J.D. McKissic – Page 5 – Syndication Server

Cowboys lead Commanders 12-7 at halftime

It was a mostly back-and-forth half with the two teams trading touchdowns in the second quarter.

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”iPHQgoi39V-2275038-7498″]

The Dallas Cowboys lead the Washington Commanders, 12-7, at halftime in Week 4 NFL action from AT&T Stadium.

The Cowboys scored on their first drive of the game after quarterback Cooper Rush found a wide-open Ezekiel Elliott on third down for a big passing play to set Dallas up in Washington territory. The Commanders held Dallas to a field goal.

The Commanders’ first few drives were marred by negative plays. A false-start penalty by right guard Trai Turner impacted Washington’s first drive, center Nick Martin had a holding penalty on the second drive and quarterback Carson Wentz was called for intentional grounding on the third drive.

Finally, on Washington’s fourth drive, a big J.D, McKissic 33-yard run set the Commanders up in the red zone and on third down, Wentz found rookie wide receiver Jahan Dotson for a 10-yard touchdown to give Washington a 7-6 lead.

The Cowboys answered with a 15-play, 75-yard drive when quarterback Cooper Rush found Michael Gallup for a touchdown. Washington defensive end Efe Obada blocked the extra point and apparently didn’t realize he could return it for points.

Wentz was picked off at the end of the first half. He completed eight of 13 passes for 50 yards with a touchdown and interception in the first half. As a team, Washington rushed for 101 yards, with McKissic leading the way with 42 yards. McKissic, Antonio Gibson and Jonathan Williams all ran well for the Commanders in the first half.

Washington will get the ball to begin the second half.

Commanders expected to activate Brian Robinson Jr. this week

Some good news for the Commanders.

The Washington Commanders are expected to activate rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. from the NFI [non-football injury] list this week, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

This is a remarkable recovery for Robinson, who was the victim of an attempted carjacking in late August and suffered two gunshot wounds.

As Rapoport noted, this doesn’t mean Robinson will play in Week 5. It does allow him to practice fully with the team, and his return is imminent.

Robinson’s return could be good news for Washington’s running game. Offensive coordinator Scott Turner hasn’t necessarily committed to the run in the season’s first three games, instead relying on quarterback Carson Wentz to get the ball in the hands of Washington’s outstanding wide receivers.

Antonio Gibson hasn’t been bad; he just hasn’t had a ton of opportunities. Once Robinson returns, the Commanders can use Gibson more in the passing game.

8 sleepers to play in fantasy football for Week 3

Identifying eight sleepers to play in Week 3 of fantasy football.

As Week 3 of the fantasy football season commences Thursday night, managers are doing everything they can to find an edge over their league mates.

Identifying sleepers is never an easy task. It comes with a lot of risk and a bit of luck. But hitting on a sleeper could help bring you out of the hole for the managers who are currently winless. For those who already have at least one win under their belt, it can help keep them at the top of the standings.

We will be using The Huddle’s weekly PPR projections and rankings as a reference. In order to qualify as a sleeper, we are taking a look at quarterbacks ranked outside the top 12, running backs and wide receivers ranked outside the top 24, and tight ends ranked outside the top 10.

We’ve already taken a look at the top waiver wire targets and streaming options. Here are eight sleepers to play in fantasy football for Week 3:

Eagles vs. Commanders: 6 matchups to watch on defense

Here are six matchups to watch for the Philadelphia Eagles when they’re on defense against the Washington Commanders’ offense in Week 3

The Washington Commanders will host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 at FedEx Field to open the 2022 NFC East slate for both teams.

The Eagles are 2-2 against the Commanders over the past two years and hold an 80-78-6 advantage all-time in the longtime series.

With both teams preparing for the contest, we present six matchups to watch when Carson Wentz and Washington is on offense.

Antonio Gibson could be a fantasy steal in Week 1

Commanders running back Antonio Gibson should be a good fantasy play Sunday.

It’s been a difficult few weeks for Washington Commanders running back Antonio Gibson. In the first preseason game against Carolina, Gibson looked good until he fumbled. That opened the door for rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr.

Robinson immediately took advantage of his opportunity while Gibson was working with the backups and on special teams as the kick returner.

