NFL Player News

Dillon ran for 63 yards on 14 carries and caught a four-yard pass on one target against Detroit on Sunday.

Dillon started in place of Aaron Jones (knee) and played effectively enough, but his appearance was abbreviated in this meaningless game, denying him the pass-catching production he would normally project for in such a matchup. Fourth-string back Patrick Taylor took over for Dillon for most of the second half and turned 11 carries into 53 yards and a touchdown. Jones should be back by the time the Packers exit their first-round bye in the playoffs, so Dillon should return to a complementary role at that point. He finishes the regular season with 803 yards and five touchdowns on 187 carries (4.3 YPC) while catching 34 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns on 37 targets (91.9 percent catch rate, 8.5 YPT).

Taylor recorded 15 rushes for 77 yards in Sunday's 26-11 loss to the Jaguars. He added three receptions on four targets for 18 yards.

As expected, Taylor worked efficiently against Jacksonville's defense, an effort that was aided by runs of 23 and 13 yards. However, he was stuffed on fourth down multiple times, including once at the goal line at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Taylor also had game script working against him, with the Colts unexpectedly working from behind after the opening possession. The result was his lowest carry total since Week 6, and the first time he hasn't attempted at least 20 rushes in his last four contests. Despite the disappointing close to the campaign on both an individual and team level, Taylor racked up 2,171 total yards from scrimmage with 20 trips to the end zone across 17 games.

Murray rushed 16 times for 150 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens' 16-13 overtime loss to the Steelers on Sunday.

Devonta Freeman was sidelined with a ribs injury after just five carries, paving the way for Murray to carry the backfield load. The veteran back responded admirably, even ripping off a season-long 46-yard touchdown run that snapped a 3-3 tie. Murray had seen his carries rise back to 11 in Week 17 against the Rams, but Sunday's performance served as a reminder of his ability to perform effectively with an expanded workload, albeit against a weak run defense. Nevertheless, Murray does turn 32 later in January and is headed into unrestricted free agency, so his likeliest role in 2022 will be as a complementary back once again.

Stevenson was forced out of Sunday's game against the Dolphins with a head injury.

Prior to his exit from the contest, Stevenson caught one pass for two yards. In his absence, Damien Harris and Brandon Bolden will handle the Patriots' Week 18 backfield work.

Williams ran for 43 yards on 13 carries and caught a nine-yard pass on one target against Green Bay on Sunday.

Williams' 13 carries led the team while D'Andre Swift ranked second with seven. The deal with Williams is clear enough by now: he's a running back coaches trust to pick up the blitz and hold on to the football, and he'll always run with determination. His ability to actually produce from scrimmage grades less favorably and gives reason for the Lions to contain his snap count going forward. He finishes 2021 with 601 yards and three touchdowns rushing on 153 carries (3.9 YPC) while catching 26 passes for 157 yards on 28 targets (92.9 percent catch rate, 5.6 YPT). While Williams might not be a roster lock for the Lions in 2022, he has one more year left on the two-year, $6 million deal he signed with Detroit before this season.

Swift ran for 30 yards and one touchdown on seven carries and caught four passes for 16 yards on five targets against Green Bay on Sunday.

Swift again saw a limited workload from scrimmage, while Jamaal Williams saw 13 carries and Craig Reynolds took three. Williams produced 43 yards and Reynolds two, reinforcing the fact that Swift is clearly Detroit's best running back from scrimmage. Swift is an explosive runner and skilled pass catcher, so his fantasy upside could be enormous with enough of a workload. However, going back to his college days, Swift hasn't shown the ability to stay healthy as a workhorse back. He finishes his second season with 617 yards (4.1 YPC) and five touchdowns on the ground while catching 62 passes for 452 yards and two touchdowns on 78 targets (79.5 percent caught, 5.8 yards per target).

Harris rushed 11 times for 28 yards while hauling in all four of his targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 16-13 OT win over the Ravens.

Harris sustained an elbow injury in the first quarter of Sunday's regular-season finale but was able to play through the issue for most of the game. The 23-year-old struggled to generate much efficiency, but he helped lead the Steelers to the win -- and a likely postseason berth -- with a 15-yard run late in overtime. Harris appeared in all 17 games during the regular season of his rookie campaign, and he had 307 carries for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns while securing 74 of 94 targets for 467 yards and three touchdowns.

Johnson rushed 25 times for 123 yards and a touchdown and brought in his only target for 10 yards in the Browns' 21-16 win over the Bengals on Sunday.

With nothing to play for in terms of the postseason and backup Case Keenum helming the offense, head coach Kevin Stefanski opted to give some other reserves a chance to showcase their skills, and Johnson cashed in nicely on the opportunity. The talented 25-year-old already had demonstrated his ability to serve as a legitimate lead back when called upon earlier this season, so his strong showing against a short-handed Bengals defense looking ahead to the playoffs wasn't completely surprising. Johnson finishes the season with 534 rushing yards and another 137 yards through the air, but with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in front of him, his path to meaningful playing time could well continue to hinge on injuries in front of him if he remains in Cleveland. However, Johnson is a restricted free agent, so there's a chance he did enough this season to warrant interest from other clubs depending on the qualifying offer the Browns extend.

Gibson rushed 21 times for 146 yards and a touchdown and brought in one of three targets for five yards in Washington's 22-7 win over the Giants on Sunday.

The second-year back topped off the campaign with a spectacular showing, putting himself comfortably over the 1,000-yard mark in the process. Gibson was one of the few bright spots during a profoundly disappointing second half for Washington, as he gained 88 yards or more on the ground in three of the last six contests. If the Football Team upgrades at quarterback via free agency, trade or the draft, Gibson could be in line for a true breakout 2022 while operating in what would be a more balanced attack.

Montgomery rushed 20 times for 72 yards and brought in two of three targets for seven yards in the Bears' 31-17 Week 18 loss to the Vikings. He ended the season with 225 carries for 849 yards and seven touchdowns in addition to 42 receptions for 301 yards.

After posting a career high 4.3 yards per carry in 2020, Montgomery fell below four yards per carry as he did in his rookie season back in 2019. Regardless, he averaged 20 touches per game, and he has an excellent chance at retaining lead-back duties in 2022, though Khalil Herbert may be able to eat into a portion of his work. Based on his career production, he'll likely be projected as a top-18 running back in 2022 fantasy drafts. Montgomery will enter the last year of his rookie deal before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2023.