NFL Player News
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Ezekiel Elliott RB | LAC
Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Alternates possessions in Week 1
Elliott rushed the ball 10 times for 40 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 33-17 win over the Browns. He added two receptions for nine yards.
Elliott was on the field for Dallas' first possession, but he alternated drives with Rico Dowdle for the entirety of the game. Elliott was the more efficient of the duo by averaging 4.0 yards per carry, and he also plowed into the end zone from three yards away late in the second quarter. A continued even split between Elliott and Dowdle would be bad from a fantasy perspective for each rusher, though Dallas will presumably be willing to turn to one more consistently if either Elliott of Dowdle can prove effective with his opportunity.
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Zamir White RB | LV
Raiders' Zamir White: Leads rushing attack as expected
White gained 44 yards on 13 carries in Sunday's 22-10 loss to the Chargers. He added two receptions for two yards and also lost a fumble.
White out-carried Alexander Mattison by a 13-4 margin, though he found running room hard to come by as he picked up only six yards on his first six carries. While his results improved mildly from there, he also lost a fumble early in the second half. White will likely continue to lead the Raiders in carries on early downs, though Mattison was targeted six times and caught a touchdown for the team's only trip to the end zone on the day.
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Tyjae Spears RB | TEN
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Short end of committee
Spears rushed the ball four times for 21 yards in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Bears. He added four receptions on four targets for 11 yards.
The Titans insisted they would run an evenly split backfield between Spears and Tony Pollard to begin the season, but that didn't come to fruition. Pollard got each of the first eight carries for the team, while Spears didn't manage a carry until early in second quarter -- Tennessee's fourth possession. Spears did enter the game in obvious passing situations and as a breather back but ultimately saw 11 fewer touches than Pollard and played 11 fewer offensive snaps, per Turron Davenport of ESPN.com.
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Jaylen Warren RB | PIT
Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Limited involvement against Atlanta
Warren rushed the ball twice for seven yards and recorded two catches on two targets for 13 yards in Sunday's 18-10 win over Atlanta.
Warren was cleared to play Sunday after battling a hamstring injury throughout the preseason. Based on his efficiency from 2023, it was expected that Warren would challenge Najee Harris for the lead-back role in Pittsburgh, though he was limited to only 22 offensive snaps in Week 1 compared to 38 for Harris. That likely indicates that Warren isn't fully healthy, though there should be more clarity on that as the week progresses.
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Jerome Ford RB | WAS
Browns' Jerome Ford: Totals 18 touches
Ford rushed the ball 12 times for 44 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 33-17 loss to the Cowboys. He added six receptions on seven targets for 25 yards.
Ford unsurprisingly served as Cleveland's lead back but saw his volume on the ground limited by the game script. He made up for that with a garbage-time touchdown with 29 seconds remaining and also had strong involvement as a pass catcher. While Deshaun Watson made things difficult for the majority of the Browns' skill-position players, Ford was a beneficiary as a regular dump-off option. So long as Nick Chubb (knee) is sidelined, Ford should be capable of putting together similar results moving forward.
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Jamaal Williams RB | NO
Saints' Jamaal Williams: Scores in garbage time
Williams notched 11 carries for 38 yards and one touchdown and caught his only target for 13 yards during Sunday's 47-10 win against the Panthers.
Williams logged the final touchdown of the game with a 14-yard score early in the fourth quarter. The 29-year-old brusier primarily helped salt away this blowout win for New Orleans, as he recorded just three carries for 11 yards in the first half. Meanwhile, Alvin Kamara shouldered the bulk of the workload when the game was still in hand, totaling 15 carries for 83 yards, and Taysom Hill logged four carries for 28 yards in the first half. Hill is expected to be an even bigger part of the rushing game this season with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, as the 34-year-old spent increased time working with the Saints' running backs and fullbacks during training camp and the preseason. So long as Kamara and Hill remain healthy, expect them to handle the primary rushing duties for the Saints.
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Kyren Williams RB | LAR
Rams' Kyren Williams: Punches in TD on SNF
Williams rushed 18 times for 50 yards and a touchdown while catching all three targets for four receiving yards in Sunday's 26-20 overtime loss to the Lions.
Williams struggled on a per-touch basis (2.6 yards) in his first game following his 2023 breakout campaign. The positive news for the 23-year-old's fantasy managers was that one of his 21 combined touches hit pay dirt in addition to his domination of the backfield touches Sunday. Backup Ronnie Rivers saw two carries while rookie sleeper Blake Corum surprisingly did not see the field in a game during which the Rams lost a primary offensive weapon in Puka Nacua (knee). It appears Williams is in no threat of losing his status as a starter for both the Rams and fantasy GMs this season.
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David Montgomery RB | HOU
Lions' David Montgomery: Caps dominant OT with winning TD
Montgomery rushed 17 times for 91 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for two yards in Sunday's 26-20 overtime win over the Rams.
After watching Jahmyr Gibbs score a one-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, Montgomery powered in one of his own to win the game in overtime. That touchdown capped a drive on which Montgomery dominated a tired Rams defense, producing 45 yards and the game-winning score on five rushing attempts. Montgomery will look to build on the momentum from his strong finish when the Lions host the Buccaneers in Week 2.
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Jahmyr Gibbs RB | DET
Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs: Scores TD in Week 1 win
Gibbs rushed 11 times for 40 yards and a touchdown while catching four of six targets for 34 yards in Sunday's 26-20 overtime win over the Rams.
Gibbs was outproduced on the ground by David Montgomery (17 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown), but the second-year running back got a couple goal-line carries late in the first half and made the most of the opportunity, punching in a one-yard touchdown at the two-minute warning. It was Gibbs' 11th rushing touchdown in 16 career regular-season games. Gibbs also tied for second on the team in targets, so he was involved both on the ground and through the air as usual. With no sign of the hamstring injury that sidelined him in August, Gibbs should maintain a prominent role in Week 2 against the Buccaneers.
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Tank Bigsby RB | PHI
Jaguars' Tank Bigsby: Outgains Etienne in loss
Bigsby carried 12 times for 73 yards and wasn't targeted during Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Dolphins.
The 23-year-old put forth the best game of his young career in the season opener, as he matched Travis Etienne in carries and produced 29 more rushing yards. Bigsby's afternoon was highlighted by runs of 26 and 17 yards, both of which exceeded Etienne's long for the day. After a disappointing rookie campaign that saw Bigsby total just 50 carries for 132 yards, it appears he could have a decent role in Jacksonville's offense during 2024 as the No. 2 tailback. He isn't likely to match rushing attempts with Etienne most weeks, but Bigsby could prove to be a viable insurance option if Etienne struggles or suffers an injury.