Kenneth Walker III (@ DET) – Walker was sidelined last week with an oblique injury. This was the second game in a row Walker missed due to this injury. Zach Charbonnet filled in quite well for Walker as he racked up 2 rushing touchdowns. There is some optimism by the Seahawks staff that Walker will play this week but this one will need to be watched closely.

Austin Ekeler (@ ARI) – Ekeler suffered a concussion in the Commanders big-time win at Cincinnati Monday night. Before his injury, Ekeler was rolling and picked up a 24-yard rushing score. He has been a big part of the Washington offense early on so this injury could impact the Commanders offense overall.

Sam Darnold (@ GB) – Has there been a bigger surprise this season than Darnold? He has been outstanding in this Vikings offense and is coming off back-to-back top 10 finishes. Darnold suffered an injury to his knee Sunday but as of now, it looks to just be a knee bruise. It looks like he will be good to go Sunday in Green Bay.

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Austin Ekeler – Ekeler missed the week 3 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings with an ankle injury. His status for week 4 is still uncertain but we should have some clarity later in the day when the Chargers practice. As of now, he is still in our RB rankings but towards the bottom until we get an update.

Aaron Jones – Jones has also missed two straight games with a hamstring injury. The Green Bay Packers play on Thursday night so we should know for sure his game status today. The good news is Jones practiced on Tuesday but was limited.

Jimmy Garoppolo – Garoppolo suffered a concussion late Sunday night and is currently in concussion protocol. This isn’t a good sign for his status in week 4 as it may take time until he is cleared. The Raiders may have to rely on backup Brian Hoyer or give the ball to rookie Aidan O’Connell.

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Las Vegas Raiders at Buffalo Bills

Raiders eked out a good win in Denver but will place way stiffer test in Buffalo. Look for Josh Allen to bounce back with a huge day just like last year after he had a rough game. The Buffalo D will force a few turnovers in this game and Allen will throw for over 300 yards.

PREDICTION: Buffalo 40 Las Vegas 24

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

Just like Buffalo Cincinnati is coming off a bad loss. Expect them to bounce back the problem is there facing a very good Baltimore defense. This will be a close fairly high scoring game with the Bengals eking out the close win.

PREDICTION: Bengals 34 Ravens 31

Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars

What will the Chiefs look like with Kelce and Chris Jones back? Well way more formidable. Jacksonville will put up a fight but KC is too good to go 0-2. Take the Chiefs in this one.

PREDICTION: Chiefs 28 Jaguars 24

LA Chargers at Tennessee Titans

We got the high flying Chargers playing against the well coached Titans. The Chargers put up 34 pts last week and the Titans struggled. The Titans need Henry and Ryan Tannehill to play better this week but it won’t be easy. I don’t think the Titans can put up enough points to stay with the Chargers. Their only hope is to force turnovers. Also it will be interesting to see if Austin Ekeler will be playing this week, as he is a game changer when playing.

PREDICTION: Chargers 28 Titans 20

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons

I like Atlanta in this one at home. Green Bay did look sharp in their first game but look for them to come down to Earth in this game. I think Jordan Love will struggle, and Desmond Ridder will play efficiently

PREDICTION: Atlanta 21 Green Bay 17

Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions

Detroit is coming off a huge win in KC. There defense comes to play each game, they just need their offense to keep up. Detroit will need to lock up DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and with their pass rush should make this difficult for the Seahawks. With that said, Seattle will play well in this game and win by 3.

PREDICTION: Seattle 17 Detroit 14

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

Battle of the rookie Qb’s! CJ Stroud struggled in his first game for a rookie but to no surprise. Houston will have a tough time handling the Colts this weekend who have a stout running game. Look for the Colts D to take over in this one.

PREDICTION: Colts 21 Houston 17

Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Bucanneers

The Justin Fields led Bears stroll into Tampa Bay coming off a loss to the Packers. Tampa Bay is coming off a big win against the Vikings in Minnesota. What Baker Mayfield will we see? If he can manage the game and Tampa’s D can stay dominant they should win. This will be a close one with the Bears winning.