Sadly, Robinson was shot in an attempted carjacking late last month, and the Commanders placed him on the non-football injury list to begin the season, meaning he will miss at least four weeks. While the long-term prognosis for Robinson is outstanding, his short-term situation re-opens the door for Gibson.

Gibson was off the fantasy football radar last month when Robinson appeared to be Washington’s No. 1 back. While Gibson was still going to have a role in the Commanders’ backfield, his volume was less certain. Now, the player who has rushed for over 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns through two NFL seasons could be one of the top fantasy options for Week 1.

Samantha Previte of The Action Network believes Gibson is one of the running backs who should definitely be starting.

Gibson’s fantasy stock has been on quite the rollercoaster since the beginning of the offseason. His ADP plummeted during training camp amid concerning reports that he would be returning kicks and that rookie Brian Robinson Jr. had been making strides. Many expected at least somewhat of a timeshare between Gibson and Robinson would develop. Unfortunately for Robinson, the former Crimson Tide running back was involved in a shooting and will miss significant time which puts Gibson back into fantasy relevance.

Gibson gets a cupcake matchup against a soft Jaguars run defense. He is a high-end RB2 with RB1 upside in Week 1.

While I don’t believe Jacksonville’s defense will be as “soft” as it was last season, this is a good matchup for Gibson. J.D. McKissic will also see plenty of snaps but in a different role. Gibson should see anywhere from 15-20 touches in this game, perhaps more.

Gibson has a tremendous opportunity in front of him over the next four weeks.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Commanders announce inactives ahead of preseason game vs. Chiefs

The inactive list for the Commanders in their preseason game vs. Chiefs.

The Washington Commanders face the Kansas City Chiefs in game two of preseason action from Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Ahead of Saturday’s game, the Commanders released their list of players who will not participate. Some players on the list are battling injuries, such as tight ends John Bates and Cole Turner, while running back J.D. McKissic and offensive tackle Charles Leno don’t need to play.

Here is the complete list:

RB J.D. McKissic
TE Curtis Hodges
TE Cole Turner
T Rashod Hill
G Andrew Norwell
T Charles Leno Jr.
G Nolan Laufenberg
G Trai Turner
TE John Bates

Hodges is a surprising scratch. He was expected to split plenty of time with fellow rookie Armani Rogers. Norwell, Turner and Schweitzer, Washington’s top three guards, are all battling injuries.

The Commanders also announced some lineup changes for Saturday’s game:

Cornelius Lucas will start at left tackle
Aaron Monteiro will start at right guard
Saahdiq Charles will start at left guard
Armani Rogers will start at tight end
James Smith-Williams will start at defensive end

This game presents major opportunities for players like Charles, Monteiro and Rogers. Charles will likely make Washington’s roster, but it’s far from guaranteed. Monteiro is competing for a roster spot.

Commanders thin at multiple positions for second preseason game

Ron Rivera discussed Antonio Gibson at length on Thursday. He also talked quarterbacks.

Ron Rivera is already understandably concerned about injuries to his team.

Speaking with the media Thursday, the Commanders third-year head coach spoke of being very thin at tight end, center and guard. But the preseason rolls forward, so Rivera knows he has to put a team on the field Saturday against the Chiefs in Kansas City (4 p.m. ET kickoff).

Rivera even mentioned he might need to play offensive linemen at tight end and report in eligible.

Perhaps the biggest personnel story this week has been Antonio Gibson. So when asked if Gibson might play special teams Saturday, Rivera responded, “This one thing you guys need to understand is that once we get into the regular season, everybody is involved in special teams. AG did it last year. So for the most part, you know, this is nothing new. It’s just, you guys see it. So now it becomes a news story.”

When asked how many reps starters will take against the Chiefs, Rivera was clear, “I really don’t know. A lot of it has to do with the health of specific players. When we do certain things on the offensive side, it’s going to impact how all the other guys play.”

Rivera understandably is already thinking how much he should risk starting quarterback Carson Wentz in a preseason game. But with Washington being thin at center and guard, he was asked if that might affect how much Wentz plays. “Absolutely. That’s exactly what I’m getting at.”

