Tag: Malcolm Brown

Six points with David Dorey

Six items worth watching heading into the NFL’s Week 5

There have been points a’plenty in the 2020 NFL and yet injuries continue to mount and change who it is that is actually accruing those fantasy points. We lost Austin Ekeler and Nick Chubb for a few weeks and it is sometimes hard to remember that there have only been four games. Fantasy rosters are undergoing constant changes and owning the backups to your best players has never been more important.

Typically, injuries tend to get lower every week and become minimal later in the year. We’ll see if a lack of conditioning in the summer will continue to make such a negative impact.

Six things going into the weekend:

  1. Game changes – The Broncos-Patriots game moved to Monday at 5 P.M. EST on ESPN. The Bills-Titans game will be played on Tuesday at 7 P.M. EST on CBS. The Chiefs-Bills game that was to be on Thursday will be moved to “the weekend” because they would only have had two days between games otherwise.This is assuming the Bills-Titans game is played since the COVID-19 situation in Tennessee is teetering on a disaster if they do not get their infections under control. Aside from the Titans, the pandemic hasn’t been a huge factor in playing NFL games but we have 13 weeks to go and 31 other teams have to avoid being a problem.
  2. RB Raheem Mostert  (SF) – He’s back to limited work in practices on both Wednesday and Thursday and appears likely to to play. He was little used as a receiver in 2019 but opened the year with four catches for 95 yards in addition to his 15 rushes. What will be notable is the production that Jerick McKinnon continues to supply. He’s taken 14 rushes in each of the last two games and caught seven passes in the loss to the Eagles last week. Moster handled 15 of the 23 rushes in Week 1 when healthy. This backfield could be turning into a messy situation and that is not counting that Tevin Coleman will return at some point.Worsening that is the fact that all the defensive injuries on the 49ers mean they can no longer just rely on their rushing effort to win games. These 49ers are heading in a direction no one could foresee six weeks ago.
  3. RB Cam Akers (LAR) –  The 2.20 pick of the Rams in the NFL draft was expected to take a leading role in the otherwise mediocre backfield. He’s been out since suffering a painful rib injury in Week 2. Akers returned to limited work on Wednesday and then a full day on Thursday. In Week 1, the distribution of carriers was Akers (14), Darrell Henderson (3), and Malcolm Brown (18).  More confusing was that Week 3 saw Henderson (20) and Brown (7) trade places. And Week 4 was Henderson (8) and Brown (9).The one to watch is Akers. If he meets expectations, he becomes a reliable primary back. But the Rams view Henderson as the faster, better open-field runner and Brown as the bigger, more powerful back. Akers was hoped to be both. Playing at Washington and then at San Francisco should help determine if anything reliable will ever come out of this backfield for 2020.
  4. RB D’Ernest Johnson (CLE) –  Nick Chubb injured his MCL in Week 4 and was placed on injured reserve and will miss several weeks. Going into last week, Kareem Hunt was nursing a groin injury and even though Chubb left the game, Hunt only carries 11 times. He’ll be the primary fantasy play for the Browns backfield and his groin should be even better this week after scoring twice in Dallas last Sunday.But Johnson takes over for Chubb and he ran for 95 yards on 13 carries in Dallas. He only carried four times last year as an undrafted rookie and he played four seasons at South Forida as a dual-threat. His pedigree is less important than his new opportunity playing in one of the top rushing offenses in the NFL. He’s worth watching against the Colts and Steelers because starting Week 7, the Browns schedule lightens up significantly with the Bengals, Raiders, Texans and Eagles to follow.
  5. RB Josh Kelley (LAC) – Austin Ekeler suffered a serious injury to his hamstring and will miss at least a month or more. That thrusts the rookie Kelley into a starting role with Justin Jackson stepping up to become the new No. 2 back. This week faces the Saints, but after that are the Jets, Dolphins, Jaguars, and Raiders. There will be more fantasy points generated by this backfield. Kelley was the fourth-round pick that already ran 42 times but has only averaged 3.3 yards per carry and lost a fumble in each of the last two games. He should improve against a weaker schedule provided he holds onto the ball.Justin Jackson is in his third year with the Chargers after being a seventh-round pick in 2018. He’s been behind Melvin Gordon and Ekeler but provided up to 50 carries in a season with a career rushing average of 4.8 yards. He gained over 1,300 total yards all four years at Northwestern. Neither back is likely to have a big game in New Orleans, but whichever looks better should end up as the lead back when the schedule clears up starting in Week 6.
  6. TE Albert Okwuegbunam  (DEN) – In the spring and summer, researching and reviewing the rookies is always enjoyable and along the way, you notice several players that stand out even though they weren’t first-round picks. Most won’t end up doing much but a few – and often as a surprise – end up as starters with fantasy value. One of those “probably not, but you never know” guys was Okwuegbunam. The 6-5, 259-pound three-year starter at Missouri totaled 98 catches and 23 touchdowns and became the 4.12 pick by the Broncos.Noah Fant has a firm hold on the starting gig in Denver after being the 1.20 pick in 2019. But Fant sprained his ankle and hasn’t practiced this week. If he’s out, Okwuegbuna could see some playing time and he runs a 4.58 40-time. It’s always good to see players that were picked deeper in the draft get at least a brief chance to show if they belong in the NFL. Probably not. But – you never know.