PREDICTION: Bears 24 Tampa 23

NY Giants Giants at Arizona Cardinals

The Giants laid a big egg against Dallas last week. Luckily they face the Cardinals this week who looked tough in Week 1 but are still a bad team. The Giants need to run Saquon Barkley, mix in some Darren Waller and have Daniel Jones play well against a decent Arizona defense.

PREDICTION: Giants 24 Arizona 10

Washington Commanders at Denver Broncos

Washington didn’t look the best in Week 1 against a weak Arizona team. Denver almost won at home and looked efficient at times but had issues also. It’s always tough to play in Denver but I think Washington does enough to get this win. Look for Sam Howell to be more efficient in his third game starting for Washington.

PREDICTION: Washington 21 Broncos 13

San Francisco 49ers at LA Rams

For all the doubters who doubted Brock Purdy in year 2 he looked mighty sharp in Week 1. Along with the tough defense 49ers will give many teams trouble this year. This will include the Kuppless Rams this week. Look for SF’s offense to have a big day!

PREDICTION: 49ers 24 Rams 7

New York Jets at Dallas Cowboys

These two teams have very good defenses and one of these teams offenses is way more superior. Look for Dallas to win big riding their defense against the Jets. Zach Wilson is not the answer and the Jets will struggle with him as their leader.

PREDICTION: Dallas 27 Jets 13

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

This will be a good one as the red hot dolphins play the well coached Patriots. The Pats will look to rebound this week but it won’t be easy. I believe Bill Belichick will have a plan for Tua Tagovailoa and the Patriots will make life difficult for them. I like the Patriots in this one.

PREDICTION: Patriots 24 Dolphins 20

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers

These two NFC south rivals face off in Carolina. I gauge teams on the proficiency of their QB and the Saints have a far more experiences and skilled QB in Derek Carr. Bryce Young will struggle against a Saints pass rush led by Cameron Jordan.

PREDICTION: Saints 31 Carolina 17

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers

Is Cleveland for real? Are the Steelers the weakest team in the division? The answer to both of those questions is NO. Yes Deshaun Watson is back and the Browns looked good, but the Steelers will slow them down this week. Pittsburgh is always a tough place to play. Look for Najee Harris to have a big game along with Pickett.

PREDICTION: Steelers 19 Browns 14

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Travis Kelce – The Kansas City Chiefs struggled without their star tight end on Thursday night. Is this the week Kelce returns? Kelce is dealing with a hyperextended knee injury but was pushing to play in week 1. Given that he had extra rest it’s probable we see Kelce back this weekend. Once we have more clarity we will update our rankings accordingly.

Austin Ekeler – Ekeler suffered an apparent ankle injury on Sunday and as of right now we don’t know the severity. We will have to monitor this situation closely and see how he practices this week.

Anthony Richardson – Richardson had a productive debut for the Colts on Sunday but picked up a knee injury towards the end of the game. As of now, it appears the injury is minor and he won’t miss any time. This is something to keep an eye on with Richardson. He will need to protect himself better and avoid the big hits.

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This past offseason the top 3 running backs available were all franchise tagged. In addition, Chargers running back Austin Ekeler is also not happy about his current contract situation. If it wasn’t for a recent boost in incentives, Ekeler may have been traded. It’s important to point out these details as the real value of running backs has been debated in recent years. One thing you can’t debate is that the players below all play a critical role in their teams’ success. Let’s now look closer at the top 10 running backs in the NFL today.

10. Alvin Kamara

Alvin Kamara had a bit of a down year that we weren’t accustomed to seeing in 2022. In fact, the entire Saints offense took a step back last year and struggled to find an identity. New Orleans hopes the new addition of Derek Carr will help solve their offensive woes and help them take a step forward. Carr will open up the field again for Kamara and the running back should bounce back. Health and off-the-field issues will be a concern for Kamara but as of now, it looks like he won’t be suspended.

2022 Stats: 1,387 all purpose yards | 4 total touchdowns

9. Joe Mixon

When healthy, Joe Mixon has put up consistent numbers throughout his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. Mixon is a true three-down back in one of the league’s best offenses. In 2023, he will have the backfield all to himself as Samaje Perine is now with the Broncos. You can expect another Pro Bowl caliber year from Mixon and plenty of opportunities to score.

