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“The rest of that group has done a good job to try and keep up with him, but obviously he’s kind of separated himself from that group as far as the consistency of what he does day in and day out.”
-Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase on Jay Ajayi
Dolphins coach Adam Gase stated that Jay Ajayi has distanced himself for the lead-back role. After the Dolphins struck out on CJ Anderson, Ajayi is the lone three-down back on the Dolphins depth chart. They drafted Kenyan Drake out of Alabama, but he is primarily a change-of-pace back and a return man. Gase has given fantasy owners extreme optimism, regarding Ajayi, and he will be one of the bigger preseason names to keep an eye on.
“With Calvin Johnson settling into retirement, the Lions will need more from their running game this fall. Ameer Abdullah is the No. 1 back, and if he conquers his fumble problems, he should be in for a big season.”
-Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press
Ameer Abdullah came into his rookie season as a highly drafted rookie running back in fantasy leagues and finished it as a major disappointment. He finished with 597 yards rushing, 25 receptions, three total touchdowns and four fumbles, which limited his touches. Abdullah possesses excellent vision, quickness and breakaway speed, which should allow him to bounce-back in ’16. Mix in the departure of Joique Bell, expect a great season from Abdullah, especially in a PPR format.
“[Hue] Jackson sees [Duke] Johnson as an every-down back. The previous coaching staff actually felt the same. They started training camp intending to make Johnson the starter. But a hamstring pull set him back, and then he was sidelined by a concussion.”
The former U of Miami star was used more as a third-down back in his rookie year, as he carried the ball only 104 times and caught 61 passes. Johnson is a little undersized, standing at 5-foot-9, 210 lbs, but he carried the workload in college and has the talent to be a true, three-down back. We have been all-aboard the Duke Johnson train and if he outperforms Isaiah Crowell early-on, he will be quite the fantasy star.
Some close to [Dion] Lewis feel that he’s about one month away from being able to play in a game, which naturally means that his availability for the season opener Sept. 11 in Arizona is looking good at this point (assuming no unexpected setbacks).
The Patriots did not add a running back in the draft, but they did add Donald Brown during free agency, which surprised Patriots’ fans. With the good news regarding Dion Lewis’ recovery from ACL surgery, this should allow fantasy owners to draft him accordingly. Expect the team to ease the shifty running back into training camp, but he should be 100-percent heading into Week 1.
“I’m just going to stay away from getting fined,” Elliott said. “I’m going to try to keep all my money in my pocket.”
-Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
The No Fun League took a page out of the NCAA’s rulebook by banning the half-shirt style that Ezekiel Elliott rocked during his sophomore year at Ohio State. The bigger question here is how will that affect Elliott’s fantasy value? Will he be able to break as many tackles and run as fast with his shirt tucked in? Maybe Jerry Jones can pull some strings for his star running back.
Will the @NFL no crop top style jersey rule affect @EzekielElliott's fantasy production? https://t.co/sETj7Iqvfn
— Roto Street Journal (@RotoStJournal) May 25, 2016
“I don’t put anything past him,” [Richard]Â Sherman told NFL Network’s Michael Robinson. “He’s about as predictable as a pair of dice. So I don’t try to call his plays.
Richard Sherman is not convinced that “Beast Mode” is retired for good. Marshawn Lynch was placed on the reserve/retired list on May 5; however, Sherman and his teammate Michael Bennett believe that Lynch could get the itch to play at some point this season. A healthy and fresh “Beast Mode” for the stretch run would be dangerous for the rest of the NFL, but it could throw in a wrinkle for Thomas Rawls’ owners.
Not strictly fantasy:
- Good news for Bills Mafia, as Bills’ coach Doug Whaley said he expects Sammy Watkins (broken foot) to be ready for Week 1.
- The Jaguars and their fans can breathe a sigh of relief, as Jalen Ramsey underwent successful meniscus surgery and should be back for training camp.
- Free agent running back Arian Foster took in a Red Sox game over the weekend. Where there is smoke, there is fire?
- Jadeveon Clowney claims he is 100-percent healthy after suffering a Lisfranc injury in 2015. Let’s hope it stays that way.
- Abiola Aborishade, a former DIII wide receiver from UMass Dartmouth, has been standing outside of Gillette Stadium every single day since April 21st, begging for  a tryout with the Patriots. Have to respect it… I guess.
