed as a non-participant in practice this week, but at this stage he's not ruled out for Monday night's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. Given the timing of Seattle's opening contest, Walker currently profiles as a risky Week 1 fantasy lineup option. If he's out or limited Monday, the team would turn to Travis Homer and/or DeeJay Dallas for complementary RB snaps behind starter Rashaad Penny.

Cook fumbled on his very first NFL rushing attempt in Thursday's win over the Rams and did not receive another carry of target in the passing game.

If Cook was coached by the great Bill Belichick, he might not see the field again until Week 16. While we can kid on that point, the Bills didn't bench him completely following the miscue. Still, Cook saw only five percent of the offensive snaps compared to Devin Singletary's 59 percent and and Zack Moss's 37 percent. While Cook is a second-round pick and has plenty of upside, it's hard to see him leap-frogging Singletary even if he does hold onto the ball better. He'll see his looks, but it's going to be tough to start this rookie in fantasy lineups as part of a running back by committee (where he's not even the top guy) matched with a guy that's one of the top rushing quarterbacks in the league. Cook is a bench guy for now with long-term upside.

Moss carried the ball six times for 15 yards and caught all six targets for 21 yards in Buffalo's win over the Rams on Thursday night.

Devin Singletary -- who saw eight carries for 48 yards -- is the clear leader in the backfield, but it's at least noteworthy that Moss outplayed and outgained second-round rookie James Cook, who coughed up a fumble on his only carry of the game. In the end, Singletary played 59 percent of the offensive snaps, Moss played 37 percent and Cook saw a modest five percent. All that said, this could end up being a backfield where no one has all that much value without an injury, as Josh Allen has plenty of fine receivers to throw to and ended up leading the team in both carries (10) and rushing yards (56).

Coach Sean McVay said he wants to see "an increased level of urgency and accountability snap in and snap out" from Akers, who got only three carries off the bench in a 31-10 loss to the Bills on Thursday, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Darrell Henderson not only got the start but played 82 percent of offensive snaps, taking 13 carries for 47 yards and five catches for 26 yards. It wasn't efficient production, but Henderson took advantage of the rare gaps he saw behind a struggling offensive line, while Akers managed no gain from his three carries on 12 snaps (18 percent). McVay did say Akers did some positive things, and a Week 2 home game against Atlanta provides a better matchup for both backs to get involved. Even so, fantasy managers that drafted Akers as a starter need to be thinking about alternatives now that they've seen Henderson operating as the lead back.

Coach Sean McVay relayed Friday that Williams will undergo surgery on the high-ankle sprain he suffered during Thursday's loss to the Bills and miss 6-to-8 weeks, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Williams thus seems destined for injured reserve in the near future, and if he meets the minimum timeframe laid out by McVay, the rookie fifth-round pick likely won't be available until Sunday, Oct. 30 against the 49ers at the earliest. The Rams have a secure top two in their backfield in the form of Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers, with Jake Funk in a reserve role. Considering the team kept four running backs active Week 1, either Trey Ragas will be promoted from the practice squad, or outside options will be explored to shore up depth at the position.

As Monday night's season opener against the Seahawks approaches, coach Nathaniel Hackett noted that the Broncos are in a "really good place" with a Week 1 backfield comprised of Williams, Melvin Gordon and Mike Boone, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Williams and Gordon, who both logged 203 carries last year, are in line to continue handling the bulk of Denver's rushing opportunities in 2022, with Boone in reserve. Looking ahead, it's a timeshare that figures to tilt in Williams' favor, a notion reflected by his lofty average draft position (relative to Gordon) ahead of Week 1, but Hackett did tell Stevens on Friday that he's a believer in rolling with "the hot hand." Either way, we expect the Broncos to find ways to get Williams his share of touches out of the gate this season, a context that should yield fantasy utility despite the continued presence of Gordon.

With Walker (hernia) having been listed as a non-participant on Friday's practice estimate, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune suggests that all signs point to the running back missing Monday night's season opener against the Broncos.

Saturday's injury report should add clarity to the 2022 second-rounder's Week 1 status, but if Walker is unavailable Monday, Travis Homer and/or DeeJay Dallas would be in line to handle complementary work behind starter Rashaad Penny.