McDaniel could use all three RBs, ride ‘hot hand’

Pierce remains well behind schedule following offseason surgery on his ankle, with it now coming to light that the veteran receiver required a second PRP injection in his left ankle. Now well beyond the original recovery window following the late-March surgery, Pierce appears to be in legitimate danger of missing time when games start to count if the platelet-rich plasma injections do not speed up his recovery for the second time. Pierce signed a four-year, $114 million contract extension with the Colts this offseason after the team lost Michael Pittman in a trade to the Steelers, signifying an intent to move forward with Pierce as their primary option at the position. That move could prove costly if Pierce misses regular season time. Josh Downs and Tyler Warren would be in line to benefit the most from any absence from Pierce.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said that all three of Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, and Kimani Vidal in the backfield this season. “Good news is I see all three of those guys performing at a very high level,” McDaniel said. “Kinda play hot hand once you’re into games.” While that’s not the best news for fantasy managers that invested second round picks into Hampton, the opportunity for the Chargers to turn heads on the scoreboard could result in a case of “a rising tide raises all ships.” McDaniel famously, and recently, made two backs top-six producers in fantasy points per game in the same season, with both Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane finishing 2023 in that range. Whether a similar situation transpires in Los Angeles remains to be seen.

The details of the contract were not made readily available, although the signing appears to be a depth move at the position after the team signed both Brian Robinson and Tyler Goodson this offseason. The depth behind starter Bijan Robinson remains a work in progress for the Falcons, meaning Sermon could carve out a spot on the 53-man roster during the remainder of camp and the preseason.

The good news for Wilson is that it sounds like the Cardinals are hoping to sign him to an extension. The bad news is that when asked if he expects an extension to get done, Ossenfort responded, “Expect? That’s a tough word.” Wilson broke out for 78 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns last season with the Cardinals, with much of his production coming after Jacoby Brissett took over. The fourth-year receiver has received glowing reports throughout camp and could emerge as the team’s WR1 this season. It seems unlikely the Cardinals will extend Wilson as he enters the fourth and final year of his rookie deal.

Did you really think the Cowboys wouldn’t sign a star defensive player to a contract extension? Williams appeared in 15 games last season, including seven for the Cowboys after the team acquired him last November. In his limited action with the Cowboys, Williams totaled 21 tackles, three TFLs and 1.5 sacks, and earned his fourth-straight trip to the Pro Bowl. He’s one of the league’s premier run-stoppers and is now under contract through the 2030 season. Williams’ deal is the third-largest for a defensive lineman in NFL history and includes $101 million in total guaranteed money.

This move comes just hours after it was announced that the Patriots would be waiving the 2024 third-rounder. Now, Wallace will get a chance to restart his career with the Dolphins after a disappointing two-year stint in New England, where he appeared in just 10 games. In addition to Wallace, the Dolphins also received a 2029 seventh-round pick in the swap.

It’s the kind of thing fantasy managers hate to hear. When speaking about his running backs on Monday, McDaniel said, “I see all three producing at a very high level,” while saying the workload for each back could depend on the opponent and who has the “hot hand.” While it’s certainly concerning on the surface, we feel pretty confident in Omarion Hampton having the safest role as far as fantasy is concerned, while Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal could prove a bit more volatile. Their volatility has been baked into their ADP all offseason, as Mitchell is often going in the 12th or 13th round of drafts while Vidal often goes undrafted. It may take some time to get a good sense of McDaniel’s plans for the backfield, but we would expect a clear-cut RB1 and RB2 to emerge this season.

One of the bigger storylines out of Commanders camp this offseason has been the switch to a scheme that is expected to put Daniels under center far more often than he did in his first two seasons with Kliff Kingsbury. Daniels has played 94 percent of his snaps from shotgun since 2024, per TruMedia, which is similar to how he also played in college. According to Jhabvala, Daniels has adjusted well to playing more from under center, saying, “the footwork that so often seems to trip up young quarterbacks doesn’t seem to be an issue at all for (Daniels),” while adding that his timing with his pass-catchers has been “really sharp.” Daniels struggled in his second season as a pro. While a multitude of injuries certainly played a role, he struggled at times with his accuracy last season and was more prone to take off and run than he was as a rookie. With several new additions on offense, Daniels could be in line for a big fantasy season and profiles as a high-end QB1.

We’re still looking for more clarity here, but Payton did say after practice that he thinks Dobbins is “gonna be fine” and that the team is “trying to be smart with it.” Given Dobbins’ injury history, it makes sense for the team to want to approach any minor issues with caution as they look to get through training camp and into Week 1. Dobbins rushed for 153-772-4 in 10 games with the Broncos last season and signed a two-year, $20 million contract this offseason. He’s expected to serve as their primary lead back, while RJ Harvey will continue to see a role in the passing game. If Dobbins were to miss time, rookie Jonah Coleman could be tasked with stepping in to fill his role.

Interestingly, Week 6 is when the Packers play host to the Cowboys, Parsons’ former team. The star pass-rusher did note that he could also return later and that there is always the possibility of setbacks, but it sounds like the earliest we should expect to see him is Week 6. Parsons opened camp on the PUP list, which didn’t come as a surprise given the timing of his injury last season. It’s been widely believed that Parsons would miss the first few games of the season. If he were to open the year on the PUP list, he would be forced to sit out at least the first four games of the year.