NFL Player News

As Monday night's season opener against the Seahawks approaches, coach Nathaniel Hackett noted that the Broncos are in a "really good place" with a Week 1 backfield comprised of Williams, Melvin Gordon and Mike Boone, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Williams and Gordon, who both logged 203 carries last year, are in line to continue handling the bulk of Denver's rushing opportunities in 2022, with Boone in reserve. Looking ahead, it's a timeshare that figures to tilt in Williams' favor, a notion reflected by his lofty average draft position (relative to Gordon) ahead of Week 1, but Hackett did tell Stevens on Friday that he's a believer in rolling with "the hot hand." Either way, we expect the Broncos to find ways to get Williams his share of touches out of the gate this season, a context that should yield fantasy utility despite the continued presence of Gordon.

With Walker (hernia) having been listed as a non-participant on Friday's practice estimate, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune suggests that all signs point to the running back missing Monday night's season opener against the Broncos.

Saturday's injury report should add clarity to the 2022 second-rounder's Week 1 status, but if Walker is unavailable Monday, Travis Homer and/or DeeJay Dallas would be in line to handle complementary work behind starter Rashaad Penny.

Ward (shoulder) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's season opener against the Chiefs, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Ward was limited Wednesday and Thursday but logged a full practice Friday and will be good to go for Week 1. The third-year running back has appeared in 27 games over the last two seasons, but he's operated primarily on special teams.

Walker (abdomen) is listed as a non-participant on Friday's practice estimate, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

The Seahawks didn't practice Friday but still have to put out an injury report. While he hasn't been ruled out, Walker seems unlikely to play in Monday's game after undergoing a hernia procedure in mid-August. Coach Pete Carroll said he thought Walker would get some practice reps Thursday, but the rookie didn't end up participating. The Seahawks will turn to Travis Homer and/or DeeJay Dallas for support behind starter Rashaad Penny if Walker isn't able to play Week 1.

Ahmed (heel) is listed as questionable for Sunday's season opener against the Patriots, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

With Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and Myles Gaskin also in Miami's backfield mix, Ahmed doesn't have a clear path to steady volume out of the gate this season. With that in mind, his Week 1 status is of more import to his team's early-season RB depth than it is for fantasy managers.

The Texans have released Freeman.

With Freeman no longer in the mix, heading into Sunday's season opener against the Colts, Dameon Pierce, Rex Burkhead and Dare Ogunbowale are in line to handle the Texans' backfield duties, along with fullback Troy Hairston.

Washington (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's season opener against the Falcons, Rod Walker of NOLA.com reports.

Washington wasn't expected to garner a major offensive role in the season opener, but he has been a major special-teams contributor over his past four seasons in New Orleans. The extent of his current hamstring injury remains unclear, but he didn't practice at all this week, so it's possible he'll be sidelined beyond Week 1.

Dobbins (knee) remained limited at practice Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets.

It's hard to know if the Ravens truly are unsure about his availability or are hoping to benefit from gamesmanship. Either way, a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff is good news for fantasy managers, leaving no shortage of alternatives if Dobbins lands on the inactive list. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson seemed to hint at that outcome earlier in the week, while coach John Harbaugh was more optimistic, describing Dobbins as "ascending quickly" after Friday's practice. It isn't only Dobbins' status for Sunday that's a question mark; there's also uncertainty about how snaps and touches will be divided if he doesn't play. Mike Davis was first through the RB rotation throughout the preseason, followed by Justice Hill, but recent signee Kenyan Drake also could have a role.

Mattison (personal) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game against the Packers.

Mattison was absent from practice Thursday due to a personal matter, but coach Kevin O'Connell told Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Friday that the Vikings expect the running back to be available for Week 1 action. With Dalvin Cook taking up the vast majority of RB reps for the team, Mattison can't expect more than a handful of touches in the season opener, barring an injury to the former.

McCaffrey was a full practice participant Friday and doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Cleveland, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

McCaffrey managed full practices throughout the week, unburdened by the cut to his shin he suffered during practice Thursday morning. He'll start his season against the Browns, facing a defense that looks weakest right up the middle, with two projected starters at DT (Jordan Elliott, Taven Bryan) that mostly have been backups to this point in their respective careers. Behind those two, the Browns have 2021 third-round pick Tommy Togiai and 2022 fourth-rounder Perrion Winfrey, both seemingly drafted for pass-rush potential more so than run-stuffing. Each of the team's four DTs is listed at 303 pounds or lighter, though the Panthers don't exactly have a dominant offensive line to best take advantage of the potential mismatch. Regardless, McCaffrey should stay busy, be it on the ground, through the air or both.