Fantasy Football Targets, Touches and TDs: Week 5

Reviewing data from several key fantasy options over the last month and assessing their future.

We’ve made it through a quarter of the NFL regular season, and we’re even further along than that, of course, in the fantasy campaign.

So what do to do about the disappointing players on your roster – the underperforming high draft picks who simply aren’t living up to their starter status four games into the season?

Some of these slow starters and underachievers may already have found their way to your bench – or even the waiver wire. But are they worth another starting shot, hanging on to, buying low in a trade or picking up a month into the season in hopes of a reversal of fortune?

To try to answer those very questions, we’re examining eight first-quarter fantasy disappointments this week – two from each of the four main lineup positions – and preaching either panic or patience. There have certainly been more than the usual share of key player injuries, but we’re not including those here, disregarding players who have missed a game or more due to health or pandemic postponement reasons.

Here goes, starting with …

Quarterback

Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

Preseason positional ADP: 3rd
Current positional rank: 11th (through play Sunday) with 99.4 total fantasy points (Huddle performance scoring)

What’s gone wrong: It started in March when elite wide receiver/top target DeAndre Hopkins was dealt to the Arizona Cardinals. And while Watson’s current top trio of wideouts (Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb) is certainly talented, none of the three bring the consistency and dependability of Hopkins, who currently leads the league with 39 receptions on 46 targets.

Hopkins’ absence – and a brutal early-season schedule that’s led to a 0-4 start for the Texans and the firing of head coach/general manager Bill O’Brien – have been enough to knock almost three fantasy points off Watson’s per-game average of a season ago. And a stat resume that includes seven total touchdowns (one rushing) and one 300-yard passing game (exactly 300 Sunday) have dropped Watson down into basement QB1 territory in a year in which passing numbers and scoring are off to record starts.

Early-October approach: Patience

Unless you happened to snare a Josh Allen or Aaron Rodgers later in your draft, Watson likely is going to be your best option going forward. He’s a proven dual-threat performer who will be forced to throw often to keep up with a sub-par defense, and Watson should only gain more rapport with his new offensive weapons (Cooks, Cobb and running back David Johnson) as the schedule eases up a bit.

That said, a third straight top-five fantasy finish likely is out of reach, but Watson isn’t going to lose you many fantasy matchups, either, as a steady low-to-mid-level QB1.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Preseason positional ADP: 9th
Current positional rank: 19th (82.1 points)

What’s gone wrong: Much like Watson, Brees has been forced to go without an elite No. 1 wide receiver in the injured Michael Thomas, but unlike the Texans’ QB, Brees should be getting his top target back any week now after Thomas has missed the last three games.

Thomas’ absence has contributed significantly to Brees averaging 251.5 yards per game and 7.8 yards per attempt – both down from recent seasons – as he’s struggled to consistently complete passes downfield and has frequently relied on RB Alvin Kamara’s ridiculous yards-after-catch total (308) to help pad those numbers.

Early-October approach: Panic

Brees’ numbers will get a sizable bump when Thomas returns and returns to form, but if you’re forced to rely on the 41-year-old Brees as your top quarterback in a two-QB format or a 12-team or smaller league, you’re still going to find yourself at a QB disadvantage most weeks.

If that is indeed the case, and are able to sell another owner in your league on Brees’ far-fetched elite potential once Thomas is back, definitely deal him as part of a package for a more productive QB with a higher floor.

Running back

Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals

Preseason positional ADP: 14th
Current positional rank: 32nd (32.0 fantasy points, standard scoring)

What’s gone wrong: It’s simply been a lack of production and efficiency as Drake has accounted for 72 of the team’s 101 running back touches but has turned those into only 274 yards (3.8 per touch) and one TD. He’s also experienced a big drop-off as a receiver, averaging 3.6 fewer targets (4.9-1.3) and 2.6 fewer receptions (3.6-1.0) per game than he did in 2019.

Drake had a juicy matchup Sunday against a struggling Panthers defense, but finished with a season-low 35 yards on 13 carries and no receptions before leaving early with a chest injury (revealed on Monday as having the wind knocked out of him).

Early-October approach: Panic

There was a strong summer suspicion that Drake might’ve been overvalued based on his brilliant but small sample (814 total yards and eight TDs in eight games) in the second half of 2019, and that’s looking very much like it could be the case with the evidence so far.

Backup Chase Edmonds has averaged more yards per touch (4.6-3.8), has been much more involved in the passing game (12 more targets, eight more receptions) and has doubled up Drake’s TD production on 43 fewer touches overall. Don’t be surprised if Edmonds sees his share percentage increase going forward.

Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens

Preseason positional ADP: 25th
Current positional rank: 36th (29.3 points)

What’s gone wrong: Ingram is pacing the Ravens’ running backs in carries (34), total touches (37) and yards from scrimmage (173) so far, but fellow backs Gus Edwards (27-167 rushing) and J.K. Dobbins (15-92-2 TDs rushing) have been much more involved than expected so far.

And, of course, QB Lamar Jackson is as involved as ever as a ball-carrier, leading the team in attempts (39) and yards (235). It’s all helped drop Ingram’s usage from 15.2 touches per game last year to 9.3 so this season, and he’s on pace to finish eight TDs after finishing fourth in the league with 15 scores a season ago.

