NFL Player News

Allgeier rushed nine times for 53 yards and caught his lone target for 12 yards during Monday's 22-21 win over the Eagles.

After three touches in nine offensive snaps during Week 1, Allgeier touched the ball on 10 of his 13 offensive snaps during Monday Night Football. However, starting RB Bijan Robinson was the star of the Falcons' offense all night, totaling 19 touches for 101 yards. Allgeier's snap count through two games suggests he's nothing more than an insurance policy, but his 6.2 yards per carry tells a different story. While that's likely unsustainable, Allgeier's efficient night might earn him more opportunities moving forward.

Vaughn carried the ball four times for 11 yards and caught his only target for six yards in Sunday's loss to the Saints.

The second-year player continues to mix into the backfield behind Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott, but Vaughn has yet to find much running room, as his six-yard reception Sunday is his longest gain of the year so far. Should Dallas decide to elevate Dalvin Cook from the practice squad at some point, it could be Vaughn who loses his spot on the game-day roster.

Elliott carried the ball six times for 16 yards and caught two of three targets for 16 yards in Sunday's loss to the Saints.

Rico Dowdle got the start in the backfield for the Cowboys, and while Elliott eventually saw a comparable workload (eight touches to Dowdle's 11), the veteran was less effective. So far, Elliott's return to Dallas hasn't gone well. He's averaged just 3.5 yards per carry through two games, and only a three-yard TD plunge in the opener has salvaged his fantasy production. A breakout seems unlikely Week 3 against a stingy Ravens run defense that's allowed the fewest rushing yards per game in the league through two weeks.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a radio appearance Tuesday that Cook is unlikely to be elevated from the practice squad ahead of Sunday's game against the Ravens, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. "I don't necessarily see a change that would involve Cook this week," Jones said.

Though the Cowboys are coming off an embarrassing 44-19 home loss to the Saints, Jones doesn't pin the blame on the three players in Dallas' running back room, who were limited to 17 carries due in large part to a negative game script. The trio of Rico Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott and Deuce Vaughn hasn't been particularly efficient through two weeks, however -- Dowdle paces the backfield with an average of 3.7 yards per carry. After averaging a career-worst 3.2 yards per carry in 15 games with the Jets in 2023, Cook doesn't seemed to be viewed by Dallas as an upgrade on any of the current group. It may take an injury for Cook to get an opportunity to suit up for the Cowboys.

Mixon's ankle injury is not considered to be a long-term issue, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Mixon was able to return to Sunday's 19-13 win over the Bears after getting injured early in the third quarter, but he played just seven snaps after his return. The running back underwent an MRI on Monday, and head coach DeMeco Ryans was non-committal on Mixon's status for Week 3 in Minnesota. The Texans feel that the tackle that injured Mixon was illegal and are submitting video of the play to the NFL for review. If Mixon is unavailable for Week 3, Cam Akers and Dameon Pierce (hamstring) would be the most likely beneficiaries.

Barkley rushed 22 times for 95 yards and caught four of five targets for 21 yards in Monday's 22-21 loss to Atlanta.

Barkley failed to replicate the three touchdowns he produced in his Eagles debut last week, but the superstar running back still provided fantasy managers with strong results off of 26 combined touches. The 27-year-old is averaging 124 yards from scrimmage through two contests while serving as the Eagles' primary RB. Those hoping for a bounceback season from Barkley in 2024 have to be feeling good about their decision heading into a Week 3 matchup against the Saints.

Demercado notched two carries for 46 yards during Sunday's 41-10 win versus the Rams.

Demercado's first touch didn't come until midway through the fourth quarter, but he did the most with it to the tune of a 41-yard rush. Otherwise, he seems to have ceded the No. 2 RB role to rookie Trey Benson, who had a 33 percent snap share to Demercado's 13 percent. James Conner gobbles up most of the snaps and touches in the Cardinals backfield, leaving Demercado to fight for scraps with Benson (12 touches for 18 total yards Week 2).

Benson tallied 11 carries for 10 yards and one catch (on one target) for seven yards during Sunday's 41-10 win against the Rams.

Through two games in his NFL career, Benson has spelled starting running back James Conner, but the former's snap share increased from 13 percent Week 1 to 33 percent Sunday, while fellow reserve option Emari Demercado went from 21 to 11 percent. Benson's efficiency on the ground (1.6 YPC) hasn't emerged yet, but he at least seems to be the No. 2 RB for the Cardinals heading into Sunday's game against the Lions.

McLaughlin rushed three times for six yards in Sunday's 13-6 loss to the Steelers.

After leading Denver's running backs in touches in Week 1, McLaughlin took a back seat to teammate Javonte Williams against the Steelers. The second-year back played just 17 of the Broncos' offensive snaps in the contest, well behind Williams, who was on the field for 40 snaps. McLaughlin also failed to see a target in the passing game, though he logged a healthy five targets in Week 1. With that said, the 24-year-old has an explosive skill set, yet he has been unable to produce efficiently in Denver's struggling offense as the second option out of the backfield. Next up for for McLaughlin and the Broncos is a road matchup with the Buccaneers in Week 3.

Robinson rushed 14 times for 97 yards and brought in four of five targets for 25 yards in the Falcons' 22-21 win over the Eagles on Monday night. He also recovered a fumble.

Robinson once again was kept busy throughout the night, logging just five fewer touches than the 23 he recorded in Week 1 against the Steelers. He was more efficient with his rush attempts Monday than he had been versus Pittsburgh, and he was consistent throughout the night while recording a long run of 19 yards. Robinson's usage under new coordinator Zac Robinson has been encouraging -- even as backfield mate Tyler Allgeier saw only five fewer carries than him Monday -- and Robinson undoubtedly will play another robust role when the defending champion Chiefs come calling for a Week 3 Sunday night showdown.