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    Emmett Johnson limited to six carries in Miami

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    KC Running Back #10
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    Emmett Johnson rushed six times for 17 yards in the Chiefs’ Week 3 win over the Dolphins.

    Johnson was not targeted in the passing game. His six carries were nothing to sneeze at on an afternoon where the Chiefs were limited to 49 total plays, but that was compared to 20 Kenneth Walker touches. Johnson will have some pop-up standalone value behind workhorse Walker, but he is primarily a contingency option heading into the meat of the fantasy campaign.
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  • KC Running Back #10
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    It was another Ken Walker explosion game (128 yards, two touchdowns on the ground) with Johnson serving as the breather back. Johnson should be rostered as a high-upside contingency option in case Walker misses any time in the coming weeks or months.
  • KC Running Back #10
    Johnson has turned 14 touches into 103 scrimmage yards thus far. Evidently pleased with his fifth-round rookie, Reid wants to keep “allowing Emmett to grow,” in turn taking “a little bit of load off” starting RB Kenneth Walker. Reid notes that Walker wants the ball on every play and is not asking for a lighter workload, but Reid is seeking “a nice balance with those two in there,” which “keeps them even more fresh as the season goes on.” Walker, of course, remains an elite RB1. Johnson, however, should be rostered in all 12-team leagues as a high-upside bench stash that could return standalone value before long.
  • KC Running Back #25
    Demercado’s departure leaves rookie RB Emmett Johnson and second-year RB Brashard Smith to back up starting RB Kenneth Walker. The Chiefs also waived DE Vincent Anthony, LB Kam Arnold, WR Andrew Armstrong, WR Wesley Bissainthe, DT Cole Brevard, WR Jason Brownlee, WR Jacob De Jesus, OT Ethan Driskell, WR Omari Evans, OT Chukwuebuka Godrick, LB Cam Jones, WR Xavier Loyd, S Tanner McCalister, DT Amari McNeill, C Pete Nygra, RB Jaydn Ott, DT Damon Payne, CB D’Arco Perkins-McAllister, TE Mason Pline, S DeShon Singleton, CB Melvin Smith, EDGE Tyreke Smith, OG Josh Thompson, CB Zelmar Vedder, TE Tre Watson and WR Jeff Weimer. The Chiefs released LB Cole Christiansen, CB Kaiir Elam, CB Kader Kohou and EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah. The Chiefs placed DT Omarr Norman-Lott (knee) on the reserve/physically unable to play list and WR Jimmy Holiday on injured reserve. The Chiefs also waived OG C.J. Hanson, QB Chris Oladokun and RB EJ Smith with injury designations.
  • KC Running Back #10
    Johnson added two catches for 15 yards and had another chunk gain through the air called back because of a penalty. Kenneth Walker didn’t play in this contest, allowing Johnson to draw the start with some of KC’s first-team offense on the field. Johnson split reps with Emari Demercado over the team’s first three drives, then left the game for good. He looks like the team’s No. 2 back, though all three backs have been the next man up behind Walker at some point during the preseason. Johnson isn’t guaranteed the backup job, but he’s now the favorite, putting him in the mix as a late-round flyer in deeper fantasy leagues.
  • KC Running Back #10
    Johnson had 12 carries for 59 yards and three catches for 10 yards against the Rams. While we’ve seen a little camp buzz about Johnson, The Athletic’s Jesse Newell presents this as a step forward for Johnson who “has been running with the fourth-string offense most of training camp.” He’s still probably the best back to have rostered in the event of a Kenneth Walker injury, but this isn’t such an important role that the backup necessarily needs to be rostered in standard redraft leagues.
  • KC Running Back #10
    Breer refers to RB Kenneth Walker as an “every-down” player, says RB Brashard Smith “has already shown he can be a weapon in space,” and notes RB Emari Demercado adds depth. Perhaps taking on a change-of-pace rushing role is in play for Johnson this season. The rookie back has pass-catching experience as well, but Smith and Demercado could offer more in that department at the moment. Johnson could be the next player up if Walker were to miss time.
  • KC Running Back #10
    The currently-murky situation behind Kenneth Walker includes the rookie Johnson, veteran receiving back Emari Demercado, and Player Who Is Nominally A Running Back Brashard Smith. The fifth-round pick sure seems like the best play here over the long-term, but if Johnson can win the No. 2 role out of camp, he’d hold some stash fantasy value behind Walker.
  • KC Running Back #25
    Goldman added that the team is “very high” on Demercado before noting his spot as the No. 2 back in every drill of note during OTAs. The Chiefs signed Demercado to a one-year deal this offseason to back up Kenneth Walker. They also added Emmet Johnson in the fifth round of the draft, but it sounds like the veteran has the inside track to backup duties right now. Demercado could also operate as the team’s primary back on passing downs, giving him some extra juice in PPR formats.
  • KC Running Back
    Chiefs front office officials said last week that they were shocked Johnson was still available in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. KC traded up to take Johnson, 22, who had 1,823 total yards in 2025 at Nebraska. Johnson enters the NFL with a 100th percentile college dominator rating along with a 99th percentile college target share. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid recently said he was impressed with Johnson’s pass catching and compared him favorably to LeSean McCoy. With a solid offseason Johnson could function as the Chiefs’ lead back if Ken Walker misses time in 2026.
  • KC Running Back #9
    Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is currently rehabbing a season-ending knee injury, and although he has a chance to return in time for Week 1, it takes time for players to return to full strength. Enter new Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker, who Veach reminds us was the Super Bowl LX MVP. He adds that the team feels “real good” about the offensive line. Veach also indicates that the team intends to pass the ball more often as the season progresses, but if the run game is working, who’s to say they take the proverbial foot off the pedal? Walker warrants low-end RB1 treatment at this time. He is backed up by veteran RBs Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado, and fifth-round rookie RB Emmett Johnson. The depth chart order behind Walker will become clear in training camp.