Early-October approach: Patience

If you overdrafted Ingram hoping for a repeat of his top-10 fantasy running back finish of a season ago, that’s a gamble that isn’t likely to pay off.

But if you got him around his low-end RB2, flex-play ADP, then you’re getting what you paid for. In most any case, you’re not going to bail on the lead back on one of the league’s top rushing attacks – even if his numbers seem certain to fall short of last season’s. Ingram is now a TD-needy flex option, so adjust your expectations accordingly.

Wide receiver

D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers

Preseason positional ADP: 13th
Current positional rank: 39th (28.8 points, standard scoring)

What’s gone wrong: Moore is still getting ample targets (32 to rank 12th overall among league wideouts), but he’s only reeled in 18 so far for 288 yards and no TDs.

Meanwhile, newcomer Robby Anderson has surprisingly been Carolina’s best receiver so far and much more efficient and productive than Moore, catching 28-of-34 targets for 377 yards and a TD.

Early-October approach: Mild panic

Carolina running backs are still going to be heavily involved in the passing game, having drawn a combined 35 targets so far, and that’s likely only going to increase once Christian McCaffrey returns from his high-ankle sprain.

And unless Anderson’s target share and production fall off markedly, Moore doesn’t look like he’ll be the high-end WR2 he was drafted to be. His fantasy owners are likely going to have to settle for flex production or deal him to another league GM who will play close to a WR2 trade price in believing a Moore turnaround is right around the corner.

A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

Preseason positional ADP: 27th
Current positional rank: 88th (11.9 points)

What’s gone wrong: What hasn’t?

Of the 18 players league-wide who had amassed 30 or more targets through Sunday, only one (Green) had a catch percentage lower than 53.3 percent and that was Green at 42.4, bringing in only 14 of 33 targets to date. And even when new QB Joe Burrow and Green have managed to connect, the veteran receiver’s 14 receptions have produced only 119 yards (8.5 per catch) and no TDs.

Prior to Week 1, the 32-year-old Green hadn’t played in a full regular season game since October of 2018, and the rust and/or skills decline is most definitely showing so far.

Early-October approach: All-out panic

Tyler Boyd (28-320-1) and rookie Tee Higgins (12-152-2) have easily been Cincy’s top wide receivers as they’ve caught a combined 71.4 percent of their targets, and that figures to continue.

Meanwhile, there’s nowhere for Green’s efficiency to go but up, but most fantasy GMs can’t afford to wait with higher-upside wideout options available. Green is certainly droppable outside of deep leagues.

Tight end

Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

Preseason positional ADP: 4th
Current positional rank: 18th (19.9 points, standard scoring)

What’s gone wrong: Cluster offensive line and wide receiver injuries have played a major role in knocking QB Carson Wentz and the Philly passing game out of whack, and Wentz’s leading target hasn’t been immune.

Only Darren Waller and Evan Engram have drawn more targets among tight ends so far, and Ertz also is tied for third at the position in receptions with 19. But he ranks 15th in yards (139) as he’s averaging a career-low 7.3 yards per catch and has only caught one scoring pass so far after averaging 6.7 over the last three seasons.

Early-October approach: Complete patience

The targets are the key number for Ertz, and the efficiency figures to pick up when some of the team’s wide receivers – and even fellow tight end Dallas Goedert – get healthier and draw some of the defensive attention away from Ertz.

Evan Engram, New York Giants

Preseason positional ADP: 6th
Current positional rank: 29th (13.1 points)

What’s gone wrong: Much like Ertz, the usage/targets (30) are there, but the efficiency is most definitely not. Engram ranks 18th among tight ends with 131 yards (career-low 7.7 yards per reception) and is still looking for his first TD reception.

That’s a glaring issue with the team in general as the Giants have a league-low two TD passes (and three offensive TDs overall) – both Daniel Jones-to-WR Darius Slayton scoring connections in Week 1.

Early-October approach: Patience

Proportionally in fantasy scoring, touchdowns mean more to tight ends than any other position, and there is some definite positive regression headed the Giants’ (and Engram’s) way this season.

If you’ve needed to roster another tight end to get through Engram’s slow start, that’s perfectly understandable, but at the same time, it’s unwise to cast aside an average of 7.5 targets per game at a position of continued fantasy scarcity.

Extra Points

  • Chargers rookie QB Justin Herbert ranks 10th at the position with an average of 25.7 fantasy points per game and has had at least 22 in all three starts this season. He has completed 72 percent of his throws for 931 yards (8.7 per attempts), five TDs and three interceptions while rushing for 47 yards and another score on the ground. Still, according to head coach Anthony Lynn, Tyrod Taylor will be reinstated as the team’s starting QB as soon as he’s healthy. Stay tuned …
  • Coming off back-to-back games in which he amassed 241 total yards and two TDs on 35 touches, Rams RB Darrell Henderson had only 38 yards on nine touches in Sunday in a 17-9 win over the Giants. Henderson was outtouched (14-9) and outsnapped (35-22) by Malcolm Brown, who finished with 56 total yards – matching his total from the previous two weeks. Confusing? Yes. And also consider that rookie second-round pick Cam Akers could be back soon after missing the last two games with a rib injury.
  • Cowboys QB Dak Prescott threw for a career-high 502 yards on 41-of-58 passing in Sunday’s 49-38 loss to the Browns, but wide receiver Michael Gallup caught only two passes on five targets for 29 scoreless yards. Gallup has caught 13-of-24 targets for 275 yards and a TD on the season good for 46.5 PPR points, but 25.8 of those points (55.5 percent) came in one game (Week 3 at Seattle) and he ranks fifth on the team in both targets and receptions.
  • Gallup is certainly behind TE teammate Dalton Schultz, who ranks third at the position with 33.9 fantasy points, catching 18-of-28 targets for 219 yards and two TDs. Schultz has essentially done it all in the last three games, too, as he caught only one of four targets for 11 yards in the season opener after Blake Jarwin went down with a season-ending ACL tear.
  • Finally, how good is 49ers TE George Kittle? After missing the previous two games with a hyperextended knee, Kittle caught all 15 of his targets Sunday night for 183 yards and a TD. So, in just two games, Kittle ranked sixth among all tight ends in PPR fantasy points (49.4) through Sunday and has reeled in 19-of-20 targets for 227 yards and a TD.

