Tag: Samaje Perine

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 5 free-agent forecast

Check out the top waiver wire targets for fantasy football in Week 5.

Week 4 of the 2023 season offered plenty of surprises and a handful of injuries likely to have major impacts on fantasy football lineups everywhere.

With essentially the first quarter of the season now behind us, the standings are beginning to take shape as some teams will show separation from the rest of the league.

The arrival of Week 5 brings the first taste of bye weeks. The Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all have a bye.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!

We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Broncos injury report: Justin Simmons, Jerry Jeudy limited

The Denver Broncos hope to get back Justin Simmons and Jerry Jeudy vs. the Bears.

The Denver Broncos have several injuries on the defensive side of the ball, with some big names not practicing on Thursday in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

Inside linebacker Josey Jewell, outside linebacker Frank Clark and defensive tackle Mike Purcell did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Jewell exited Sunday’s bloodbath against the Miami Dolphins with a hip injury.

Clark has been sidelined with a hip injury, which has significantly limited the Broncos pass rush. Denver was unable to put any pressure on Miami’s quarterbacks, or stop any of the running backs.

After sitting out Sunday, safety Justin Simmons is looking to get back into the lineup, and was limited Wednesday and Thursday. After having only two active safeties against the Dolphins, the Denver defensive backfield desperately needs Simmons’ leadership.

The Broncos receiving corps could also use a boost if wide receiver Jerry Jeudy finds himself back in the lineup. If he isn’t healthy, the Broncos will have to rely heavily on their rushing attack led by Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine.

The Broncos face the Chicago Bears on Sunday, with kickoff at 11 am.

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The best fantasy football gamble of Week 3

A prime matchup makes this third-year pro a sound start in Week 3.

Every week, at least one player becomes my fascination of whether he’s worthy of a fantasy football start as a streamer. The decision can be a mental wrestling match, but for the purpose of brevity, only one player can be chosen as my favorite fantasy football gamble of the week.

The best fantasy football gamble for Week 3

Tracking my 2023 predictions: 0-2-0
All-time record: 18-33-3

Win: Player produces ≥ 75% of projected fantasy points
Loss: Player produces >75% of projected fantasy points
Tie: Player is ejected, leaves with an injury, or is ruled out after publishing

This year, we’ll also track the accuracy on a percentage basis to show relative results, since sometimes calling a player a loss doesn’t actually hurt gamers. An example would be if a projection narrowly falls short of the 75 percent threshold, the player is still of use in a lineup.

Wk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
% 55% 74.7%
Grade F C

Last week’s performance by Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn is a perfect example of why I decided to add the grading system above. He was projected for 16.6 PPR points and finished at 12.4, narrowly missing the 75 percent threshold (thanks for the wide-open drop, Mr. Osborn). But that doesn’t mean playing him hurt you in any way, so it’s hard to call it a true loss. For the sake of maintaining a baseline, it still gets chalked up as a loss.

RB Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos at Miami Dolphins

Somewhat surprisingly, Williams has dominated the backfield’s carry count 25-to-9 over Samaje Perine. The two have produced nearly identical fantasy results, however, and suffice it to say, the returns haven’t been great. Williams is still trying to regain his form following last year’s torn ACL, and the expectation was he’d be slowly worked back in with Perine garnering the bulk of the early-season workload. It just isn’t been the case, and that’s a great sign for Williams, even if he hasn’t been particularly explosive.

In Week 1, we saw a much closer carry split between Williams and Perine. The former rushed 13 times to the latter’s eight, but Denver leaned on their third-year back a dozen times to the journeyman’s lone carry last weekend. Nonetheless, Perine has maintained a receiving role with four targets in each of the first two games. Williams has averaged 4.5 targets of his own.

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The Broncos don’t want this to turn into a track meet, and keeping Miami’s offense on the sideline as long as possible is the goal. Expect a heavy reliance on the ground game, and even if the Dolphins do a good job of clogging up the middle, Williams’ ability as a checkdown for Russell Wilson is an underrated aspect of his game.