Along with Gibson, rookie Jahan Dotson has also been getting returner reps this week. Might he be returning some Saturday? “It’s something to think about. We know who he is. We know what he is capable of, but at the same time, we want to make sure he’s comfortable back there. So we’ll see how it unfolds come game time.”

Rivera attempted to convey clearly to the media that some starters have to be ready to play special teams during the regular season when pressed.
“Well, it’s about need more than there’s anything else. We get into game situations, and something happens; if they’ve gotten no reps at it and you got to put ’em in there, you’ve kind of screwed yourself. So as I alluded to earlier, that’s one things that’ll happen. You guys won’t see when we get into the regular season, a lot of our veteran players, a lot of our starting players will have backup roles in specific special teams.”

The former Carolina Panthers head coach (2011-19) was asked why number three QB Sam Howell was getting some reps against the starting defense. “Just to see how he handles it, you know, does he step up to the plate? And that’s what you want to see. You want to see a guy take it to another level. It’s one of those things that if you never throw ’em in there, you never find out.”

RB J.D. McKissic missed practice Thursday. Rivera stated, “J.D. has had a little tightness in his groin, so we just want be careful, you know. We’ve got 48 hours before we play, and we don’t want to expose him.” Rivera also expressed that offensive tackle Charles Leno Jr had an excused day, Thursday.

Some concern has been raised regarding how Gibson might be responding to adversity. “I think he’s been fine. I think he’s worked on some things individually. He’s taken his reps the way I think you should take them and he’s continued to do that. And the biggest thing more so than anything else is, and I’ve said it to you guys, this is more than a one-back league. I mean, you’ve got to have guys that have specific skill sets, all three of our top three backs, all have a different skill set and, you know, that’s the important thing for how you’re going to use them.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Commanders J.D. McKissic feels great to be back playing

J.D. McKissic is happy to be back healthy and understands his role for the Commanders.

J.D. McKissic is back and feels great about being with the Commanders.

After injuring his neck against Seattle on MNF on November 29, McKissic was out the remaining six games of the season. Washington proceeded to go 2-4 in those final six games.

“I was very excited to get back out there again and to actually make a play too, said McKissic to the media Tuesday. “It felt great.”

Being healthy and back again is not enough for the seven-year veteran. He is pushing himself. “Just be better. Make guys miss, get freaky with the ball basically, and just be better than what I was the last two years.”

Commenting on his reception Saturday against the Panthers, “…The O-line blocked it up great, and Carson [Wentz] made a great pass. It was easy. But just to stand up and feel good about it, I’m blessed. God took care of me through the whole thing (neck injury) and finally get a chance to get on the field again. It was a lot of excitement.”

Entering his third season in Washington, McKissic is supportive of Antonio Gibson. “Antonio is a motivated young man. It happens; sometimes they get the ball out. It was a crazy play. The defender made a great play. But he’s focused; he came back in the game, he came back in and ran extremely hard.”

He likes what he sees in rookie RB Brian Robinson, “He went to Alabama, he’s prepared well. He can run the football; that’s what he does. He got out and showed that. We’re excited about it. He did a fantastic job.”

A former receiver at Arkansas State, McKissic has had to make adjustments to running back. He was with Atlanta, Seattle and Detroit prior to Washington. “I was a receiver. But I was moved to a running back, so it was very hard, and I got the chance to keep getting better at it now that I’m here.”

On his fourth NFL team, McKissic likes what he sees in Carson Wentz. “He’s a great QB. We just talked about it. I’m trying to remind guys that he was an MVP candidate that year when they went to the Super Bowl. So, we’re excited about him. He looks great, and he’s doing great.”

In working against the defense every day, “Jamin (Davis) looks good. He’s flying around; he’s block shedding. When those guys go up against me, they, you know, they take it upon themselves to do the best they can. I got to kind of remind myself to not let them win sometimes. Cause once they win, I got to hear it.”

Of course, players want the ball more often, but McKissic now age 29, is accepting his role. “I’m a team player… And I’m gonna be there when my number is called, that’s how my job has been my whole life. When my number is called, I’m ready to make the play. And that’s how we all got to do. You got to be happy for the next man and go eat, you know? It’s third down. If, my number is called, hey, let’s go.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Scott Turner on Antonio Gibson: ‘We can’t waste possessions’

Washington’s coaches sent a message to Antonio Gibson on Tuesday.