Sean McVay explains RB rotation, lack of touches for Darrell Henderson vs. Giants

Ultimately, Sean McVay says it came down to a lack of opportunities on offense and it turning into a “dirty-type running game.”

Heading into Week 4 against the Giants, Darrell Henderson was the highest-graded running back in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. He was coming off back-to-back games in which he had 100-plus scrimmage yards and a touchdown, looking like the clear-cut starter for the Rams at running back.

It was the first time all season that it looked like the Rams had a true No. 1 tailback emerge from their committee of players. But in Sunday’s game, that sentiment completely disappeared. Henderson got eight carries and was targeted once as a receiver, totaling 38 yards on nine touches in 22 snaps played. Malcolm Brown, on the other hand, carried it nine times with five catches (six targets) on 35 snaps, getting the bulk of the work in the second half.

It was a puzzling decision by Sean McVay to go away from the hot hand in Henderson, leaving both fans and fantasy owners confused about the current status of the Rams’ backfield. Being such a hot topic, McVay was asked Monday about his reasoning for going away from Henderson and using Brown more.

The first thing he wanted to point out was that Henderson took a big shot in the game and the Rams wanted to make sure he was OK – which he was. But with the game being more of a downhill, grind-it-out battle, McVay felt it was better to use Brown.

“He’s good. He got a got a good shot where we were just making sure he’s feeling good. He came back in, but really it was kind of a physical downhill kind of a dirty-type running game,” McVay said. “We weren’t really able to run. We didn’t get as many opportunities. Really because we weren’t as efficient on third down that led to a lot of the lack of success, if you will just all offensively overall. I think you look at what a small margin for error it was. To answer your original question, and then I’ll go on a little tangent myself, we wanted to rotate those guys, but the way that the game kind of ended up playing out, Malcolm ended up getting more touches. It was hard to get into any sort of rhythm.”

There’s no question Henderson is a better runner outside the tackles, thriving when he can get to the edge and turn the corner. Brown is more accustomed to running between the tackles and getting those hard-earned yards, while rarely ripping off big runs like Henderson does.

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Based on McVay’s comments, it sounds like the Giants took away the Rams’ outside zone runs, which the film would back up. There were some cutback lanes to be found, but nothing like the ones Henderson found last week against the Bills.

After his initial explanation, McVay went on to summarize the Rams’ lack of opportunities on offense, which also played a big part in the reduced carries by Henderson. After the first drive, Henderson had just four touches, partly because the Rams’ possessions were brief and lacked progress.

“I think when you just look at what a fine line it is between playing well and then it not really feeling like you’re getting nearly the production that’s expected of this unit and that what we’ve been accustomed to is, you have your first series go 12 plays go right down the field and ended up scoring a touchdown. Second series, you end up fumbling on the first play that then gives them a little bit of momentum that they end up getting a field goal out of. You go three-and-out on a situation on the third series, where we got a play-action, that we would typically hit on a second down that’s there and they’re place that we’ve made. We end up taking a sack on third down where uncharacteristic plays by our guys that we just really haven’t missed. Then, we ended up getting a 14-play drive that because of a red-zone mistake, probably ends up resulting in a field goal instead of a touchdown when you take a sack there. So, that’s all of our drives in the first half.”

McVay liked the way his players battled for the duration of the game despite the offense struggling to get anything going. He likened it to “a jump shooter that’s having a tough day.”

“They found a way when it was the most important to be able to hit their shot,” McVay said, referring to Cooper Kupp’s 55-yard touchdown to give the Rams a 17-9 lead.

He closed out his long-winded answer by saying it was essentially an even split between Brown and Henderson – which the snap counts suggest it wasn’t – but the offense simply didn’t have many opportunities to move the ball.

“Just wasn’t a lot of opportunities as a result of some good things they did,” he said. “But I think in a large part, a lot of things that we’ve got to just execute better and I expect us to be able to do that moving forward. Ultimately, Malcolm got the majority of the work, but it was really just split. We just didn’t have a lot of chances.”

Moving forward, the backfield workshare is going to be even more difficult to predict. Cam Akers is expected to return against Washington in Week 5, and he’ll certainly command touches after showing promise before getting hurt.

McVay has no lack of options in the backfield, which is a good thing, but it causes headaches for fantasy owners and fans hoping one running back emerges as the true workhorse.