Williams should start to turn the corner in Week 3 vs. a Dolphins defense that has given up running back TDs at the fourth-highest rate, and only two teams have yielded rushing yards per game at a higher figure than the 135.5 Miami has granted. The ‘Fins have allowed 5.1 yards per carry to the position. This matchup is much easier to exploit on the ground, and gamers should like Williams for his best season-to-date performance as a risky RB2 and much safer flex.

My projection: 14 carries, 66 rushing yards, 5 targets, 5 receptions, 28 yards, 1 TD (20.4 PPR points)

Tunnel Vision

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Tua Tagovailoa 466-5 3
 Mac Jones 316-15 3
 Jordan Love 245-12 3
 Anthony Richardson 223-40 2
 Deshaun Watson 154-45 2
Running Backs Yards TD
Aaron Jones 9-41 rush
2-86 rcv		 2
Austin Ekeler 16-117 rush
4-47 rcv		 1
Christian McCaffrey 22-152 rush
3-17 rcv		 1
Tyler Allgeier 15-75 rush
3-19 rcv		 2
Tony Pollard  14-70 rush
2-12 rcv		 2
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Tyreek Hill 11-215 2
Brandon Aiyuk 8-129 2
Jakobi Meyers 9-81 2
Kendrick Bourne 6-64 2
Calvin Ridley 8-101 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
Hunter Henry 5-56 1
Hayden Hurst 5-41 1
T.J. Hockenson 8-35 0
Donald Parham 3-21 1
Evan Engram 5-49 0
Placekickers XP FG
Nick Folk 0 5
Jake Elliott 1 4
Brett Maher 3 3
Jake Moody 3 3
Jason Sanders 3 3
Defense Sack – TO TD
Cardinals 6-3 1
49ers 5-2 0
Packers 4-2 1
Eagles 2-2 1
Cowboys 7-3 2

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

RB J.K. Dobbins – Torn Achilles
RB Aaron Jones – Hamstring
RB Evan Hull – Knee
TE Greg Dulcich – Leg
TE Pat Freiermuth – Chest
WR Diontae Johnson – Hamstring
WR Tyler Lockett – Concussion
WR Jayden Reed – Leg cramps

Chasing Ambulances

RB J.K. Dobbins – Sadly, the Ravens running back suffered another season-ending injury when he tore his Achilles, and he’s a free agent next year. In his place, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill fill in, but the Ravens have to look to free agency or trade to bulk up the backfield depth. The rookie Keaton Mitchell is on injured reserve with a shoulder issue and won’t possibly be back until three more weeks at the earliest. It’s a great offensive line and opportunity, but for now, Edwards and Hill will share the load until the Ravens acquire another back or get Mitchell back.

RB Aaron Jones – Pulled his hamstring as he scored his second touchdown and was held out of the rest of the game. He told teammates that he wasn’t seriously injured. A.J. Dillon would take over if Jones were to miss any time. But the Packers already had the game in hand, and Jones already totaled 127 yards and two scores. Barring unexpected news, his hamstring may not be an issue this week in Atlanta.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

Week 1 Realities – Opening week featured plenty of sloppy play, low scores and yardage, and more disappointments than delights. That’s what happened the last few years with the preseason turned into just a huge free-again tryout that results in mass firings on the 53-man cutdown. A few players shined on Sunday and won’t be that good again this year. But many flops will come back to life this coming weekend. Don’t give up on anyone by this point.

TE Hayden Hurst (CAR) – The debut of Bryce Young only resulted in 146 passing yards, but 41 went to Hurst, along with the lone receiving touchdown. He led the Panthers with five catches, and as so often happens, a tight end is a rookie quarterback’s best friend.

Falcon running backs – Bijan Robinson debuted to 56 yards on ten carries and scored on his six catches for 27 yards. Tyler Allgeier was just as busy with 15 rushes for 75 yards and three receptions for 19 yards. The Atlanta backfield led both the rushing and receiving for the team. Robinson is sure to take an increasing share of the workload, but Allgeier is much more than just a relief back. And he looked outstanding behind that Atlanta O-line.

WR Robert Woods (HOU) – Nico Collins (6-80) led the Texans receivers, but Woods caught six of his ten targets for 57 yards. The rookie C.J. Stroud threw for 242 yards, and the Texans will likely trail on the scoreboard and need to throw. Collins was expected to be the primary wideout, but Woods is also heavily involved.