2022 Stats: 1,255 all purpose yards | 9 total touchdowns

8. Tony Pollard

When the Dallas Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott this offseason it signaled a changing of the guard. They were now confident enough to let Tony Pollard be the feature back. Pollard has all the tools of a modern NFL running back. He will now get the chance to showcase those skills for Dallas. The only concern with Pollard is durability. Can he handle the full-time workload?

2022 Stats: 1,378 all purpose yards | 12 total touchdowns

7. Aaron Jones

For most of his career in Green Bay, Aaron Jones has had competition in the Packers backfield. That really hasn’t mattered as Jones has put up numbers regardless. Jones has always been a threat in the receiving game and in 2022 had 5 receiving touchdowns. Now with Aaron Rodgers out of the picture, Jones will be relied on more than ever.

2022 Stats: 1,516 all purpose yards | 7 total touchdowns

6. Saquon Barkley

The aforementioned Saquon Barkley will be playing with a chip on his shoulder next season. For what it’s worth, the Giants should’ve franchise tagged Daniel Jones and paid Barkley his due. It’s now unlikely that the two sides will agree on a new deal before the start of the season. The off-the-field noise won’t slow down Barkley’s production in 2023.

2022 Stats: 1,650 all purpose yards | 10 total touchdowns

5. Nick Chubb

Since his rookie season, Nick Chubb has rushed for 1000+ yards each year he has been in the league. Chubb has always been an old school type of running back who can carry the heavy load. He had 302 rushing attempts last season and is showing no signs of slowing down.

2002 Stats: 1,764 all purpose yards | 13 total touchdowns

4. Derrick Henry

Like Chubb, Derrick Henry is a between the tackles type of runner with breakaway speed. There were rumors this offseason that the Titans might try and trade Henry. Those rumors turned out to be false as Henry looks poised for another big year. No matter who the quarterback is for the Titans, Henry will be the focal point of this offense for the foreseeable future.

2022 Stats: 1,936 all purpose yards | 13 total touchdowns

3. Austin Ekeler

Austin Ekeler is one of the most versatile running backs in the NFL today. Line him up anywhere on the field and Ekeler will deliver. As we mentioned before this is likely Ekeler’s last season for the Chargers due to the contract situation. If he hits free agency expect a big payday for Ekeler.

2022 Stats: 1,637 all purpose yards | 18 total touchdowns

2. Josh Jacobs

Despite being franchise tagged this offseason, Josh Jacobs has been business as usual. Jacobs is a true professional who lets his game speak for itself. In 2022, Jacobs led the league in rushing yards, all purpose yards, yards per game and total touches. Even with a change at quarterback for the Raiders you can expect the gameplan to be the same. Keep feeding Jacobs.

2022 Stats: 2,053 all purpose yards | 12 total touchdowns

1. Christian McCaffrey

When Christian McCaffrey was traded to the San Francisco 49ers this past season it was a bit surprising. Kyle Shanahan has always deployed a running back by committee offensive system. By bringing in McCaffrey he knew he would have to rely heavily on his new star. The trade paid off as the 49ers were just 1 game away from the Super Bowl despite questions at quarterback. Now with a full offseason under his belt, McCaffrey is set for a monster year in San Francisco.

2022 Stats: 1,880 all purpose yards | 13 total touchdowns

The post Top 10 Running Backs in 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

It became one of the biggest topics this offseason as trade rumors were swirling on where Ekeler might end up. You can now put those rumors to rest as Ekeler has agreed to stay on with the Los Angeles Chargers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ekeler will be given $2 million in incentives added to his base $6.25 million salary. Presumably, if the Chargers and Ekeler can’t come to terms on a new contract this year he will become a free agent.

This upcoming season will be the final year of his 4-year/$24 million contract Ekeler signed in March of 2020. Understandably the market has changed and Ekeler wants to earn his value. Ekeler is not the prototypical running back as he has a dual-threat ability not many can match. Last year alone he tallied up 722 receiving yards on a whopping 107 receptions.