Rams undecided on starting RB, but Akers’ absence ‘doesn’t change anything’ with game plan

Sean McVay doesn’t know who will start at RB this weekend, but Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson will both contribute.

The Rams will be without Cam Akers on Sunday afternoon in Buffalo after the rookie suffered a rib injury in Week 2 against the Eagles. He won’t even make the flight with the team after Sean McVay ruled him out on Friday.

That leaves Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson as the team’s top two backs, which was the case for the majority of last week’s win over the Eagles. Henderson wound up carrying it 12 times for 81 yards, while Brown got 11 carries and turned them into 47 yards.

Akers had started the first two games of the season, which leaves the Rams undecided on which running back will replace him in the starting lineup against the Bills.

McVay was asked Friday who the starter will be, to which he simply said, “we haven’t decided yet.”

Ultimately, it probably won’t matter much which running back is officially the starter, considering how often the Rams like to rotate their tailbacks. What McVay did acknowledge is that Xavier Jones will definitely be the No. 3 back, and Raymond Calais could be active for the first time with the Rams.

“I think there’s a chance,” McVay said of whether Calais will be active. “We’ll work through that, but there’s a possibility that he could be up as the fourth running back. Xavier will definitely be up again; he’s done a nice job with special teams. So, we’ll see about Calais.”

Brown and Henderson will assuredly get most of the touches in the backfield, barring an injury to either one of them. And as promising as Akers looked in the first two weeks, Henderson and Brown each had big games when they were granted the opportunity.

McVay doesn’t expect anything to change with the Rams’ rushing attack, which is a testament to how interchangeable the three players are.

“We miss Cam. We’d love to be able to have him, but it doesn’t change anything,” he said. “So, Cam’s done a nice job these first couple of weeks, but like we’ve said, we felt good about all three of our backs all along. It’s never something that you want to have a guy that is a significant part of your offense missing, but when you do have depth at the position and Coach (Thomas) Brown done a great job, developing that depth with Malcolm and Darrell, we feel really good. Doesn’t change anything with our game plan.”

For fantasy owners, it simplifies things a bit with only two running backs to really consider. Henderson broke out in a big way with 121 yards and a touchdown last week, but Brown is good in the red zone and could poach goal line carries from the promising second-year back.

Bills vs. Rams: Final Friday injury reports

Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams final injury reports from Friday.

Here are the final Friday injury reports for both the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams ahead of their Week 3 meeting at Bills stadium:

Los Angeles Rams (2-0)

Due to time zone differences, the Rams have yet to release their final injury designations for Week 3 just yet. Bills Wire will update when that becomes available. Here’s the latest Rams’ injury report from Thursday: 

Did not practice

  • RB Cam Akers (ribs)
  • OL Joe Notebroom (calf)

Limited practice

  • DB Darious Williams (ankle)

Full practice

  • RB Malcolm Brown (finger)

Notes:

Both Akers and Brown did not practice on Wednesday. … If Brown plays, he will wear a splint on his finger. … Notebroom was placed on the Rams’ IR.

Buffalo Bills (2-0)

Out

  • TE Dawson Knox (concussion)
  • RB Zack Moss (toe)
  • LB Del’Shawn Phillips (quad)

Questionable

  • LB Tremaine Edmunds (shoulder)
  • LB Matt Milano (hamstring)
  • CB Taron Johnson (groin)

Will play

  • DT Ed Oliver (knee)
  • WR John Brown (foot)
  • WR Cole Beasley (hip/ thumb)
  • CB Tre’Davious White (shoulder)

Notes:

Edmunds practiced in a red non-contact injury jersey this week, Milano was not in a non-contact uniform. … Brown only missed Thursday’s practice. … White and Beasley only missed Wednesday’s practice. … Oliver did not practice Wednesday, was limited Thursday, but was a full participant on Friday.

 

Malcolm Brown suffered finger injury late vs. Eagles

Cam Akers also left the game with a rib injury and did not return.

Malcolm Brown was the Rams’ lead back in Week 1 against the Cowboys, and on Sunday against the Eagles, he once again played the most snaps of any tailback. However, he was limited to only 11 touches, which he turned into 47 yards.

He may have played more than he did if not for an injury of his own, though. According to the team, Brown suffered a finger injury late in the game, which affected his availability down the stretch.

It’s likely part of the reason Darrell Henderson got the majority of the work in the final quarter, which led to his breakout performance of 121 total yards and two touchdowns.

Brown had a nice day despite the lower yardage total compared to Week 1. He ripped off a solid 19-yard run in the second quarter to get the Rams offense going and finished the day averaging a healthy 4.3 yards per carry.

With Akers also sidelined due to injury, the Rams have to hope Brown’s finger issue isn’t too serious.

Which Rams RB should you start in fantasy football this week?

The Rams have a committee at running back, but which player is the best option: Malcolm Brown or Cam Akers?

All throughout training camp, Sean McVay indicated the Rams would use a true committee approach at running back, getting all three of their players involved on offense. For the most part, he kept his word in the season opener against the Cowboys. Malcolm Brown had 18 carries, Cam Akers had 14 and Darrell Henderson Jr. received three.

Brown was the most reliable and productive of the bunch, rushing for a career-high 79 yards and two touchdowns despite technically being the backup to Akers, who opened the game as the starter.