WR Zay Flowers (BAL) – He was impressive this summer and that carried into the regular season. He led the Ravens with nine catches for 78 yards in the win over the Texans, while Odell Beckham was the next best with just two catches for 37 yards. Jackson already has chemistry with Flowers. That will change when Mark Andrews returns, but Flowers couldn’t have asked for a better debut on this run-first team. Losing J.K. Dobbins might prompt more passing.

NFL Tight Ends – What a horrible start to the year for the position. Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews were out. T.J. Hockenson was limited to only 35 yards on eight receptions. There were only four tight ends to record more than ten points in a reception-point scoring, and those were Hunter Henry (5-56, TD), Hayden Hurst (5-41, TD), Hockenson, and Donald Parham (3-21, TD). The position accounted for only six touchdowns on the week. That should change next week. Or so we all try to convince ourselves.

NFL Quarterbacks – That whole “it’s a passing league” is being tested. Of the 30 quarterbacks that have played, 14 were held below 200 passing yards. Only six threw for more than 250 yards. Less than half had more than one touchdown and only three managed more than two scores. It felt more like a December when passing declines with the weather than Week 1.

QB Joe Burrow (CIN) – It rained, and they were on the road. And the Browns always play them tough. But Burrows only completed 14 of 31 for 82 yards. Ja’Marr Chase dominated the receiving, but that only meant five catches for 39 yards. Tee Higgins had zero catches from eight targets. Burrow just got paid, so his paycheck is guaranteed. But a quick turnaround is needed, and the Ravens are showing up this week.

WR Calvin Ridley (JAC) – It was like he never left. Almost two years from his previous play, the ex-Falcon logged eight receptions for 101 yards and one score. He’s going to be a major factor all season.

QB Anthony Richardson (IND) – The Colts lost, but Richardson impressed. He ran for 40 yards and rushed in a touchdown, but he also passed for 223 yards and one score. And not to his running backs and tight ends. Michael Pittman caught eight passes for 97 yards and the touchdown. He didn’t look like a running back forced to throw a pass occasionally.

WR Jordan Addison (MIN) – The rookie added what the Vikings needed. He’s a very fast complement to Justin Jefferson and just opened his career with a 39-yard touchdown among his four receptions for 61 yards. Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson are still more targeted, but Addison is already becoming a factor in the offense.

WR DeAndre Hopkins (TEN) – He led the team with seven catches but only gained 65 yards and several of his 13 targets were errant long before they got near him. It is encouraging that he’s already catching seven passes, but he’s not getting very far downfield.

QB Derek Carr (NO) – For a Saints team that shuffled several quarterbacks for the last two Brees-less years, Carr opened his New Orleans tenure with a nice showing of 305 yards and a touchdown. And he relied heavily on his wideouts of Chris Olave (8-112), Rashid Shaheed (5-89, TD), and Michael Thomas (5-61).

RB Brian Robinson (WAS) – The Commanders leaned heavily on Robinson who ran 19 times for 59 yards and scored on his seven-yard reception. The preseason talk about Antonio Gibson reclaiming a bigger role and being more involved as a receiver sounded good, but he only ran three times for nine yards and caught one 10-yard pass.

WR Jakobi Meyers (LV) – The ex-Patriot transitioned to the Raiders quickly. While Davante Adams was held to 66 yards on six catches, Meyers turned in a team-high nine receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns. The duo accounted for 19 of the 26 passes thrown.

RB Samaje Perine (DEN) – Javonte Williams handled 13 carries for 52 yards, but his four catches only totaled five yards. Perine gained 41 yards on eight carries and led the Broncos with 37 yards on four receptions. The backfield was not only split 3:2 between the backs, but Perine was more effective with his carries and catches.

RB Joshua Kelley (LAC) – Austin Ekeler was a top running back this week and ran for 117 yards and a score on 16 carries. But Kelley also handled 16 rushes for 91 yards and a touchdown. And it was in a game that they lost by two points – not just the end of an already-decided game.