Rotoworld

  • SF Wide Receiver #3
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    49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Christian Kirk is a “possibility” for Week 7.

    Kirk has been on injured reserve with a calf injury but could return to the Niners’ injury-ravaged receivers room this Sunday against the pass-funnel Falcons defense. “He had two good practices (last week). It was just his first two practices of the year,” Shanahan said of Kirk, who last year had 239 yards and a touchdown in 13 regular season games for the Texans. “We were down on wideouts, so it was still something we discussed, but we decided to give it another week.” If Kirk returns and plays something close to a full complement of snaps against Atlanta, he could function as the team’s No. 1 receiver with Mike Evans (Achilles) seemingly unlikely to suit up. Kirk should be rostered in most 12-team leagues and all deeper formats.
  • NO Wide Receiver #0
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    Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) won’t practice this week.

    Loomis said Tyson is “improving” in his long rehab from a major preseason hamstring injury. Tyson, who traveled with the Saints to France for their Week 7 game against the Steelers, could still be a couple weeks away as the team takes a cautious approach to his recovery. In the meantime, Bryce Lance will operate as the Saints’ No. 2 wideout behind Chris Olave. Lance over the past two weeks has a 13 percent target share and a 20 percent air yards share in the pass-first New Orleans offense.
  • BUF Defensive Back #28
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    NFL suspended Sam Franklin for one game.

    Franklin, who was seen spitting on a Raiders player late in the fourth quarter of the Bills’ Week 6 win, will not receive pay during his one-game suspension. Franklin will be able to appeal the NFL’s decision in the coming days. The Bills on are bye in Week 7.
  • LAC Quarterback #10
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    The Athletic’s Noah Furtado reports the Chargers will try to “simplify” the team’s offense in the coming weeks.

    Justin Herbert and the flailing Chargers skill position players have appeared almost comically confused about all the pre-snap motion OC Mike McDaniel uses. That came through in the team’s embarrassing Week 6 loss to the Chiefs when players were bumping into each other during pre-snap motion calls from Herbert. Head coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged the team is considering narrowing the offensive playbook during their bye week. “Definitely looking at volume and where you can make it to where the players can understand,” Harbaugh said when asked about how Chargers players were adjusting to McDaniel’s complex offense. The Chargers have used pre-snap motion on 74 percent of their snaps, the fourth highest rate in the NFL. Last year they used motion on 56 percent of their snaps. Hopefully these adjustments lead to some production for the NFL’s worst offense.
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    Colts signed P Thomas Morstead to the practice squad.

    Morstead spent 12 years punting for the Saints before making stops with the Jets, Falcons, Dolphins, and 49ers over the last five seasons. The 40-year-old veteran averaged 43.6 yards per punt for San Francisco last year. Current Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez was injured during a blocked punt in the Colts’ Week 6 loss to the Titans. Morstead joins the Colts’ practice squad as insurance in case Sanchez cannot play Week 7 against the Vikings.
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    ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Terrance Ferguson (ankle) “will take some time” to come off injured reserve.

    Ferguson is eligible to come off injured reserve next week, but Schefter reports that a source told him Ferguson’s recovery “will take some time.” The Rams placed Davante Adams on injured reserve this week and are in desperate need of pass-catching help behind Puka Nacua. Ferguson is a rising receiving tight end for the Rams, but has been on injured reserve since suffering an ankle injury in Week 3. Though he is a good IR stash for fantasy purposes, Ferguson is going to take longer than the minimum four weeks to return. Without a good timeline for return, he can be released from fantasy rosters in dire need of more immediate help during bye weeks.
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    Patriots CB Carlton Davis (neck) was limited in Tuesday’s practice.

    It was an upgrade from an estimated Monday DNP. Davis has missed Week 2, Week 3, Week 5 and Week 6 to the neck listing so far. Perhaps he’ll try to give it a go on Thursday night, but we’d be surprised if he did better than a questionable tag on Wednesday.
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    TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) practiced in full on Tuesday.

    It’s been a stunningly quick recovery from what looked to be a high-ankle sprain that could sideline him. Henderson has practiced in full both days this week. We’re not concerned that he won’t play, but after fumble problems struck last week and Corey Kiner closed out the Jets in the fourth quarter, we do have slightly lowered expectations for his Thursday night stat line.
  • NE Wide Receiver #1
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    A.J. Brown (ankle) was limited in Tuesday’s practice.

    Brown spoke with the media today and there’s no reason to believe he’ll actually miss this game, but he was regarded as “limited” in both sessions this week and it’s fair to wonder if he’s 100 percent just yet after his drop-filled, rough Week 6. He’s best-treated as a WR2 this week — you’re still probably starting him regardless of what the ranking is.
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    Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring) and Ben Brown (knee) are unlikely to play on Thursday night.

    Matt Pryor and Walter Rouse stepped in for the two guards towards the end of last week’s offensive line apocalypse and would likely be in line to start in Week 7. Neither Vera-Tucker nor Brown practiced on Monday or Tuesday.