Roschon Johnson – Johnson left the game against the Washington Commanders with a concussion. His status for week 6 is still uncertain but don’t be surprised if he sits. The Bears also lost Khalil Herbert to an ankle injury leaving D’Onta Foreman as the only healthy back.

Javonte Williams – Williams missed the week 5 matchup with a quad injury but it looks like he will return Thursday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. Williams practiced in full on Tuesday which is a great sign going forward.

Travis Kelce – Kelce picked up an ankle injury in the week 5 win at Minnesota. He was able to practice on Tuesday but it was in limited fashion. With a quick turnaround and a Thursday night game, Kelce’s status is certainly up in the air.

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Jonathan Taylor – Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is off the PUP and back at practice. Will he play in week 5? Right now it’s hard to say as we haven’t heard what the next step will be. Keep in mind that Taylor has stated before that he no longer wants to play for the Colts.

Saquon Barkley – Barkley has been out of action for the past two weeks due to an ankle sprain. There are some encouraging signs that he might play this week. He is back practicing and taking reps with the team. We should have more clarity on Thursday if he is leaning towards playing.

Javonte Williams – Williams picked up a hip flexor injury on Sunday which knocked him out of the game. The good news is he is not expected to miss much time. He is likely to be limited in practice this week and we will have more updates on Friday whether he is a go or not.

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The Good

Broncos running back Javonte Williams had an impressive rookie season in Denver. Williams piled up 1,219 scrimmage yards and 7 total touchdowns in his first season. He could be seen regularly breaking tackles and proved to be built for the NFL. In fact, Williams had 31 broken tackles his rookie season and was the league leader in broken-plus tackles missed at 17.2%. Big things were expected for Williams in his 2nd season but he unfortunately went down with a serious ACL injury in week 4. Williams now seems to be ahead of schedule as he is already practicing again for the Broncos and could see some pre-season reps. This is great news for Denver fans as new head coach Payton will be able to get the best out of Williams going forward.

As insurance, the Broncos brought in running back Samaje Perine this offseason. If you followed the Cincinnati Bengals closely you know Perine played a pivotal role for them. Now that Williams looks to be healthy, Perine will provide an extra jolt to the running game for Denver. Perine is somewhat similar to Williams in that he rarely goes down on the first touch. He just doesn’t have the breakaway speed that Williams has. Expect the running game to be the strength of the Broncos offense.

The Bad

There were already questions about the Broncos wide receiver position going into next season. Unfortunately, the group took a big hit to their depth as receivers K.J. Hamler and Tim Patrick are now out indefinitely. The Broncos will now lean heavily on Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton in 2023. Jeudy has shown flashes of greatness but lacks consistency and Sutton hasn’t been the same since his breakout 2019 season. The Broncos also drafted Marvin Mims Jr. from Oklahoma with hopes to bolster the position. With the recent injuries, Mims will now be relied on for a heavy role in Denver.

The Prediction

Sean Payton will have an impact in Denver this season. How much of an impact is yet to be seen but the offense should be vastly improved. The problem for the Broncos is Russell Wilson is not the same player as he was in Seattle. He can no longer rely on his legs to extend plays and this causes more turnovers. The key for him going forward is to learn how to play from the pocket similar to what Drew Brees did in New Orleans. It will be fascinating to watch how this all plays out in 2023.

2023 Record: 8-9 (3rd in the Division)

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The current ADP below is for Half PPR scoring.

Jamaal Williams (Saints-RB) | ADP-109 | RB-38

Jamaal Williams was one of the biggest fantasy surprises last season with the Detroit Lions. Williams came out of nowhere and led the league in rushing touchdowns (17) along with 1,000+ rushing yards. He has since landed with the New Orleans Saints and it may be a perfect scenario for him.

Alvin Kamara is dealing with a legal situation that could cause him to miss time next season due to suspension. If that happens Williams should carry a majority of the load and that’s enticing for fantasy players. The Saints also drafted Kendre Miller during the 2023 NFL Draft but expect the rookie to be eased in slowly. At this current ADP picking up Williams is a no-brainer and a must-target in the mid-rounds.

James Conner (Cardinals-RB) | ADP-74 | RB-26

It’s a bit surprising that James Conner is not higher in the current ADP. Conner will be the focal point of the offense early on for the Arizona Cardinals as they wait for Kyler Murray to return. Expect a heavy workload for Conner who showed last year that when healthy he can be a top-10 back. Health is really the only concern going forward for Conner. If he can play in all 17 games next season I expect Connor to finish the RB15 territory.