McVay had some interesting comments after the game about the running back situation, saying Brown played more than he expected him to and that he planned to get Akers more work on early downs. Does that mean Akers could be the lead back on Sunday against the Eagles, making him the better fantasy play?

That’s a tough question to answer because it’ll likely be a similar approach to last week, meaning it’ll come down to whichever player has the hot hand. Akers was the starter in Week 1, but he only gained 39 yards on 14 carries, while Brown averaged a healthy 4.4 yards per carry.

That shifted the touches away from Akers and more toward Brown’s direction, which was understandable given the way each player was running the ball. Assuming the Rams take a similar approach in Week 2, Akers has to produce in order to earn touches.

What’s working against Akers is Brown’s opportunities in the red zone and as a closer when the Rams get a lead in the fourth quarter. Akers’ last carry came with 8:18 left in the fourth quarter, which were his only two attempts in the final 15 minutes. Brown, meanwhile, had six touches in the fourth quarter, as well as another one that was negated due to penalty; a clear indication of Brown being the Rams’ preferred player down the stretch.

When it comes to fantasy choices, Brown is the safer option. He’s a good bet to at least get opportunities in the red zone, which are immensely valuable in fantasy. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Akers gets more carries this time around, but if he doesn’t turn them into productive yards, Brown will have his number called again.

If forced to choose, I’d ride with Brown again against the Eagles as a safer option with Akers presenting more upside because of his big-play ability compared to Brown’s hard-nosed running.

Week 1 was indicative of Rams’ RB plan, but it could change every week

Sean McVay said Malcolm Brown played more than expected, but it was the result of his efficiency running the ball.

Everyone wanted to know how the Los Angeles Rams would deploy their three-headed attack at running back in Week 1, particularly fantasy players who own Malcolm Brown, Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson. Sean McVay indicated leading up to the season opener that all three players would be involved, and while that was true to a point, Brown and Akers dominated the workload.

Brown carried it 18 times and played 60% of the offensive snaps, while Akers had 14 carries on 24 total snaps (33%). Henderson only got on the field five times and carried it three times for 6 yards, so his playing time was limited.

Does this mean Brown will continue to lead the team in carries next week and throughout the season? Will Henderson remain the third option in the backfield? We don’t quite know, nor does McVay.

He shared his thoughts on the rotation Monday, and although Sunday was an indication of the Rams’ plan at running back, McVay did say Brown got more work than the team thought he would – perhaps a good sign for Akers moving forward.

“I think yesterday was kind of indicative,” he said. “I think Malcolm got a little bit more work just based on the flow of the game than maybe what we had anticipated, but he was rolling. He had a great feel. There was a lot of situations where he happened to be in the game and we did run it and he got some tough, hard-earned yards. I thought his fourth-down run was phenomenal where he created a lot of that on his own. You see the tough touchdown runs that he had. But I think that’s par for the course.”

The Rams were running the ball best when Brown was on the field, as he picked up 79 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. He also turned three catches into 31 yards, so he proved capable as a receiver, too.

But while Week 1 was indicative of the Rams’ running back approach, it will likely change from week to week.

“I would say this, as the game unfolds each week, can kind of present some new things in terms of what do we like, what kind of concepts in the run game do we want to be able to activate?” McVay added.

Akers was the favorite Rams running back among fantasy owners coming into the season, and he remains a great option. Just because he got fewer carries and snaps than Brown doesn’t mean he’s going to play second-fiddle to the veteran all season long, especially considering McVay’s comments on Brown playing more than expected.

It sounds like the plan was for Akers to work primarily on first and second down, but his struggles (39 yards on 14 carries) combined with Brown’s success led to the rookie playing less than planned.

“I think it was reflective of, we went into the game thinking he’d probably get a little bit more work on some of those early downs than Malcolm had. Malcolm had a big role on special teams. We knew he was going to be in there in a lot of those later down-and-distance situations. But that was really what went into it,” McVay said. “But again, that’s where it’s uncharted waters. You don’t have a lot of evaluation, especially for a rookie player. Cam is going to continue to be a big part of our offense. Last night it was Malcolm’s night and I thought he delivered in a big way. It might be the same next week in Philly. It might be different. I think each week we’ll kind of present different approaches, but we feel good about three running backs. I thought it was good just to get Darrell in there for a couple of carries as well, even though he was a little bit more limited, but I think as he continues to get healthy, we feel really good about all three of those backs.”

It’s clear McVay cares not for your fantasy football team and any conundrum he may cause. He’s focused on winning games, not fantasy leagues. So anyone who owns a Rams running back this season will have to proceed with caution each week and understand that upside will be limited with three players in the mix.

Fantasy Football: Targets, Touches & TDs – Week 1

Analyzing which Week 1 fantasy football performances have staying power and if you should add or pass on those players in your fantasy football league.

The NFL’s 101st season is a NFL and fantasy football season unlike any other, and that was clear on the opening Sunday with fans in attendance at only one of the day’s 13 games and face-masked coaches – well, for the most part – patrolling the sidelines.

But in other respects, 2020’s Week 1 was much of the same ol’, same ol’ with the New England Patriots receiving superior quarterback play to beat the Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals bumbling away chances for a 1-0 start like only those woebegone franchises can.

