NFL Player News

Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has stated that he'll go with the hot hand when assigning playing time between Singletary and Zack Moss, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports. "Whoever's back there is playing good," Daboll said. "Sometimes that happens. Let's say you're in a game and you just get a sense one guy's got it going a little bit more than the other guy and that's the guy you ride with a little bit."

Singletary is reportedly in fantastic shape following an offseason of hard work, while Moss is coming off offseason ankle surgery but expects to be close to 100 percent for training camp. It's anyone's guess as to whether Singletary or Moss will provide the better value in 2021. Moss is a much bigger back than his teammate and has the ability to earn more between-the-tackle and goal-line runs, while Singletary has more experience, isn't coming off an injury, and has apparently used the offseason to get himself into great shape while Moss has been busy rehabbing.

Moss, who wasn't able to participate in minicamp following offseason ankle surgery, is expected to be ready for training camp and has been posting videos of his workouts on social media, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

Moss's injury is definitely cause for concern for fantasy managers eyeing a roster spot for someone in the Buffalo backfield, especially given his limited NFL experience, but if he can return to full-go for training camp, those concerns would be mostly out the window. It's also anyone's guess as to whether Moss or Devin Singletary will provide the better value in 2021. Moss is a much bigger back than his teammate and has the ability to earn more between-the-tackle and goal-line runs, while Singletary has more experience, isn't coming off an injury, and has apparently used the offseason to get himself in fantastic shape while Moss has been busy rehabbing. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has even gone so far as to let the public know he'll have an eye on riding the hot hand on a game-to-game basis.

Barkley (knee) declined to answer Thursday when Rich Eisen asked him if he'd be ready for Week 1.

Barkley went with the "one day at a time" line -- essentially the same response he had a month earlier when reporters asked a similar question. His refusal to discuss a timeline might not be ideal, but Barkley has shown signs of progress throughout the offseason, with his recent workouts including agility drills on sand at full speed. While it's a safe bet he's limited or absent at the beginning of training camp, Barkley should make it back to practice at some point this summer. He had knee surgery in late October to repair an ACL tear that was accompanied by meniscus and MCL damage in his right knee.

Carter has impressed head coach Robert Saleh so far, Ethan Greenberg of the Jets' official site reports. "Michael's got tremendous vision," Saleh said. "He's got tremendous speed, burst. He's got the ability to make people miss. He's good on third down, coming out of the backfield in the pass game, and he's pretty stout in protection."

Saleh's praise of Carter's ability in pass protection is especially notable, as a lack of that skill often limits young running backs' playing time. The rookie fourth-round pick may not have the size to take on a workhorse role at 5-foot-8 and 201 pounds, but Carter could work as the Jets' third-down back from from the get-go, playing a similar role to Nyheim Hines in Indianapolis. Having averaged 8.0 yards per carry at UNC last season, Carter has the highest ceiling in the crowded Jets backfield, and Greenberg points out Carter has played in an outside-zone rushing scheme since high school, making him an excellent fit for offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur's scheme.

Snell isn't assured a spot on the Steelers' roster to begin the 2021 season, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Snell had the chance to secure the starting job at running back last year while James Conner was sidelined, but the 23-year-old averaged just 3.3 yards per carry during the 2020 campaign. The 2019 fourth-rounder enters training camp as a clear backup after the Steelers drafted Najee Harris with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he could be in danger of losing his roster spot if newcomer Kalen Ballage is able to carve out a role in the team's offense. Also battling for backfield slotting will be Anthony McFarland and Jaylen Samuels.

Teammate Latavius Murray said Kamara looked like his usual self at June minicamp, Sam Shannon of the Saints' official website reports. "Alvin being Alvin," Murray said. "The same player that he's been over the last few years, and I'm sure he'll continue to be."

Kamara was under the spotlight last summer, eventually signing a five-year, $75 million extension one day before the Saints' season opener. Despite dealing with a hip issue around that same time, he went on to play 15 straight games before missing Week 17 on the COVID-19 list, finishing the regular season with career highs for rushing yards (932), total yards (1,688) and touchdowns (21). A repeat of that last number would be a tough ask under any conditions, and there's also some concern that Kamara could lose targets/catches in the post-Drew Brees era, especially if dual-threat Taysom Hill beats out Jameis Winston for the starting QB job. On the other hand, Kamara is one of the best running backs in the league, and the Saints return all five starters to what's consistently been a top-10 offensive line. Even with a degree of uncertainty for a second straight offseason, Kamara's floor/ceiling combination makes him a solid choice in the first half of the first round of fantasy drafts.

Murray believes he can continue to improve his efficiency, Sam Shannon of the Saints' official website reports.

Murray finished 2020 with his best numbers since his rookie season for yards per carry (4.5) and yards per target (6.8), producing 832 yards and five touchdowns on 169 touches. The workload was nearly identical to his first season in New Orleans, with Murray getting 11 fewer touches in one fewer game (he missed Week 17 in 2020). The 31-year-old running back then survived the Saints' offseason purge, despite carrying a non-guaranteed $2.95 million base salary in the third season of a four-year, $14.4 million contract. The Saints could still free up more than $2.3 million in cap space if Murray is released, but they'd likely have cut him in June if they were set on prioritizing the money over the player. While a poor training camp might put him in some danger, Murray currently appears set for a third straight season working behind superstar Alvin Kamara in the New Orleans backfield. Per usual, most of the fantasy appeal is based on what Murray might do if Kamara misses time, though it'll also depend on what the team's offense looks like with Jameis Winston and/or Taysom Hill replacing Drew Brees under center.

Mattison appears fairly secure in the second spot on Minnesota's depth chart, according to Eric Smith of the team's official website.

The Vikings lost Mike Boone to the Broncos in March, before selecting Kene Nwangwu in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Nwangwu made waves with a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, but only after an unexciting college career in which he was limited to 150 total touches over four seasons at Iowa State. While the raw talent could eventually make him a threat, Nwangwu isn't likely to put up a serious challenge against Mattison this summer, considering the third-year pro has averaged 4.6 yards per carry and 9.0 per catch to this point in his career, with 219 touches in 26 NFL appearances. Dalvin Cook should continue to dominate backfield work, but Mattison is easily the best bet to handle whatever's left.

Williams could be a direct replacement at running back if David Montgomery misses time, Sean Hammond of the Daily Herald reports.

When Montgomery missed a game in 2020, the Bears lacked a reliable replacement, but after averaging 4.5 yards per carry in 2019 before opting out last year, Williams potentially fills that void in the offense. In addition, Williams caught 30 passes in his last year with the Chiefs, so he also could see involvement in the passing game. Unless his projected role is expected to grow, he'll likely be a depth option who could be available on waivers after fantasy drafts have concluded for fantasy managers.

Ahmed is expected to compete with Malcolm Brown, Gerrid Doaks and Patrick Laird for backup roles behind likely starting running back Myles Gaskins, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports.

Despite being an undrafted rookie, Ahmed started in four of his six games last season, highlighted by a 122-yard rushing performance in a Week 15 win over the Patriots. He averaged 4.3 yards on 75 carries and 5.6 yards on 11 catches, while Gaskin had 4.1 YPC on 142 carries and 9.5 YPR on 41 receptions. The Dolphins declined to make any splashy backfield additions in the offseason, settling for Brown in free agency and Doaks in the seventh round of the draft. Ahmed thus has a shot to earn the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, but it's also possible a poor summer could put him on the wrong side of preseason cuts.