Fantasy News

The Raiders are re-signing Doug Martin, according to NFL Network.

After the season-ending Achilles injury to Isaiah Crowell, this was pretty much expected. Honestly, we were a little surprised the Raiders opted to sign Crowell instead of bringing back Martin, who has a year of experience in Jon Gruden’s offense and played well in 2018, with 172 carries for 723 yards and four touchdowns for Oakland. The 30-year-old Martin will be a good veteran presence in the running back room for the Raiders, and first-round rookie running back Josh Jacobs will benefit from playing with a former All-Pro at his position.

Via: Mike Garafolo 5/1/19 - 03:02 PM ET

Jamaal Charles is officially retiring from the NFL.

Charles signed a one-day contract to officially retire as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, the team he spent the first nine seasons of his career with after being drafted in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. The electric running back from the University of Texas was a two-time All-Pro (2010 and 2013), and he had five 1,000-yard rushing seasons, including seasons with rushing totals of 1,467 (2010), 1,509 (2012), and 1,287 (2013). Charles also led the NFL in rushing scores in his second All-Pro season in 2013, coming just 20 yards short of 2,000 yards from scrimmage that year. Charles unfortunately battled injuries and appeared in just eight games total in his last two seasons with the Chiefs before playing 14 games for Denver in 2017 and appearing in two games with Jacksonville in 2018. For his career, Charles had 1,407 carries, 7,563 rushing yards, 44 rushing touchdowns, 310 receptions, 2,593 receiving yards, and 20 receiving touchdowns. In Week 15 of the 2013 season against the Raiders (the fantasy playoffs for most people), Charles had an epic performance with 215 yards and five total touchdowns (195 yards and four touchdowns coming through the air) in one of the greatest fantasy games of all-time. Missed time because of injuries will likely make it tough for Charles to make the Hall of Fame, but he has a case as one of the league’s best players at any position during his prime, especially because his 5.4 yards per carry is the highest in NFL history for any player with at least 1,000 carries.

5/1/19 - 02:46 PM ET

Isaiah Crowell suffered a torn Achilles during a team workout on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Crowell is out for the season. This is obviously a really tough break for Crowell, who just signed a one-year deal with Oakland. The good news is Crowell is still just 26 years old, and he’ll likely draw interest around the league next offseason after he proves he’s back to 100%. From a fantasy perspective, this injury doesn’t have huge implications, but it almost certainly means first-round rookie Josh Jacobs will be the team’s clear No. 1 running back from Day 1. Look for the Raiders to add another veteran back to the backfield mix, though.

Via: Adam Schefter 5/1/19 - 08:16 AM ET

The Colts have signed running back Spencer Ware.

It’s surprising it took this long for a team to sign Ware, but Indy presumably wanted to wait and see what happened in the draft before signing the veteran running back. Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins  are in the mix behind starter Marlon Mack, but the all-around and experienced Ware will likely be the team’s top backup running back (and fantasy handcuff) this season. Ware could potentially become the team’s preferred option in some third-down situations.

4/30/19 - 09:54 AM ET

The Patriots are trading Jacob Hollister to the Seahawks, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Hollister barely played when he was active and was limited to eight games because of hamstring and chest injuries last season. He worked his way as an undrafted rookie in 2017 to make the Patriots roster for two consecutive seasons, and now he’ll look to compete for a roster spot in Seattle. Hollister is not on the fantasy radar right now.

Via: Field Yates 4/29/19 - 04:45 PM ET

The Eagles officially exercised Carson Wentz’s fifth-year option.

Obviously, this was fully expected, and it keeps Wentz locked up with the Eagles through the 2020 season, giving the team more time to sign him to a long-term deal. It’s possible this news make it less likely a long-term extension is struck up this offseason, but there’s not really any fantasy impact from this. Ideally, Wentz will be fully recovered from his back injury sometime during offseason training, and we’ll keep you updated with his progress.

4/29/19 - 04:10 PM ET

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo says it’s “likely” Doug Baldwin has played his last down in the NFL.

Garafolo says the sports hernia surgery Baldwin had earlier this offseason was necessary anyway, so people shouldn’t look at the surgery as evidence that Baldwin will continue his playing career. Garafolo says that an official “retirement” might not happen because of the guaranteed money in Baldwin’s deal he’d be leaving on the table. There have ben so many injuries and surgeries for Baldwin, particularly as of late, that it’s going to be tough for him to continue playing, and it’s been leaning this way for several weeks now. Dynasty owners should probably see if they can try to trade Baldwin to someone that believes he might play in 2019.

Via: Mike Garafolo 4/29/19 - 01:36 PM ET