Did the Washington Commanders send running back Antonio Gibson a warning on Tuesday?

Washington coaches had Gibson practicing with the first, second, and third teams on Tuesday. He also took reps on special teams. It was the same usage as rookie Brian Robinson Jr.

Do we have a situation here?

Gibson entered the offseason as the No. 1 running back, with J.D. McKissic receiving plenty of reps as Washington’s receiving back. Robinson was always going to figure into the mix, likely in goal-line situations.

However, Gibson’s fumble in the preseason opener, coupled with Robinson’s performance, may have changed the dynamic. Remember, Gibson fumbled six times last season. There was hope the fumbling issues were a thing of the past, but it remains an issue.

Washington offensive coordinator Scott Turner was asked about Gibson’s fumble after Tuesday’s practice.

“That’s one of the first things that we talk about when we get together as an offense when training camp started is protect the football,” Turner said. “We can’t waste possessions, and obviously, if you fumble the ball, that’s a waste of a possession. That’s a ball carrier’s first job, to protect the ball. We can’t have that.”

It didn’t help that Gibson’s fumble occurred deep in Washington territory and led to a relatively easy Carolina touchdown.

After Saturday’s game, Gibson spoke of the fumble, taking accountability and stressing how he needs to fix it.

As for Gibson working with the third team and on special teams, head coach Ron Rivera downplayed it when asked if there was a competition for the No. 1 job.

“There’s always been a competition for the positions on this team,” Rivera said.

Make no mistake, Washington’s coaches sent Gibson a clear message Tuesday. The team loves Gibson, but the presence of Robinson gives them an option if Gibson’s fumbling issues remain. That’s not an option Washington had last season.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://commanderswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Sleepers and Value Picks: Running Backs

2022 Fantasy Sleepers – Running Backs

The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot. No color means the pick is a reasonable value at that spot.