Javonte Williams (Broncos-RB) | ADP-81 | RB-29

Javonte Williams is coming back from a serious ACL injury that cut his 2022 campaign short. Early indications are that Williams is recovering well from his injury and should be ready to go when the season starts. I am a big believer in Williams in the Sean Payton system as the RB could be in for a breakout year. He has all the makings of an elite running back with his speed and ability to break tackles. In 2021 Williams led the league in broken plus missed tackles forced at 17.2%. This was almost 3% higher than Rhamondre Stevenson who came in second place. If Williams is indeed fully healthy and ready for week 1 this will end up being a steal.

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This is obviously huge news for Alexander Mattison as he will finally be the lead back in Minnesota. Mattison has a chance now to finish as a top-tier fantasy running back in 2023. Keep an eye out for our fantasy football rankings as when they are updated you will see a pretty big jump for Mattison. As for Cook, it all depends on where he lands. Let’s now look at 3 potential suitors for the star running back.

Miami Dolphins

Rumors of Dalvin Cook to the Dolphins have been circulating for months now. The Dolphins have no clear-cut #1 running back and this spot makes the most sense. Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr. and rookie Devon Achane round out the crowded running back room for the Dolphins. Achane was a 3rd round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft so the Dolphins have some investment there. Still, when you have a chance to grab one of the top running backs in the game you take it.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos are another team to keep an eye on as a Dalvin Cook landing spot. Denver has Javonte Williams coming back and they also signed ex-Bengal Samaje Perine this offseason. There are some factors here to consider. The first is Williams suffered an ACL tear back in October and it might take some time before he is ready. The other is Perine is more of third down running back and has never handled a heavy load. If Head Coach Sean Payton believes his team is a contender, expect him to make a move.

Dallas Cowboys

Dallas is a bit of a wild card on this list but there are signs the Cowboys may be interested in Cook. Earlier this offseason the Cowboys decided to release Ezekiel Elliott and move ahead with Tony Pollard. Although Pollard has shown a ton of potential the questions are there if he can handle a full-time role. Fantasy owners would not be happy with Cook entering the mix but the Cowboys offense would become a major threat next season. Never count out Jerry Jones to make a splashy move and bringing in Dalvin Cook would certainly be that.

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Going into last season there was a lot expected from Javonte Williams and the Broncos offense. Williams was coming off a strong finish to his rookie campaign and the Broncos pulled off a blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson. It didn’t take long to realize this new-look Broncos offense was mediocre at best. Then disaster struck and Williams tore his ACL against Oakland Raiders.

Coming into 2022, Javonte Williams was #14 RB according to FantasyPros ECR. He was firmly in the tier 3 range of running backs with big things expected. Due to his injury, he ended with just 34 FP (Half PPR). Let’s take a closer look at what to do with Javonte Williams dynasty shares going forward.

2022

In the opening game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Broncos offense as a whole struggled. They finished with just 16 points in a close loss. Williams accounted for much of the Broncos production on the day. He only had 43 yards on the ground but he was able to haul in 11 receptions for 65 yards. Most of those were short yardage dump-offs from Wilson. Williams finished the day with 14.3 FP which was his highest output of the season.

Following the loss to the Seahawks the Broncos were able to string together back-to-back wins and Williams started to gain momentum in the running game. Unfortunately, things took a turn in the week 4 matchup against the Raiders. Williams went down with an ACL injury which shut him down for the rest of the season.

2023

Looking ahead to next season, the biggest question with Javonte Williams is how well he is progressing from his injury. We received some good news recently as according to Head Coach Sean Payton, Williams participated in OTA’s albeit in a limited fashion. It’s certainly a great indicator that he may be ready for the upcoming season with no setbacks. The addition of Sean Payton is also what excites me with Williams’s potential. I could see Williams taking on an Alvin Kamara type of role in the new-look offense. At the end of the day, it all comes down to how Russell Wilson can bounce back from an awful 2022. If Payton can work his magic this offense could really make some noise.

Javonte Williams Dynasty Value

So what is the current value of Javonte Williams dynasty shares? He is hovering around the #15 RB range and stayed pretty steady. I can see that trending upward as we get into training camp and see how well he is progressing. As for right now, he is a BUY as some have already given up on him. I would be willing to roll the dice and grab him at a discount if you can. If Williams comes back fully healthy it could be a major steal.

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By: Christian Esparza

If you are serious about winning your fantasy football league, you need to know which players to take and which ones to avoid. Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done. It’s impossible to know for certain who will and won’t perform on Sundays, but it can be said that some players do carry more risk than others. Here is a list of five players whose risk outweighs their reward in 2022. 

5. Tom Brady or his receivers

We start things off with sort of a gimme, grouping Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Russell Gage and Julio Jones into one. But there’s reason(s) to be weary of what is going on in Tampa Bay right now. 