Regardless of what happens between the Chargers and Ekeler this year, there will always be a market for him. In today’s modern NFL Austin Ekeler is the weapon many teams are coveting.

The post Austin Ekeler Staying Put With the Chargers appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Los Angeles Chargers

Right off the bat we start with the obvious choice in the Chargers. Star running back Austin Ekeler has recently requested permission to seek a trade as he and the Chargers failed to agree on an extension. More than likely the two sides will come to terms but if they don’t the Chargers will have huge shoes to fill. Elliott would seem like a no-brainer move as he already has ties to new OC Kellen Moore and knows his system. Zeke is mainly a 1st and 2nd down back in this stage of his career that can thrive in goal-line situations.

Seattle Seahawks

Another good fit would be for Zeke to join the Seahawks. Seattle recently lost running back Rashaad Penny to the Philadelphia Eagles and have that hole to fill. Elliott could step in and immediately fill that role working along side rookie sensation Kenneth Walker. The Seahawks are a team on the rise with the surprise success of Geno Smith. I could see them making a playoff run next year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers look to be in rebuild mode. Leonard Fournette was recently released and they will have a new face at quarterback with Tom Brady retiring. I could see a fit here for Zeke as the Buccaneers have hired ex-Cowboys running back coach Skip Peete to their staff. Peete and Elliott seem to have a good relationship and with the departure of Fournette I could see the Buccaneers making the call.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Chargers blatantly possess a dynamite ball carrier and a more lethal version of Darren Sproles in Austin Ekeler. The former Western Colorado RB (believe it or not) is coming off an incredible game against the Cleveland Browns where he ran for 173 rushing yards and a touchdown. Let it be known that Ekeler already has accumulated 527 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns on the season. Contrary to Justin Herbert’s lack of explosion over the past few weeks, Ekeler has found a way to be effective as of late.

The Chargers RB was also a greek god in 2021 by way of obtaining a whopping 20 total touchdowns with 1,558 all-purpose yards. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report nicely dubbed Ekeler as a Pro Bowl snub a season ago. Let’s not forget that Ekeler also recorded 1,550 total yards and 11 TDs in 2015, yet failed to garner a Pro Bowl nod!

Without question, Ekeler is the most potent RB over the prior several seasons to fail to reach the Pro Bowl. If Ekeler continues to be the most efficient version of himself but fails to reach the Pro Bowl, it would be a massive shame (and it would be the third time it’s happened!).

Ekeler is off to a miraculous start in 2022 & he’s projected to have a career-high 1,792 all-purpose yards & 17 combined touchdowns this season – per ESPN. Furthermore, his production in the Chargers offense in 2022-2023 should result in more victories this season than last season.

The Chargers RB1 & 27-year-old chess piece in Brandon Staley’s offense is amid a four-year contract with LA & he’s bound to be a free agent in the 2024 off-season. Expect Ekeler, Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen (FA in 2025), and Mike Williams to dismantle foes for a few more seasons together.

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By: Jake Rajala

Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season is steadily approaching & it’s obvious that it will feel great to hear Scott Hanson’s voice each weekend. It will clearly be thrilling to witness next-level quarterbacks and talented running backs dazzle on the field. With that stated, I’m going to highlight the RB spot and project the ten best RB performances in the 2022 season.

Christian McCaffrey

I really believe a healthy Christian McCaffrey is the scariest RB in the league. CMAC was second-team All-Pro in his sophomore season and then he really blossomed in his junior campaign — where he garnered 2,392 all-purpose yds, 19 combined touchdowns, and was named first-team All-Pro. Sadly, he’s only played in 10 games over the prior two seasons combined. I still feel deeply positive about his all-around outlook as a healthy, motivated, 26-year-old that doesn’t have an abundance of tread on his tires.

Jonathan Taylor

It’s hard to ignore the talent, consistency, and situation that JT is in. Taylor garnered 1,811 rushing yds and 18 rushing TDs last season — which led him to garner first-team All-Pro honors and place second in OPOY voting. Taylor could be slightly leaned on less in the offense with Matt Ryan and his backfield is a bit more talented than last season – as these two factors could slightly hurt Taylor’s overall production.