Average Draft order – Value picks

ADP	Tm	Running Back
1	IND	Jonathan Taylor	Was No. 1 last year, has better schedule this year. Same system designed around him.
2	CAR	Christian McCaffrey	When he plays, he consistently a top fantasy play. When he plays, he’s a dual-threat and a monster weekly starter. When he plays… When he plays… feel lucky?
3	TEN	Derrick Henry	King Henry was mortal last year. After two seasons of historic usage, the foot gave out last October. He’s back and they’ll be significantly lightening his load to keep him fresh… who am I kidding? The only question on most plays is which side of the line he’ll be crashing through.
4	LAC	Austin Ekeler	He will miss one or two games. But he’ll always challenge for most receptions by a RB. Draft Spiller and sleep better.
5	PIT	Najee Harris	381 touches as a rookie. New QB(s), same mediocre O-line and worse schedule but hey, may end up with another 381 touches.
6	MIN	Dalvin Cook	Great when healthy but always misses three or four games. New offense intends to throw more, run less. Still a safe pick but likely to take a small step back from previous seasons.
7	DET	D’Andre Swift	Productive when he isn’t missing three or four games per year. Great O-line and great schedule points at a career-high year if he stays on the field.
8	CIN	Joe Mixon	Blew up as the No. 4 RB last year. Dangerous passing offense means Mixon gets less focus. Rock-solid Top-10 with upside.
9	CLE	Nick Chubb	This is about where he ends up every year. Top rusher but only around one reception per game.
10	GB	Aaron Jones	Loss of Davante Adams may mean Jones could top his career-high 52 catches of last year, but GB has a terrible rushing schedule and AJ Dillon gets more involved. This is a little high, but his risk is balanced with minor upside as a receiver.
11	NO	Alvin Kamara	This is a steal if his legal situation gets pushed out to 2023 and he plays all 17 games. He’s always a lock for Top-10 and offense remains the same from last year.
12	DEN	Javonte Williams	No.17 as a rookie last year, gets a better QB in Russell Wilson. He’d be a Top-10 lock if Melvin Gordon did not re-sign. One of the most talented young backs.
13	NYG	Saquon Barkley	Third time a charm or that dog just won’t hunt anymore? This assumes that he’ll be back to form but miss a few games. Bad O-line a little better but schedule is even worse.
14	TB	Leonard Fournette	Oddity is that Fournette alternates great seasons with down years. Signed a big contract and is reliable for the Bucs, but 2021 was No. 6, 2020 was No. 34, 2019 was No. 7, 2018 was No. 38. Needs to break that trend.
15	DAL	Ezekiel Elliott	Down 2021 with a torn PCL but still his fifth-straight Top-10 season. Some believe Tony Pollard is better, but not the DAL coaching staff. O-line still an advantage and this assumes he has the worst year of his career. Because of voidable contract years, this is actually a contract season for him so plenty to play for in 2022.
16	CHI	David Montgomery	Great 2020 was sandwiched by two years around No. 20. New offense hints more use of Khalil Herbert, so Montgomery remains solid but less upside and runs behind arguably the worst O-line in the NFL.
17	ARI	James Conner	First year in ARI was best of his career. He was No. 5 last year, so this seems a hard drop after scoring 18 TDs in 2021. Will get banged up for a game or two, but this is a great value pick for a guy that faced the No. 32 rushing schedule strength and upgrades to only average.
18	BAL	J.K. Dobbins	Blew an ACL a year ago and missed last season. Was No. 28 as a rookie and still plays in a committee backfield. Better schedule this year but O-line a little worse. Plus BAL told Lamar Jackson he can run wild again.
19	WAS	Antonio Gibson	Has never been worse than No. 14 in his two seasons and WAS has a nice upgrade in running strength of schedule. But Commanders leaning to more of a committee this year with a healthy J.D. McKissic and short-yardage rookie Brian Robinson. This is a safe spot. Maybe less upside now.
20	LAR	Cam Akers	Finished rookie season on a high note, but then tore Achilles. Somehow returned for playoffs but looked bad. More risk here than this spot should have. HC Sean McVay even referred to Darrell Henderson as big factor in the backfield. Also drops from No. 3 down to No. 24 rushing strength of schedule.
21	SF	Elijah Mitchell	Everything they expected – from Trey Sermon. Mitchell was one of the best surprises of 2021. Was wildly productive with five 100-yard rushing games. Also missed six games and suffered five injuries (shoulder, rib, finger, concussion, knee) all in one year. Just very risky on an offense that changes the backfield constantly. Raheem Mostert was a similar star in 2019.
22	LVR	Josh Jacobs	Always Top-20 and was No. 8 in 2020. But all new coaches bring in an RBBC history and drafted Zamir White to help. Kenyan Drake returns from an ankle injury and worse yet, Raiders fall from No. 20 to No. 32 rushing schedule.
23	JAC	Travis Etienne	Love that upside. Etienne was lost for 2021 with a Lis Franc injury but in his own words, he picked a good year to take off. The 1.25 pick of 2021 is healthy and wowing in camp. Dual Threat. Has about as much upside as any other RB. Let him shine in a preseason game and this shoots much higher.
24	KC	Clyde Edwards-Helaire	No arguing that the Chiefs first-round pick of 2019 was a disappointment. And this rank is about where he landed as a rookie. He’s suffered ankle, hip, MCL and shoulder injuries over just two years. But he’s slated to do more as a receiver with Tyreek Hill gone. There is still upside here, but one more year of injury and under-performance will be too much. Worth a shot at this spot.