Fantasy football-wise, there were the usual Week 1 standouts who came out of nowhere to blow up on benches or are now taunting and tempting owners from the waiver wire.

But which of these standouts are flash-in the-pan fool’s gold (recall Sammy Watkins, Case Keenum and T.J. Hockenson from Week 1 a season ago) and which are the real deal? Here’s the forecast for 10 of Sunday’s surprise standouts (going by relative preseason ADPs) and whether we’re buying in or simply bypassing …

Fantasy Football Targets, Touches and TDs

New England Patriots QB Cam Newton

Fantasy position rank (Huddle Performance scoring) through Sunday: Seventh with 27.2 fantasy points

Buying or bypassing? Definitely buying.

Cam did the bulk of his fantasy damage with his legs Sunday, rushing for 75 yards and two touchdowns on a team-leading 15 carries in the 21-11 home win over the Dolphins. He only threw for 155 yards with no TD tosses, but he passed his most important test by seemingly emerging from the contest fully healthy.

In the six (of his nine total) seasons in which Newton has played at least 15 games, he’s been a top-four fantasy quarterback five times. And even though he’s now 31 and the Patriots’ passing-game weapons are less than ideal, Josh McDaniels’ offensive mind can certainly make up for a number of deficiencies and can easily help set up Cam to another top-10 fantasy QB season.

Chicago Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky

Fantasy position rank through Sunday: Ninth with 26.7 points

Buying or bypassing? Bypassing – aside from two-quarterback leagues.

Trubisky was impressive Sunday, throwing for 242 yards and three TDs without a turnover in rallying the Bears to a 27-23 comeback win over the host Detroit Lions. He has traditionally done well vs. the Lions, too.

His run of four straight games with at least 23.6 fantasy points from Week 12-15 last season likely is still fresh in fantasy memories, but in Trubisky’s other 17 games since Week 11 of the 2018 season, including a wild-card playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, he’s only scored as many as 23.6 fantasy points once. Trubisky rhymes with risky, and that’s exactly what the up-and-down QB is outside of two-quarterback leagues or as a fill-in start in standard leagues.

Jacksonville Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew

Fantasy position rank through Sunday: 13th with 22.6 points

Buying or bypassing? Buying – in two-quarterback leagues only.

Minshew was superb Sunday in directing one of the upsets of the day, completing 19-of-20 passes for 173 yards and a trio of TDs in a 27-20 win over the visiting Indianapolis Colts. With the second-year starter also an able ground threat – he was fifth among QBs with 344 rushing yards a season ago – and the Jags figuring to have to throw often given their overall talent deficiencies, Minshew is a strong bet to improve on his No. 21 fantasy finish at the position a season ago, but there’s simply still not enough to count on him as a weekly starter in a 10- or even 12-team league.

Los Angeles Rams RB Malcolm Brown

Fantasy position rank through Sunday: Fourth with 23.0 points.

Buying or bypassing? Interested, but just renting for now.

While rookie Cam Akers and second-year back Darrell Henderson were the sexy summer fantasy picks in the Rams’ backfield following the offseason departure of Todd Gurley, it was the veteran Brown who outtouched (21-18) and outperformed (110-49 in total yards 2-0 in TDs) the young duo combined in Sunday night’s 20-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Brown, though, had a big Week 1 a year ago with 17.3 fantasy points (53 total yards, two TDs on 11 touches spelling Gurley), but never reached double digits in any of his remaining 2019 contests. Don’t expect a repeat of that tumble, but once Akers gets up to speed, expect Brown to revert back to a reserve/handcuff role once again in L.A.

Indianapolis Colts RB Nyheim Hines

Fantasy position rank through Sunday: Seventh (fourth PPR) with 19.3 (27.3) points

Buying or bypassing? Most definitely buying – particularly in PPR leagues.

Hines led Indy in rushing (28 yards on seven carries) and receiving (eight catches for 45 yards) and scored via the ground and air in the loss to the Jags.

Some of Hines’ production was a result of starter Marlon Mack’s season-ending Achilles’ tendon tear Sunday, and he should continue to fill a valuable pass-catching role with rookie Jonathan Taylor assuming the bulk of the rushing duties going forward. Hines was an afterthought in drafts with the excitement of the Colts selecting Taylor in the second round this spring, but the former has been highly underrated despite 115 receptions in 33 career games since 2018, and now needs to be rostered in all PPR leagues.

Los Angeles Chargers RB Joshua Kelley

Fantasy position rank through Sunday: 16th with 12.0 points

Buying or bypassing? Buying as a bench stash/handcuff.

The rookie back had a strong debut Sunday, rushing for 60 yards and a TD in a 16-13 road win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite only receiving one target, Austin Ekeler rushed a career-high 19 times for 84 yards Sunday so expect those carry and target totals to balance out more toward the latter as the season goes on given Ekeler’s non-workhorse stature. That will leave a decent chunk of rushing attempts available, and with Justin Jackson (2 carries for 4 yards Sunday) battling a quadriceps issue to open the season, Kelley is in prime position to seize the No. 2 role.

Atlanta Falcons WR Russell Gage

Fantasy position rank through Sunday: Ninth with 20.4 points

Buying or bypassing? Bypassing outside of deeper leagues.