First off, Brady is taking a 10-day absence from training camp to “deal with personal things.” The absence was reportedly pre-approved by the Head Coach Todd Bowles, so what’s the issue? Well first off, Brady is notorious for being more prepared than any other player on the field. He has never been one to miss time for personal matters; this is a new territory. Him being away takes away reps with his receivers, including new additions Gage and Jones. With Brady now 45 years old, it is fair to wonder if this is the worst possible time of the year for him to take time off. 

As if that was not enough, none of Evans, Godwin and Gage are fully healthy. Evans and Gage are dealing with hamstring issues ”“ which have a tendency to be naggy throughout the season ”“ while Godwin is coming off a torn ACL. The only healthy one here is the 33-year old Jones who has dealt with his fair share of injuries in the past. Not to say they will be “bad” picks, but Evans and Godwin especially won’t be the fantasy players they have been in years’ past. Take a Bucs receiver at your own risk. 

4. Aaron Rodgers

The back-to-back MVP finished third in points scored among quarterbacks in 2020, and fifth in 2021. Rodgers is currently the seventh ranked quarterback in ESPN leagues with an average draft position of 75, but Rodgers may not even crack the top-10 this year. One of the biggest storylines of the entire offseason was Green Bay trading away Davante Adams, who of course was Rodgers’s favorite target. While it’s very unlikely losing Adams will make the Packers a bad team, or Rodgers a bad quarterback, I would feel very uncomfortable with him as my QB1 in fantasy football. There are several other quarterbacks you should consider taking instead of Rodgers. 

3. Derrick Henry

Henry was one of the most dominant players in 2019 and 2020, totaling over 3,500 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns over those two seasons. He was on pace to continue his carnage in 2021, until he suffered a Jones fracture in his foot that caused him to miss nine games. There is a lot of speculation regarding this injury, and if it could have been caused over time by all the carries Henry has accrued since high school. If it was indeed a stress fracture, Henry could see his production rapidly decline. To make his situation even worse, the Titans traded away star receiver A.J. Brown, leaving aging veterans and unproven young players as Tennessee’s only receiving threats. Henry could see a lot of stacked boxes in 2022. Take someone else in the first round. 

2. Najee Harris

Harris finished as RB4 overall in 2021 thanks to his insane volume. He led the NFL with 381 total touches, but he really didn’t perform as well as he should have. Harris only averaged 3.9 yards per carry and 6.3 yards per reception for a grand total of 4.4 yards per touch on his way to 1,667 scrimmage yards. For reference, Ezekiel Elliot also led the league with 381 total touches in 2018. Elliot was able to put up 2001 total yards on 5.3 yards per touch, over 300 more yards on the same amount of touches. 

Of course, Harris was a rookie. Much of his first season was spent adjusting to the speed of the NFL and learning the scheme at full speed. While he is unquestionably the bell-cow back in Pittsburgh, it is unlikely he reaches close to that same volume in 2022.  Harris led the league with 34 checkdown targets last season, a product of playing with an aging Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers also drafted George Pickens, giving them another target besides Dionte Johnson and Chase Claypool in the passing game. It’s highly unlikely that Najee Harris repeats as a top-five fantasy back in 2022. 

1. Javonte Williams

Another running back entering their second year in the NFL, this is a classic case of having the talent but not having the situation. If you are a dynasty player, go ahead and stop reading now because this does not apply to you. Williams has the potential to be one of the top fantasy backs in the league, just not in 2022. 

Currently being drafted as RB12 in ESPN leagues at an ADP of 26, Williams is being taken far too early for his situation. When the 2021 season ended, it looked like Williams would be the primary back for the Denver Broncos from here on out. But then they brought back Melvin Gordon III in free agency, who finished with more points than Williams last year. 

Of course, Gordon III is another year older while Williams appears primed to break out, but that is not the case just yet. They brought Gordon III back for a reason, and the two have been splitting reps all camp. While the two won’t split carries exactly 50/50 like they did last year, it seems like 65/35 is the highest percentage Javonte Williams will get. That would have been only 263 of 406 carries last season; not a great number for a player who does not offer much receiving upside. 

Another point to look to is how Denver Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett utilized his running backs while in Green Bay. In 2021, AJ Dillon actually finished with more carries than Aaron Jones, due to the latter missing games with injuries. Those missed games aside, and the two split relatively evenly. Again, even if Gordon III does not split evenly with Williams, he will eat away enough to make you regret drafting Williams in the third round. 

The post Five big fantasy risks in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Denver Broncos unequivocally have one of the most superb running back tandems in the league w/ Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon. I expect the second-year Broncos RB to have the hot hand in the 2022 season.