Sleepers and overvalued players

ADP	Tm	Running Back
25	NE	Damien Harris	This seems like a steal since he scored 15 TDs last year, but OC Josh McDaniels is gone and Rhamondre Stevenson keeps getting hyped. Harris a solid pick but lacks upside.
26	GB	A.J. Dillon	Dillon was the No. 22 RB last year but that was filling in for Aaron Jones twice while going against the No. 2 best rushing schedule. This year it falls to No. 25. Not a bad pick, just a bit high.
27	NYJ	Breece Hall	Everyone loves the first RB drafted. The rookie Hall lands on one of least productive offenses of 2021 but the NYJ schedule and O-line are much improved from last year. Prototypical workhorse back that can catch the ball. Plenty of upside if passing game also improves.
28	PHI	Miles Sanders	Sanders has declined in each season and missed four games in each of the last two years. Dogged with knee, hamstring, ankle and hand injuries. Philly wants to pass more with A.J. Brown on the team and it looks more like an RBBC involving Kenneth Gainwell as well.
29	SEA	Rashaad Penny	He was so great in four games at the end of 2021 – versus the worst four defenses. Otherwise, his entire career has been the occasional rushing attempt between injuries. Seahawks drafted Kenneth Walker as the second RB this year, so even they don’t think Penny’s late-season burst was a new normal.
30	CLE	Kareem Hunt	He gets banged up, but his moderate fantasy value skyrockets if Nick Chubb gets hurt.
31	DAL	Tony Pollard	Nice spot and productive when given the chance and holds at least this much value even with Ezekiel Elliott healthy. Expectation is that he sees more receptions since DAL receivers are banged up to start the year and Amari Cooper is gone.
32	BUF	Devin Singletary	Improved all three years and turned it up nicely to finish 2021. BUF is a pass-first offense and they added Isaiah Spiller to their mostly committee approach, but powerful offense, good O-line and the No. 1 rushing schedule strength should see Singletary challenge for RB2 fantasy status.
33	JAC	James Robinson	Tore his Achilles at the end of last season but may be ready to play early in the season, if not Week 1. But scary injury to return from and Travis Etienne will drain much work. He needs to prove health in training camp or a very risky pick.
34	MIA	Chase Edmonds	Okay, so he didn’t take over in Arizona and while he is listed as No. 1 in Miami, he probably won’t be more than a piece of a committee. As a late RB3 you could do worse. Marginal upside but should offer roughly this level.
35	DEN	Melvin Gordon	New coaches in Denver may not reprise the same committee backfield as last year. Then again, HC Nathaniel Hackett imports the GB scheme that used Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Should be a safe pick for a back that historically has always been Top-20.
36	SEA	Kenneth Walker III	The second RB drafted in 2021 is a 4.38/40 speedster out of Michigan State that ran for 1,636 yards and 19 TDs last year. The only one above him on the depth chart is the always-injured Rashaad Penny. Yeah. Love this pick and willing to wait a few weeks for big things to happen.
36	ATL	Cordarrelle Patterson	Patterson made the shockingly effective switch to RB last year but then sputtered by the end of the season. He’s 31 years old and probably even less likely to handle more than 150 carries. Worth it as an RB4 to see if he starts adding tons of catches again as he did early in 2021.
37	NE	Rhamondre Stevenson	Saw much more use after Week 10 last year and even logged two 100-yard rushing efforts. Expectations are that he will see even more action and is slated to start catching more passes. The NE backfield has long been a source of frustration and dashed hopes, but Stevenson as an RB4 is just too good to pass up. Just his pace last year would have been around No. 24 had he played in all games.
38	MIN	Alexander Mattison	Back up for Dalvin Cook. Three years and never better than this ranking.
39	NYJ	Michael Carter	Jets drafted Breece Hall and now Carter is just the No. 2 for the Jets – when has that ever paid off? Good handcuff for the Hall owner but likely not enough production to merit a fantasy start unless Hall was out.
40	BUF	James Cook	Bills drafted Cook as the third RB taken this year with the plan to make him into a pass-catching back to complement Devin Singletary as the main rusher. Anyone catching passes in the Bills’ offense needs to be owned. Reasonable handcuff for the Singletary owner but should carry stand-alone fantasy value.
