NFL Player News

Ahead of training camp, Sampson is in line to reprise his role in a Cleveland backfield that will be led by Quinshon Judkins and also includes Raheim Sanders and Ahmani Marshall, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Easterling projects that all four backs will make the Browns' initial 53-man roster ahead of Week 1. While Judkins (230 carries in 14 regular season contests last season) is the clear-cut starter provided he can stay healthy, Sampson, who rushed 65 times for 175 yards and caught 33 passes (on 40 targets) for 271 yards and three receiving scores in 15 games as a rookie last year, could see enough pass-catching volume in 2026 to merit attention in deeper fantasy PPR formats.

As training camp approaches, Mason is slated to reclaim a key role in a Minnesota backfield that also includes Aaron Jones and rookie sixth-rounder Demond Claiborne, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Though the Vikings have yet to declare a starting QB between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy, there's continuity elsewhere in the offense, with the team's top two RBs, WRs and TEs from last year back for another campaign. Mason is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he recorded 758 yards and six TDs on 159 carries to go along with 14 catches for 51 yards in 16 contests, while Jones carried the ball 132 times for 548 yards and two touchdowns, adding 28 catches (on 41 targets) for 199 yards and a score in 12 games. With Mason and Jones both still around, another RB timeshare -- one that favors Jones in PPR formats -- is in the making for 2026, while Claiborne is a candidate to mix in on passing downs.

Coach Brian Schottenheimer notes that the difference has been "night and day" in terms of Blue's performance during this year's offseason program, Todd Archer of ESPN reports.

Blue, who the Cowboys took in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, logged just 38 carries for 129 yards and a TD and one catch for five yards in five regular-season games as a rookie. While Malik Davis emerged as Javonte Williams' primary backup last year, Blue will have a chance to compete for that role this summer with Davis, as well as Phil Mafah. Williams remains the team's unquestioned lead back, but if Blue can parlay the speed and explosiveness Schottenheimer has noted he possesses into a larger complementary role, the Texas product could carry fantasy sleeper appeal in 2026.

Dowdle, who signed with the Steelers in March, is set to work in tandem with Jaylen Warren this coming season, Kevin Hutchinson of steelersnow.com reports.

On the heels of back-to-back seasons (one with Dallas and one with Carolina) during which he topped 1,000 rushing yards, Dowdle bolsters a Steelers backfield that saw Kenneth Gainwell depart via free agency this offseason. It remains to be seen how the carries/targets will be divided between Warren and Dowdle in 2026, but the two players' different skill sets could lead to a "thunder and lightning" approach utilizing Warren's shiftiness and quickness and Dowdle's bruising style. Also in the mix for complementary touches are 2025 third-rounder Kaleb Johnson and versatile rookie Eli Heidenreich, with added context regarding Pittsburgh's backfield approach set to arrive once team drills commence in training camp.

Barkley spoke this offseason with retired running back Todd Gurley, who played for the Rams at the same time as new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, NFL.com's Bobby Kownack reports.

Mannion is overhauling the Philadelphia offense, including new terminology, while head coach Nick Sirianni shifts to a more hands-off, executive role. That could always change if things don't go well early in the season, but it nonetheless sounds promising for Barkley in light of his disappointing 2025 campaign in a stagnant offense. Of course, he's not the only one who will need to adjust to a new scheme, with fantasy results partially depending on how QB Jalen Hurts and the offensive line respond to Mannion's changes.

Ravens coach Jesse Minter said Henry has "run every scheme throughout his career" but will still need to adjust to terminology changes under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Henry and other Ravens have expressed excitement about Doyle's scheme, with the 32-year-old running back telling reporters this offseason that "change can be good," and "everything is new, so we're all just trying to learn." Quarterback Lamar Jackson and wide receiver Zay Flowers made stronger comments during the offseason program, both praising Doyle for originality/creativity. The Ravens lost some key pieces of their running game this offseason, namely C Tyler Linderbaum and FB Patrick Ricard, but they also improved at the guard spots and still have a strong core of veteran standouts on both sides of the ball. Henry finished second in the league in rushing yards each of his first two seasons in Baltimore, and after a red-hot finish to the 2025 season, he's again going in the second round of most fantasy drafts.

Ahead of training camp, Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson remain atop the Patriots' RB depth chart, as they did last season, Avery Hill of the Boston Globe reports.

Stevenson and Henderson are thus on track to continue to share the bulk of New England's rushing load in 2026. In 14 regular-season contests in 2025, Stevenson gained 603 yards and seven TDs on 130 carries, while adding 32 catches for 345 yards and a pair of receiving scores. For his part, Henderson recorded 180 carries for 911 yards and nine TDs to go along with 35 catches for 221 yards and another score in 17 games. Though any sort of backfield time-share can complicate things from a fantasy perspective, both backs should still see enough work to generate fantasy utility while working in an offense helmed by rising young QB Drake Maye. That said, one thing that could tilt things Henderson's way is a re-occurrence of the ball-security issues Stevenson endured during the 2024 campaign, when he racked up a total of seven fumbles (three lost).

Corum remains positioned atop the running back depth chart alongside starter Kyren Williams following the Rams' offseason program, Stu Jackson of the team's official site reports.

Corum, a 2024 third-round pick, did little as a rookie but carved out a notable role in 2025. While suiting up for all 17 regular-season games last year, Corum rushed 145 times for 746 yards and six touchdowns. He remained a limited contributor as a receiver, however, totaling just eight catches for 36 yards. Corum is arguably the most explosive runner in Los Angeles' backfield, but Williams remains entrenched as the lead option due to his three-down skill set. Even in a complementary role, Corum projects to remain productive and would carry significant upside if an opportunity for a larger workload emerged.

Monangai remains positioned for a key complementary role behind D'Andre Swift as training camp approaches, Mike Moraitis of SI.com reports.

Monangai impressed out of the gate as a rookie seventh-round pick in 2025, beating out Roschon Johnson for the No. 2 running back role and carving out a steady workload alongside Swift. He finished with 783 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 169 carries while adding 18 catches for 164 yards across 17 regular-season games. Though he lacks Swift's explosiveness and receiving ability, Monangai is a natural runner who fits Ben Johnson's scheme well. He would inherit a valuable workload if Swift were to miss any time in 2026.

Swift remains positioned atop Chicago's backfield alongside Kyle Monangai as training camp approaches, Mike Moraitis of SI.com reports.

Swift offers more explosiveness and pass-catching ability than Monangai, though both backs are expected to play significant roles in coach Ben Johnson's offense behind Chicago's revamped offensive line. Across 16 regular-season appearances in 2025, Swift rushed 223 times for 1,087 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns while adding 34 catches for 299 yards and another score on 48 targets. The 27-year-old is heading into the final year of his contract with the Bears.