Williams garnered 904 rushing yards, averaged 4.4 YPC, and had four rushing touchdowns last season. His best performance last season came against the imposing Micah Parsons-led Dallas Cowboys defense – where he obtained 111 rushing yards (his most rushing yds in a single game). PFF gave Williams a generous 75.9 grade for his 2021 campaign.

Williams is also listed as the Broncos RB1 on the depth chart at this moment.

Williams should have more carries than the former Wisconsin god-like RB, but Gordon will surely be a pivotal part of the offense. Gordon garnered 986 rushing yds and 9 TDs in 2020 — then proceeded to obtain 918 yds and 8 rushing TDs in 2021. He garnered an impressive 77.8 grade via PFF last season. The 29-year-old RB returned to Denver on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million dollars. Per PFT, Gordon sat out of practice yesterday due to a foot injury. It is unclear when he will return, but it seems like the team is being patient with him so he can be ready to shine in Week 1.

The Broncos ranked 13th in rushing yards w/ their prestigious RB duo last season. I fully expect the Broncos to be a Top-10 rushing offense with a more mature Williams. I expect Williams to make his first Pro Bowl next season with more all-around growth and involvement in the Broncos offense. Furthermore, Williams should ultimately be leaned on a lot more when Gordon (eventually) breaks up with the Broncos younger RB.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Denver Broncos wisely brought back the veteran running back and Wisconsin god Melvin Gordon this off-season. Gordon has averaged 952 rushing yards while unveiling 17 rushing TDs in his two seasons in Denver. The 29-year-old returned to his Colorado home on a one-year contract worth $2.5 million dollars.

Gordon should continue to be the 1B to the 2021 rookie stud Javonte Williams. The Broncos second-year RB had 203 rushing attempts last season (which was the same amount of carries as Gordon), but he should see an uptick in carries moving forward. Kyle Brandt of GMFB has already expressed his praise for the sophomore RB. Per Denver Broncos, Brandt expressed that a lot of hype was around Russell Wilson, but the old-school RB will be very involved with new opportunities, and he will be a big piece in why the Broncos win the AFC West.

Shawn Chilos from SI Fantasy feels strongly about Williams in fantasy football, as he projects him to have 1,500+ combined yards with double-digit scores and 50+ catches or 260 fantasy points. Williams is pegged as the fifth-best RB in dynasty (PPR) by Fantasy Pros.

The Broncos will unequivocally have one of the NFL’s best 1-2 RB punches, but they also carry Mike Boone and Damarea Crockett. I expect Boone, who ran for three touchdowns in 2019, to be the third RB and potential impact player if an injury to one of the top RBs occurs. Crockett is a 2019 UDFA with three career rushing yards, so he will aim to compete for a roster spot and potentially his season in 2022. It also could be noted that former Phillip Lindsay will also not be returning, as he recently signed with the Indianapolis Colts.

Wilson may not have Marshawn Lynch, but he certainly has a quality RB tandem in his new AFC West home. Also – let’s not forget when the former Wisconsin RB isn’t running over defenders, the Wisconsin alumni at QB can and will hurt defenses with his legs (4,689 career rushing yards).

The post What is the outlook for the Broncos RBs? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The NFL witnesses many fascinating running back introductions each season. The star New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara won Offensive Rookie of The Year as a third-round pick in 2017. Furthermore, the undrafted free agent Phillip Lindsay ran anger in 2019 for 1,037 yards and 9 touchdowns. There are many other dazzling and surprising running back legacies in the history of the sport.

With that enunciated, I’m going to outline five-strong breakout RB candidates. Let’s begin.

Rashaad Penny

I absolutely love Rashaad Penny’s outlook in 2022. Penny was utterly efficient each time he touched the football last season, as he averaged 6.3 YPC. He also knocked out 749 yards and 6 touchdowns in 10 games. The Hawks brought back the familiar Chris Carson, but Penny should definitely carry the load in the Russell Wilson-less offense. I expect Penny to be a Pro Bowl-caliber RB in the frigid NFC West.

Michael Carter

The New York Jets RB Michael Carter was definitely productive in a lackluster 2021 Jets offense, as he unleashed 964 total yards in 14 games. Carter should really be leaned on in a Jets RB group that offers Tevin Coleman as the second most talented ball carrier. I really expect Mekhi Becton to bounce back to at least his rookie form. Becton and the new guard Laken Tomlin should help Carter improve in his second season as the bell-cow RB.

Javonte Williams

The Broncos second year RB Javonte Williams should excel in the Melvin Gordan-less show. Williams was a rockstar as a rookie with 203 attempts last season (904 rushing yds). He unveiled 1,219 total yards last season, too. Williams is really going to shine behind an OL led by Garrett Bolles and an offense led by Russell Wilson in 2022.

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