41	KC	Ronald Jones II	The info on Jones is conflicting. He’s said to be challenging Clyde Edwards-Helaire to be a starter, and also speculated to not make the 53-man cut. Doesn’t help that KC has given first-team reps to undrafted Isaiah Pacheco who will also play special teams unlike Jones. As an RB4, he carries some upside and if he flops, it won’t kill you.
42	LAR	Darrell Henderson	HC Sean McVay referred to his backfield as being both Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson. Not Akers and his backup. The Rams like to pass anyway and Henderson has been around the No. 30 back for the last two years. No game changer, but worth owning.
43	IND	Nyheim Hines	Was deemphasized last year but ranked No. 17 in 2020 when he caught 63 passes and scored seven TDs. HC Frank Reich said he wants the 2020 version of Hines back this year and that makes this a steal.
44	WAS	J.D. McKissic	Like Nyheim Hines, McKissic is not going to save your fantasy team but should see a return to an every-week value play in PPR leagues. He caught 80 passes in 2020 but missed six games last year. Nice value.
45	MIA	Raheem Mostert	In a best-ball league as a final pick maybe. But chances that Mostert is going to offer reliable fantasy points is too hard to buy into.
46	HOU	Dameon Pierce	Fourth-round pick could challenge Marlon Mack as the top back but a committee is expected, the rushing schedule is No. 30 and the O-line remains one of the worst. Upside here around the start of RB5, but not a lot.
47	HOU	Marlon Mack	Starting RB in Houston but virtually no upside and more likely to fall from this level.
48	SEA	Chris Carson	Retired. Will wash out of ADP.
49	NO	Mark Ingram	No. 2 in NO should be gold if Alvin Kamara is suspended, but that is no longer a lock (at least for this year) and Ingram is 32 years old and a nonfactor since 2019.
50	LAC	Isaiah Spiller	Great handcuff for the Austin Ekeler owner but hard to reach since he tends to be taken before the Ekeler owner can get there. Solid RB5 that could be huge if Ekeler missed much time.
51	CAR	Chuba Hubbard	Even with Christian McCaffrey flaming out last year, Hubbard only No. 36. Just a handcuff with marginal value even if McCaffrey misses time.
52	ATL	Tyler Allgeier	Good-sized back (5-11, 220) could beat Damien Williams out to be the No. 2 in Atlanta, and Cordarrelle Patterson faded last year. Bad schedule and bad O-line is a major challenge, but Allgeier could end up as the No. 1 RB in Atlanta this year.
53	DET	Jamaal Williams	D’Andre Swift tends to miss several games per year and Williams ranked No. 43 last season. DET has a great O-line and schedule, so Williams has minor value regardless and becomes a starting consideration when Swift gets hurt.
54	PHI	Kenneth Gainwell	Ended as the No. 40 RB as a rookie last year and led the Eagles backfield since Miles Sanders was injured. Has minor stand-alone value and upside in this improving offense.
55	TB	Rachaad White	A popular sleeper-type this summer, White takes over for Ronald Jones as the No. 2 back in TB. Worth owning in that productive offense but likely needs Leonard Fournette to be injured to offer any reliable fantasy starts.
56	ARI	Darrel Williams	Comes over from the Chiefs where he was the No. 21 back last year. Replaces Chase Edmonds as the No. 2 back in Arizona who was No. 33 in 2021. Should offer much more value than this spot and Conner usually misses a couple of games.
57	MIA	Sony Michel	Certainly Michel has value after a surprising year with the Rams, but the Miami backfield is a mess that’s hard to buy into.
58	BAL	Gus Edwards	Torn ACL last September and Ravens O-line not as good. Staying away from players returning from blown knees and playing in a committee backfield.
59	SF	Tyrion Davis-Price	Why not? SF has a tendency to make stars out of surprising players. Elijah Mitchell was the newest star last year, before that, Jeff Wilson, before that, Raheem Mostert, before that, Matt Breida… Davis-Price was the fifth RB drafted this year, so he’s not just a bottom of the roster filler.
60	NYG	Matt Breida	Handcuff for Saquon Barkley. No real value to anyone else and even if Barkley crashes yet again, Giants have a bad schedule, bad O-line and are installing a new offense.

Best of the rest

Brian Robinson Jr. (WAS) – Firmly No. 3 behind Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic, the ex-Alabama bruiser could see short-yardage work and steps in if either starter is injured.

Hassan Haskins (TEN) – The Titans offense is meant to run and Derrick Henry proved he was not immortal last year with the foot injury. Haskins already impressed in camp and will be a hot commodity if Henry misses any time.

Khalil Herbert (CHI) – New offense in Chicago changes backfield roles and Herbert looks likely to receive more work. A needed handcuff for the David Montgomery owner, but may have stand-alone fantasy value anyway.