Philly backfield – Sure, they traded for D’Andre Swift, who is actually healthy (for now). But he was used for just one three-yard carry and one catch for no gain. The Eagles relied on Kenneth Gainwell (14-54) who also caught four passes for 20 yards which trailed only A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Rashaad Penny was inactive. It’s hard to believe that will persist, but so far, there is nothing reliable about the Eagles’ rushing effort other than they opened the year with their least accomplished rusher.

WR Puka Nacua / TuTu Atwell (LAR) – Cooper Kupp landed on injured reserve and the Rams turned to their two starting wideouts. With Matt Stafford back under center, Puka Nacua (10-119) and TuTu Atwell (6-119) came up with big yardage, even if Van Jefferson was held to only 24 yards on four catches. The Rams schemed to limit Jefferson but couldn’t handle Nacua or Atwell. Nacua carried on after an impressive preseason and would be the better choice in future games.

 Huddle player of the week

Tyreek Hill  – Come on. He boasted that he wanted 2,000 yards this season but currently, he is only on a pace to gain 3,655 yards after logging 11 receptions for 215 yards with two touchdowns in the win over the Chargers. This looks like a long year for defensive backs.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Mac Jones 316-15 3 QB Joe Burrow 82 0
RB Tyler Allgeier 94 2 RB Najee Harris 33 0
RB Kyren Williams 57 2 RB Dameon Pierce 47 0
WR Jakobi Meyers 81 2 WR Drake London 0 0
WR Kendrick Bourne 64 2 WR Tee Higgins 0 0
WR Puka Nacua 119 0 WR DJ Moore 25 0
TE Hunter Henry 56 1 TE Dallas Goedert 0 0
PK Nick Folk 5 FG PK Evan McPherson   1 FG
Huddle Fantasy Points = 152 Huddle Fantasy Points = 16

Now get back to work…

Fantasy Football: 10 sleeper running backs for 2023 NFL season

These ten running backs could prove to be great value in your fantasy football draft.

Football season has returned!

The 2023 NFL season will kick off tomorrow when the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Detroit Lions on Thursday.

Before the regular season begins, fantasy football drafts will be wrapping up in the coming days and fantasy managers will all have the same question — who are the sleepers to target this year?

This week, we will be publishing sleepers at tight end, wide receiver, quarterback and running back for 2023. Today, we’re looking at RB.

Each player is listed in order of his average draft spot relative to his position. We consider a “sleeper” to be a player who we expect to outperform his ADP during the season.

’A lot of confidence’: Gavin Sawchuk hoping to build off impressive bowl game

2022 was a year of learning for Gavin Sawchuk but once he got his chance, he let the whole country know he’s ready for what’s to come.

The Oklahoma Sooners should have one of the best running games in the entire country. The Sooners ranked 10th nationally a year ago averaging 219.4 yards per game.

That was with one guy, [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], taking the bulk of the Carrie’s. Gray ran for 1,366 yards and 13 touchdowns. The next highest was true freshman [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] with 519 yards and five touchdowns.

There were going to be a lot of questions about the running back room heading into this season but then came the bowl game. In the Cheez-It Bowl, Barnes and fellow true freshman [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] both ran for more than 100 yards against a defense that ranked 15th nationally.

Sawchuk told reporters he feels the confidence he gained from that performance could help him have a big year this season.

“Just being able to have that experience of actually being out there on the field, especially against a team like [autotag]Florida State[/autotag], you know, a lot of confidence,” Sawchuk said. “Same thing preparing for the offseason. Still building that confidence and building the skills necessary to perfect my game and be ready for week one.”

It’s that one-game performance that makes a lot of Sooner fans feel the running back room could be the strongest on the team this season. But Sawchuk feels he has to build off of that momentum.

“Just confidence in knowing that I’ve already done it,” Sawchuk said. “Just being hungry for the opportunity, being ready for the opportunity. I know that when my time comes, I have to be prepared and I know what I have to do so that I am ready when it does come. So, come week one I’m ready for the game, I know what to expect and excited for what’s coming.”

There are a lot of expectations for these two running backs. But if that bowl game was any indication, this could be the best running back duo Oklahoma has had since [autotag]Joe Mixon[/autotag] and [autotag]Samaje Perine[/autotag]. Not bad company to be a part of.

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Broncos roster series: No. 36, RB Tyler Badie

Could second-year running back Tyler Badie make the roster as a utility running back?

Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at second-year running back Tyler Badie, No. 36.

Before the Broncos: Badie, (5-8, 197 pounds) was a four-year player at the University of Missouri. In four years, Badie rushed for 2,740 yards on 513 carries in 46 games. Badie rushed for 23 touchdowns while also being a prolific pass-catcher. He caught 126 passes for 1,149 yards and 11 touchdowns. Badie was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Broncos tenure: Badie was on the Ravens’ practice squad before being signed by the Denver Broncos last December. Badie appeared in one game in 2022, making an instant impact. In the 2022 season finale versus the Los Angeles Chargers, Badie’s first NFL touch was a 24-yard touchdown reception. On the catch, Badie eluded several Charger players, tiptoeing the sideline en route to a go-ahead score in the third quarter.

Chance to make the 53-man roster: 50-50. Badie survived the offseason, where the Broncos signed veteran running back Samaje Perine and have a recovering Javonte Williams in the backfield to begin training camp. Head coach Sean Payton has expressed confidence in the running back room and the talent that is there. Badie could become a situational back or a pass-catching outlet for quarterback Russell Wilson as a third-string RB in 2023.

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Ranking the AFC West by running backs

How the AFC West stacks up based on running backs

Even with the devaluing of the running back position across the league, having a good run game still means something. It’s how teams can keep drives alive and the threat of it sets up the pass as well.

So, who runs AFC West on the ground? Let’s take a look.

How will Denver Broncos running backs fare this season?

Current ADP trends make one Denver RB a potential steal.

Few teams have experienced the turnover at running back that the Denver Broncos did between the end of the 2022 season and the start of 2023. New head coach Sean Payton has a history of mixing and matching running backs effectively over the long term (see the coexistence of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram as proof), but Payton has cleaned house in the RB room and has more questions than answers heading toward training camp.

In 2022, the Broncos seemingly hoarded veteran running backs with Melvin Gordon, Latavius Murray, Marlon Mack, Chase Edmonds and Mike Boone. All of them are gone, and the only running back remaining who made an impact is Javonte Williams, but he is coming back from a devastating knee injury. Of the running back carries Denver had last season, 319 of them are gone (86.9 percent) – the most of any team other than Detroit (94.6 percent).

Does that mean the Broncos are going to be pass-happy in 2023? Probably not. In free agency, the team added power-back Samaje Perine as well as signing tackle Mike McGlinchey, guard Ben Powers, veteran fullback Michael Burton and blocking tight end Chris Manhertz. This has the look of a team wanting to run more, not less, but the nagging questions will remain about the workload share for the Broncos this season until Williams’ recovery is apparent.

Broncos injuries: OLB Baron Browning to start camp on PUP list

Broncos coach Sean Payton gave quick injury notes on Baron Browning, Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Marvin Mims and Drew Sanders.

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As expected, Denver Broncos outside linebacker Baron Browning (knee) will miss the start of training camp after undergoing surgery this spring.

Broncos coach Sean Payton confirmed last week that Browning will begin camp on the physically unable to perform list in July.

“[H]e is someone who will start the season on PUP,” Payton said last Tuesday.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Denver running back Samaje Perine left practice last Wednesday with an apparent thumb injury. Payton did not seem concerned.

“I think they were just going to look at his thumb,” Payton said. “I haven’t gotten into the training room yet. They were just being smart. I’m sure he will be fine.”

After leaving Wednesday’s practice, Perine was back on the field with a taped thumb on Thursday.

Meanwhile, rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims and linebacker Drew Sanders have worked on the side of the field for portions of the team’s offseason program while working their way back from undisclosed injuries. Payton was asked last week if he’s worried about Mims and Sanders falling behind.

“No, I think they’re both real sharp mentally,” the coach said. “We have real good early glimpses of them, and they’re quickly healing.”

Payton is also optimistic about the recovery of running back Javonte Williams (knee).

“He’s doing well,” Payton said. “I feel like I was at the start of the offseason. When I arrived, and with that type of injury, it was in the early stages. But yeah, I’m very optimistic.”

Browning aside, there’s mostly good news for the Broncos on the injury front as the team heads into the summer.

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