Fantasy News

The Browns have signed running back Kareem Hunt.

While Browns GM John Dorsey has no issue with taking chances on players with off-field issues (like Tyreek Hill and Antonio Callaway) and was in Kansas City when the Chiefs selected Hunt in the draft, this is a total shock. Hunt—the league’s leading rusher as a rookie in 2017—is no doubt a very talented all-around running back, but the Browns appeared to already have a clear-cut stud franchise runner in 2018 second-round pick Nick Chubb, who was a big part in Cleveland finishing the season on a 5-3 stretch over the final eight games. Hunt is facing a certain suspension (likely around six games) for hitting a woman last year, but we would expect other teams might make trade offers for Chubb this offseason. If not, this will likely just be a committee backfield where the workload is split pretty evenly between Chubb and Hunt in Cleveland.

2/11/19 - 01:58 PM ET

Texans GM Brian Gaine said he fully expects Lamar Miller will remain the team’s starting running back in 2019.

Miller will turn just 28 this April, so this isn’t a huge surprise, but it’s still worth noting. The eight-year running back has been a consistent player for the Texans, eclipsing 1,000 yards from scrimmage in his three seasons with the team. This doesn’t mean Houston won’t go after a running back in the draft that could push Miller for snaps, but don’t count on them going after a veteran runner in free agency. Gaine’s statement could also indicate the team isn’t optimistic that D’Onta Foreman, who barely played last season while recovering from a bad Achilles injury suffered the season before, will push Miller for the starting role.

Via: Gregg Rosenthal 2/28/19 - 11:01 AM ET

Bruce Arians says many of Jameis Winston’s issues are “mechanical.”

Arians spoke to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, and he said he and some of his offensive coaches have watched a lot of film on Winston, and that many of the quarterback’s issues can be fixed. Arians added that playing on a bad team was part of why Winston has played poorly, as the Bucs have been down a bunch in recent years: “anybody down 21 (points) is going to throw a pick or two, and he’s down 21 a bunch.” Arians went on to say that they need to get Winston a strong running game and defense while “limit[ing]” turnovers. The two-time Coach of the Year told Stroud that Winston has “all the talent in the world, so why can’t he be successful?” Clearly, Arians is very optimistic about Winston’s outlook, and there’s plenty of talent already on the offense for the coach and quarterback to work with—and more likely coming via the draft and free agency. The former No. 1 overall pick will offer obvious QB1 upside in 2019 fantasy drafts in what’s probably a make-or-break campaign for him entering a contract year.

Via: Tampa Bay Times 2/11/19 - 10:00 AM ET

The Raiders gave Jalen Richard a second-round tender, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

It’s unlikely a team is willing to sign Richard as a restricted free agent and give the Raiders back a second-round draft pick, so expect him to remain in Oakland for 2019. Richard caught 68 passes for 607 yards in his first season in Jon Gruden’s offense, as the head coach was very happy with his play as a receiving back throughout last year. The Raiders might get a workhorse back that takes some of Richard’s snaps, but for now the 25-year-old looks like he could be a PPR FLEX option this season.

Via: Tom Pelissero 3/7/19 - 07:41 AM ET

The Steelers signed running back Malik Williams.

Williams went undrafted out of Louisville last year after averaging 7.9 yards per carry in his two seasons with the school, and he offers versatility as someone that played multiple positions before getting to Louisville. Williams played well during the preseason for the Falcons last season, and now he’ll look to carve out a role in Pittsburgh. There’s a chance Williams wins the No. 3 running back job behind James Conner and Jaylen Samuels with the Steelers.

2/8/19 - 11:44 AM ET

Rams GM Les Snead hints at scaling back Todd Gurley’s workload.

With Gurley’s health during the team’s run to the Super Bowl last season remaining a topic at the NFL Combine, Snead noted that his star running back has had a lot of touches since entering the league. Snead said they have to think about whether they’re going to keep giving Gurley the same workload they’ve been giving him or if they should scale things back to keep him fresher throughout the season and into future seasons. Snead said if they go the route of giving Gurley less touches, it’d be a “Batman and Robin combination,” so it doesn’t sound like LA is going to give their starter less touches without a lot of confidence in someone stepping in and playing at a high level. C.J. Anderson played exceptionally well when joining the team late last season, but he’s set to become a free agent; and Malcolm Brown has shown major flashes when he’s been given opportunities, so he could just see an increase in touches. The draft has a ton of talent, so they could also target someone then. Gurley has averaged 22.7 touches per game the last two seasons, so we wouldn’t expect his workload to be scaled back too much—perhaps into the 18-to-20-touch range at minimum. One of the game’s premiere big-play and touchdown threats, Gurley is going to remain an elite RB1 even if he gets a few less touches per game.

Via: NFL.com 2/28/19 - 01:52 AM ET

Rob Gronkowski might have hinted he’s returning for 2019.

On last night’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Gronkowski said taking a beer can to the head and dodging others during the championship parade was “good practice for next season.” This could just be a funny throwaway comment from the All-Pro tight end, but it certainly sounds like he’s leaning towards coming back next season. After the Super Bowl, cameras caught Gronkowski having a nice conversation with Bill Belichick, and Gronk was clearly healthier down the stretch than he was during most of the regular season—and it showed in his play as a receiver in addition to his always-strong blocking. We expect Gronk will be back in 2019, but a final decision could be made sometime this month.

Via: Mike Giardi 2/7/19 - 12:07 PM ET