Alvin Kamara

The New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is authentic and a superb RB. AK has made the Pro Bowl in each season. The Saints skat-back’s superior, all-around RB’s best season unequivocally came in 2020 – where he unleashed 1,688 total yds and 21 combined TDs (which resulted in getting second-team All-Pro honors). He had another fantastic output last season: 1,337 total yds and 9 combined TDs in 13 games.

According to Fantasy Pros, a suspension for Kamara is also likely to occur in 2023.

Dalvin Cook

The Minnesota Vikings running back is an extremely electric RB and he should continue to belittle his opponents in 2022. The Vikings RB ran angry for 13 touchdowns and 1,135 yds in 2019 and then managed to run for 16 TDs and 1,557 yds in 2020. Cook missed four contests last season, but he still unveiled 1,159 rushing yds six rushing TDs. I believe there is still room for a couple of top-tier seasons in his football life.

Derrick Henry

Derrick Henry has an old-school mentality and he’s also explosive. Henry ran angry for 1,540 yds and 16 rushing TDs in 2020 and then proceeded to bulldoze opponents for 2,027 yds and 17 rushing TDs (which led him to win Offensive Player of The Year in 2020). It appeared that Henry was on a rampage until he suffered a broken football in Week 8 – which caused him to miss nine contests. Father time will have an impact on Henry, but he should absolutely be an elite RB in 2022.

Nick Chubb

It may seem blasphemous to peg Nick Chubb at this spot, but I feel more inspired by the other ball carriers. Still, Chubb should be a top-tier RB for yet another season. The Browns RB1 (sitting in front of Kareem Hunt – who has seemed to bury the hatchet with CLE), ran angry for 1,259 yds and 8 TDs last season. PFF slabbed him an 81.7 grade for his 2021 performance.

Elijah Mitchell

I believe that Elijah Mitchell is one of the most underrated skill players in the league. Mitchell was quite potent behind the Trent Williams-led OL in only nine games a season ago: 963 rushing yds and five rushing TDs. The 49ers full back Kyle Juszczyk and former Harvard grad believes that Mitchell’s ability to simplify things in the 49ers offense led to his success as a rook. Juszczyk stated, “It’s a complicated offense, and sometimes the best way to come into a complicated offense and be successful is to simplify things. And I think that’s something that Elijah did in his first year. You talk about the wide zone and it being a one-cut offense. That’s how Elijah approached it, and that, I think, is his strength….He’s decisive and he just puts his foot in the ground and gets upfield. ook. Mitchell obtained a 76.3 grade by PFF for his 2021 outcome, too. With that said, I do expect Trey Sermon, who has impressed this off-season, to be more involved in the 49ers offense in his second season (which should put a dink on Mitchell’s production).

Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants running back is far from dead in my opinion. Barkley’s best season was in his rookie year (2,028 total yds and 15 combined touchdowns) and then he accumulated 1,441 total yards in 13 games as a sophomore. Unfortunately, disaster struck the young, gifted RB (as he suffered a torn ACL after two games in 2020). He also sat out of four games last season – or was playing healthy behind a brutal OL in the other 13 match-ups. I suspect Barkley to return to the PB behind a much-improved OL in the upcoming season.

Joe Mixon

The reigning AFC Champion, Joe Mixon, is slightly in the shadow of the Bengals impressive QB-WR duo. Nonetheless, let’s not forget that Mixon is a dangerous bell cow RB (1,205 rushing yds and 13 rushing TDs last season). PFF nicely gave the Bengals RB a 79.5 grade for his 2021 outcome. Mixon will also benefit next season from an improved OL (as Cincy brought in Alex Cappa, C Ted Karras, and of course: La’el Collins).

Austin Ekeler

The Los Angeles Chargers have a surreal QB-RB combination (between Justin Herbert & Austin Ekeler). The Chargers versatile ball-carrier had a personal-best 911 rushing yards with a career-high 647 receiving yds last season. Furthermore, Ekeler had total of 20 touchdowns — which undoubtedly edged out his previous single-season best total TD count (11). Ekeler should have worse rushing production than last season with Isaiah Spiller in the RB room, but his all-around ability in a high-powered offense should still help register around 1,300 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns.

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