Gage caught a career-high nine of 12 targets for 114 yards in Sunday’s 38-25 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks and stunningly still finished with the third-best receiving day on the team. Fellow wideouts Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley also were targeted 12 times apiece and each finished with nine catches as well with Jones racking up 157 receiving yards and Ridley 130 to go along with a pair of TD grabs.

Matt Ryan has attempted eight more passes and finished with 86 more yards than any other passer so far through Sunday, and while it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Falcons ranked among the pass-heaviest teams at the end of the season, asking one offense to support a trio of top-30 fantasy wide receivers is a lot to ask, so Gage, while promising, remains the odd man out. Don’t prioritize adding him outside of deeper leagues.

Indianapolis Colts WR Parris Campbell

Fantasy position rank through Sunday: 24th (PPR) with 14.0 points

Buying or bypassing? Buying as wideout depth.

New Indy QB Philip Rivers finished with only one fewer completion (37-36) than Ryan Sunday and his most frequent targets were WRs T.Y. Hilton and Campbell (nine apiece) and the aforementioned Hines (eight) out of the backfield.

Campbell, though, led the team in receiving yards Sunday with 71 on six receptions, and his specialty as an underneath target seems more compatible with the 38-year-old Rivers’ current game than the deep-threat Hilton. Campbell might’ve been overlooked in your league after health issues limited to him to 18 receptions in seven games as a rookie in 2019, but add him to your bench if you’re looking to upgrade your wide receiver depth and upside.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Scott Miller

Fantasy position rank through Sunday: 29th (PPR) with 12.9 points

Buying or bypassing? Buying – in deeper leagues.

Miller added to his preseason buzz with five catches for 73 yards on six targets Sunday in the Bucs’ 34-23 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Like Gage, it’s tough to get excited about the No. 3 wide receiver on a team with two fantasy studs in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, but the latter clearly was limited by a balky hamstring in Week 1 and finished with only a two-yard TD catch on four targets Sunday.

New Bucs QB Tom Brady found a connection in New England with another wideout from the Mid-American Conference in Julian Edelman, and Bowling Green’s Miller could be a poor man’s version in Tampa. Swoop him up in deeper leagues or if you need a bench flyer.

Washington Football Team TE Logan Thomas

Fantasy position rank through Sunday: Seventh with 9.7 points

Buying or bypassing? Bypassing – for the time being.

Thomas, a converted former QB, led Washington in targets Sunday with eight, and reeled in four of them for 37 yards and the team’s only receiving touchdown in a 27-17 comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Those aren’t small feats on a team in dire need of reliable offensive weapons, and among all league tight ends, only Philly’s Dallas Goedert (nine) has had more Week 1 targets than Thomas. Still, tight end is a deeper fantasy position than in recent seasons, and it often comes down to which TE scores a TD that week. Definitely keep Thomas on your radar if you need help at the position, but he’s far from a must-add if more proven talents such as Mike Gesicki, Chris Herndon and Jack Doyle are also available in your league.

Fantasy Football Extra Points

  • With injuries continuing to hamper the team’s wideout corps, Philly tight ends Dallas Goedert and Zach Ertz combined for 16 targets, 11 receptions, 119 yards and both of Carson Wentz’s passing TDs in the loss to Washington. Goedert is no longer a secret as he begins his third season, and through play Sunday, led all league tight ends in targets (nine), receptions (eight) and receiving yards (101). Both Eagles tight ends are strong weekly starting considerations.
  • The Lions’ backfield was a three-headed mess Sunday with Adrian Peterson leading the way in touches (17) and total yards (114) and rookie D’Andre Swift (6 touches-21 yards) pacing the contingent in snaps (34) while scoring the group’s only touchdown. The odd man out appears to be incumbent Kerryon Johnson, who rushed seven times for only 14 yards while bringing up the rear in snaps (26).
  • Saints stud RB Alvin Kamara rushed for only 16 yards on 12 carries Sunday but looks to be well on his way to some expected positive touchdown regression after scoring twice – once each via air and ground – and having a third TD overturned on a coin-flip replay. Kamara totaled only six TDs all of last season after scoring 31 over his first two years.
  • Lost in the shadow of Josh Jacobs’ monster rushing day (25 carries-93 yards-three TDs) Sunday for the Las Vegas Raiders, he finished second on the team in targets with six and caught four for 46 yards, setting career highs in all three categories. It was only one game against the defenseless Panthers, but Jacobs is looking like a locked-in elite fantasy back for his sophomore season.
  • Jets WR Jamison Crowder paced the team with a 39.4 percent target share (13 of 33) and caught seven for 115 yards and a TD. Crowder led the team with 122 targets a season ago (26 more than any other player). A full 27 of those targets came in two games against the Bills, giving him 29 catches on 40 targets for 180 yards and two TDs in his last three outings vs. Buffalo. Swoop him up if he’s still available in your league.

Monday Big 12 Morning Rush: B.J. Foster, Longhorns in the NFL

The Big 12 morning rush on Monday is full of NFL updates from former players. Plus what is going on with B.J. Foster?

The Texas Longhorns on Saturday night weren’t the only ones who had big games this week. After watching the current Longhorns bang out a 56-point victory at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, former Longhorns got their opportunity on Sunday to prove their worth. We take a look at three former Longhorns who had big games and an updated on Texas safety B.J. Foster who allegedly quit on Saturday night. All headlines brought to you by Twitter.

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