NFL Player News

The criticism aimed at Browns featured back Trent Richardson last season centered on his tentative approach to hitting holes, but a rib injury played a role in his uncertainty. He was far more aggressive this preseason and has expressed a strong desire to show his explosiveness in 2013. He will be motivated to get off to a strong start Sunday against Miami.

The Dolphins run defense ranked 13th in the NFL last year at 108.4 yards per game and they yielded just 10 rushing touchdowns. But the Browns boast two Pro Bowl offensive linemen in left tackle Joe Thomas and center Alex Mack and potentially a third in blossoming right tackle Mitchell Schwartz. Though they averaged just 3.0 yards per carry in the preseason, they used Richardson sparingly.

With no experienced backup, look for Richardson to run at least 20-25 times against Miami and be a mainstay in goal-line situations. Richardson, who seeks to increase his 2012 per-rush average of 3.6, understands the importance of playing well against the Dolphins.

"You really want to set the tone," he told the Miami Herald. "I know people say it's not about how you start, it's how you finish. You still want to get off to a good start. You still want to win that season opener."

Richardson has been ranked as a No. 1 option and at least a top eight potential scorer this week by the CBSSports.com senior Fantasy writers.

Redskins running back Roy Helu has secured the backup job in Washington and will line up that way against Philadelphia on Monday night in Week 1. Helu will spell Alfred Morris and likely should see some touches despite Evan Royster also likely getting involved.

Helu saw just two carries for 2 yards last season as a second-year player. He played in the first three games of the season and was injured after that. That said, he rushed for 640 yards with two touchdowns as a rookie in 2011. He added another 379 receiving yards and a score that year.

That said, Helu struggled as a rookie against the Eagles with just 11 rushing yards on six carries in two games. Last season, the Eagles were decent at limiting the running game. They finished in the middle of the pack in terms of Fantasy points per game allowed to RBs. Morris had two excellent games against them, though we don't expect much out of Helu in Week 1. He is a low-end Fantasy option and barely worth using as a flex.

Rams running back Daryl Richardson will start Sunday against the Cardinals, but it's unclear whether Zac Stacy or Benny Cunningham will back him up, reports the Post-Dispatch. Both Stacy and Cunningham could play, the report said.

Isaiah Pead is suspended for the opener.

Bernard Pierce is arguably the most productive backup running back in the league. But when you're backing up Ray Rice, you remain a backup. John Harbaugh refused to speculate as to how many carries Pierce and Rice will receive in regular season games, reports ESPN.com.

"We're not going to sit there and say, 'Hey, get these guys these numbers,' and lock ourselves into something," Harbaugh said, "It's by game. It's how the game is going and what we need to do to try and win a game and just take it from there."

Pierce averaged nearly seven attempts a game and 4.9 yards a carry for the Ravens in 2012. Rice carried the ball about 16 times a game with a 4.4 average. All his numbers were slightly down from 2011.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said Wednesday rookie receiver Cordarrelle Patterson is doing a good job assuming some of the responsibilites former Minnesota wide receiver Percy Harvin had before he was traded to Seattle. Patterson had eight catches for 84 yards and no touchdowns in the preseason.

The Vikings announced Wednesday morning they swapped running backs off the practice squad. They signed running back Bradley Randle and released running back Joe Banyard.

Raiders running back Darren McFadden has one major problem: he gets hurt. Often. But McFadden is entering 2013 healthy, and the zone blocking scheme that was rumored to be behind his string of poor performances last year has been scrapped. 

Additionally, McFadden has a history of putting up big numbers in Week 1. Last season, he managed 118 total yards (being a huge boon for PPR owners, with 13 receptions). In 2011, McFadden rushed for 150 yards on 22 carries in Week 1. And in 2010, McFadden had 150 Week 1 total yards with a touchdown. He had 93 total yards in 2009 and managed 57 total yards in his NFL debut in 2008.

Add it all up, and you have a reliable option in McFadden, who has a solid, proven string of Week 1 performances. And the Colts allowed the seventh-most Fantasy points to opposing running backs last season. He may not last the entire season, but if you drafted McFadden, you're probably going to be rewarded by starting him this Sunday against Indianapolis. 

Patriots coach Bill Belichick talked Tuesday about what running back Shane Vereen worked on this offseason.

"Shane has had a good spring and a good camp," Belichick said. "He's been relatively healthy, he's gotten a lot of snaps out there on all three downs, all four downs really – the kicking game and third down and first and second down offensively as well. I think he's continued to grow and develop as a player, both in an understanding and working on it his run reads, his route running technique, blitz pickup, various things in the kicking game. He's continued to improve and I think he's had a good camp here, good preseason. I think he's ready to go in the season. [We'll] see how it all turns out, but I think his preparation has been good."

When asked about the challenges Vereen might face at tight end, Belichick gave no hints he planned to use him in that role.

"One challenge would be size," Belichick said. "He's a good athlete, he's quick, he's fast but I don't really see him as a tight end. I don't know, I think he's really a running back for us."

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson will look to get his season off to a little better start than he did last year when he takes the field Sunday Week 1 at Pittsburgh. Last year against New England on opening day, Johnson managed just 4 yards on 11 carries, though he did catch six passes.

Johnson will have his work cut out for him against the Steelers. While he did have a good game against them Week 6 last year -- 19 carries for 91 yards with four catches for 23 more -- Pittsburgh allowed the fourth-fewest Fantasy points per game to the running back position last season. It should be noted that the last time Johnson played in Pittsburgh, Week 5 of 2011, he rushed for 51 yards with a touchdown.

Johnson has rushed for a combined 28 yards in Week 1 games since going for 142 and two scores Week 1 of 2010 against Oakland. He'll look to get off to a better start against the Steelers and should be considered a low-end No. 2 Fantasy RB for the game.

The Browns released a new running back depth chart Tuesday, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. The team lists Bobby Rainey as the backup running back to starter Trent Richardson and Dennis Johnson as the third-string running back.