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Player Notes

  • New teammate in WR room
    Shakir has a new teammate in the receiving room after the Bills took Keon Coleman out of Florida State with the first pick of the second round Friday.

    Advice: This may not be a terrible thing for Shakir's 2024 outlook, as it was doubtful the Bills were going to enter the season with such a thin wideout crew, and the attention of a big target like Coleman might allow Shakir to see better looks. The latter is coming off a 39-611-2 season in 17 regular-season games, but with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis off to new locales, Shakir has room to grow his production in his third NFL season. For now, he and Coleman project as starters, while Curtis Samuel is more of a hybrid No. 3. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 10:56 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    137th
  • Fresh start in L.A.
    Scott agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Rams on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

    Advice: Scott spent his first six seasons in Philadelphia, but he will now get a fresh start in Los Angeles. While he was never a major part of the Eagles' offense during his tenure, he saw his role as a third-down back shrink during the 2023 campaign. The 29-year-old will presumably be behind Kyren Williams and rookie Blake Corum on the Rams' depth chart, and Scott will compete with Ronnie Rivers and Zach Evans for the No. 3 role. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 4:29 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    2007th
  • Cut by Arizona
    The Cardinals waived Davis on Tuesday, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

    Advice: Davis spent most of the 2023 season on Arizona's practice squad. The Cardinals drafted a pair of wideouts in last week's NFL Draft, so Davis will look for work elsewhere. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 3:18 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    1794th
  • Leader of improved backfield
    Rookie third-round pick Trey Benson is unlikely to take Conner's starting job but may eventually force a timeshare in the Cardinals' backfield, according to KC Joyner of The Athletic.

    Advice: Conner has missed multiple games in each of his seven NFL seasons, though never more than six in any one year, so any competition for touches could sort itself out. His 2023 included career highs for rushing yards (1,040) and yards per carry (5.0), with the downside being his fewest targets (33) and catches (27, 2.1 per game) since he was a barely-used rookie with Pittsburgh in 2017. The lack of receiving volume was partially a product of Emari Demercado getting playing time in passing situations, and it's worth noting that the Cardinals have two other backs in Michael Carter, DeeJay Dallas with track records as passing-down specialists. That said, Conner still figures to be the starter and lead runner, with Benson being the main threat to poach carries and TDs even if other guys are in the mix on passing downs. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 2:47 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    62nd
  • Joined by third-round pick in backfield
    The Packers drafted MarShawn Lloyd in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft to join Jacobs and AJ Dillon in their remade backfield, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic report.

    Advice: The decision to release Aaron Jones and sign Jacobs as a replacement likely had a lot to do with the latter being younger, larger and more capable of handling big workloads. It's nonetheless a bit difficult to project Jacobs' touch/snap counts for the upcoming season, as coach Matt LaFleur has almost always used a two-back approach when he's had his top two RBs healthy. On the other hand, there were many instances when LaFleur leaned heavily on Jones or Dillon, or Jamaal Williams before that, when one of Green Bay's top backs wasn't available, rather than giving a third-stringer a larger role. The extent of Jacobs' usage may depend on LaFleur's confidence in Dillon and/or Lloyd moreso than Jacobs' perceived ability to take on huge workloads. Dillon plodded through 2023 and has seen his YPC drop each of his seasons in the NFL, while Lloyd looks faster and more explosive but comes with glaring ball-security issues after fumbling eight times on 325 touches during his college career. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 2:37 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    14th
  • Facing added competition
    Dillon is expected to face competition from third-round rookie MarShawn Lloyd for the Packers' No. 2 running back job behind Josh Jacobs, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: Dillon re-signed with the Packers on a four-year qualifying offer and isn't even considered a lock to make the Packers' 53-man roster, per Schneidman. Dillon averaged a career-worst 3.4 yards per carry in 2023, scoring just two touchdowns. He also was inactive for both of the team's playoff games due to a neck stinger. Green Bay likely hopes Lloyd shows enough to pass Dillon on the depth chart. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 2:25 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    130th
  • Facing tough snap competition
    The Panthers took Jonathon Brooks (knee) in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, potentially giving Hubbard competition for the starting job, Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer reports.

    Advice: Hubbard was positioned to enter Week 1 as a starter for the first time in his pro career, and while he's still the favorite for that task, competition for snaps in the Carolina backfield just got much stiffer. The Panthers took Brooks with the 46th overall pick, making him the first running back drafted in 2024, 20 selections before Trey Benson. They also still have Miles Sanders, who was a massive bust in the first season of his four-year contract but has a guaranteed $4.02 million salary for 2024. It's a situation where Hubbard's projection as the Week 1 starter might not mean much in terms of fantasy expectations for the full season, especially if reports continue to be positive on Brooks' rehab from the ACL tear he suffered Nov. 11. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 2:17 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    101st
  • Continues to lead backfield
    Following the NFL draft, Stevenson heads a New England running back corps that also includes newcomer Antonio Gibson, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: Meanwhile, Ezekiel Elliott who actually led the Patriots with 642 rushing yards (on 184 carries) in 17 regular-season games in 2023 because Stevenson (619 yards on 156 carries) missed five contests, has signed on with the Cowboys, which leaves Kevin Harris, JaMycal Hasty, Ke'Shawn Vaughn and UDFA addition DeShaun Fenwick to compete for depth slotting behind Stevenson and Gibson. Now presumably past the ankle issue that landed him on IR last December, Stevenson is poised to reclaim his role as a pivotal option in a re-tooled New England offense under the guidance of new head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. While Stevenson remains entrenched as the team's lead back and thus seems destined to maintain enough volume to remain a fantasy factor, Gibson -- who spent the last four years with Washington -- is capable of contributing both on early downs and pass-catching situations, a scenario that should help ease Stevenson's load as the 2024 campaign progresses. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:33 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    60th
  • Feels fully healthy
    Dobbins (Achilles) said he feels 100 percent healthy heading into the offseason program, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: "I've had these injuries, and it's been a storm," Dobbins said. "But I think the storm is over with, and I think I'm going to take off now. There's going to be no setbacks, and the 'injury prone' thing will be gone out of the window." Since being drafted in the second round by the Ravens in 2020, Dobbins has missed a whopping 43 games to various significant injuries, including a torn ACL, torn LCL, severe hamstring strain and a torn Achilles tendon. To say the injury-prone label is behind him might be wishful thinking, as his body has yet to cooperate with him to this point. The 25-year-old Dobbins joined Gus Edwards in following offensive coordinator Greg Roman from Baltimore to the Chargers, so he will at least be in a familiar scheme. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 12:25 pm
    Week 1 Projected Rank
    138th