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    Another inefficient outing for Javonte Williams

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    DAL Running Back #33
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    Javonte Williams rushed 12 times for 45 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers, adding 17 yards on two receptions.

    Williams has now averaged 3.8 yards per carry or fewer in four of five games, keeping his fantasy value afloat via six combined touchdowns through five weeks. While the touchdown equity is solid in one of the league’s most potent offenses, we’re liable to see more down weeks like the one he put forth against the Buccaneers unless, or until, the Cowboys can fix their woes on the ground. Williams did see all but one running back opportunity in this one, keeping him in the top six in backfield opportunity rate through Week 5. Consider Williams a volume-aided and touchdown-aided RB2 ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the reeling Packers.
Hubbard remains a locked-in top-12 fantasy RB
Chuba Hubbard rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries and added 38 yards on seven receptions against the Packers, reinforcing his status as a locked-in top-12 fantasy running back going forward.

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  • DAL Running Back #33
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    Williams churned out consistently positive gains against the injury-riddled Eagles but took off in the fourth quarter, gaining over 60 yards in the final frame. He cashed in for fantasy managers with a touchdown with just over two minutes remaining on the clock to push his line into elite territory, despite failing to notch any receptions. The career high in yardage on the ground comes after the Cowboys averaged the fewest rush attempts per game during the first six weeks of the new season. Williams gets a sparkling matchup against the Cardinals at home in Week 8, where he’ll return to RB1 status in fantasy circles following the eruption against the Eagles.
  • DAL Running Back #33
    Williams has now been held to 3.8 yards per carry or fewer in five of six games and 45 yards on the ground or fewer in four of six games, with seven combined touchdowns keeping his fantasy value afloat through the first third of the regular season. Williams has now seen 12 or fewer carries in four of six contests to start the year. The good news is that the Cowboys have no choice but to keep riding Williams until the wheels fall off considering the general lack of depth in the backfield, meaning there are likely to be better days ahead for the veteran back. He gets another middling matchup on the ground against the division rival Eagles in Week 7, where he will be a volume-driven RB2.
  • DAL Running Back #33
    Williams had a very easy rushing score — his first one where he only had to beat one defender to the outside after a pair of pulls. He also had a very hard one, where he dragged several Texans defenders into the red zone. The Cowboys didn’t run the ball much, but when they did it was effective. Williams was averaging 5.1 yards per tote before the second half, where he simply lived in the goal-to-go set. He’ll be on the low-end RB1 line in Week 5 against a Jalon Daniels-led Bucs outfit on Thursday night.
  • DAL Running Back #33
    The Cowboys drew up a lot of carries for Williams early in this one. The 26-year-old back totaled seven carries for 45 yards on his team’s first two possessions, and punched in a two-yard score late in the fourth quarter to put the Cowboys up 10-0. Williams would mostly be bottled up by the Ravens after his score, but he did break free for a 22-yard run in the third quarter that helped set up a Brandon Aubrey field goal — which was blocked. This is undoubtedly the best game of the season for Williams, who hadn’t gone for more than 41 yards in either of his first two games. That said, he still struggled at times to get going on the ground, as seven of his carries went for two or fewer yards. His volume remains reliable enough to keep him in the RB2 conversation for next week’s game against the Texans.
  • DAL Running Back #33
    The Cowboys dominated through the air on Sunday, but the same can’t be said of their efforts on the ground. Washington bottled up Williams all afternoon, with his biggest play coming on a nine-yard run on the Cowboys’ final drive. Williams has just 71 rushing yards on 24 attempts (3.0 YPC), but has also seen nine targets in his first two games. He remains the unquestioned leader of the Cowboys’ backfield and will be a volume-based RB2 in next week’s game against the Ravens.
  • DAL Running Back #33
    Williams understandably operated as a clear workhorse for a Cowboys team with little depth at the position following Malik Davis’ season-ending injury earlier in the week. His two second half scores and five receptions masked poor rushing efficiency on a night the Cowboys ran only 52 offensive plays, although a robust 32.7 percent total opportunity share foreshadows the potential for continued elite counting stats for the remainder of the regular season. Fantasy managers can continue to start Williams as a volume-driven RB1 as the team prepares to host the Commanders in Week 2.
  • DAL Running Back #23
    Per Schottenheimer, Blue and Mafah “are in a tight battle for the backup running back spot.” Blue has received positive reports for some time now. His speed and receiving ability make him an ideal complement to starting RB Javonte Williams, who “probably won’t get a whole lot of run” in the preseason. If Blue can secure the role, he could warrant FLEX treatment on a weekly basis. Mafah (6'/234) is a burly rusher. Were he to win the RB2 job, he may be ill-suited to playing on passing downs, which could benefit Williams. We’ll see how things shake out in the preseason. Stay tuned.
  • DAL Running Back #23
    Machota noted Blue’s pass-catching ability as the biggest reason for him to potentially see some work behind Williams. Blue caught 42 passes for 368 yards and six scores during his final season at Texas. He then flopped as a rookie, seeing just one catch and 38 carries in total. The bulk of his opportunities came in a meaningless Week 18 game. Still, Dallas did nothing to address their backfield depth this offseason and head coach Brian Schottenheimer has talked up Blue’s work ethic this time around. With a strong training camp, Blue could cement himself as a change-of-pace option for the Cowboys, putting him on the menu for fantasy drafters in deeper leagues.
  • DAL Running Back #33
    Reporters noticed Williams was not participating in organized team activities last week. The Cowboys hosted their three-day mandatory minicamp this week, and it sounds like Williams was either limited or held out again today. Schottenheimer was asked whether this was due to Williams’ shoulder injury from last season or simply veteran maintenance. Fortunately, Schottenheimer said Williams is “in a great spot” and “looks great.” His absence was “more about getting the young guys some reps in this last full-speed practice.” It seems like the Cowboys are hoping that one of Blue or Mafah can step up and be a reliable backup. If one separates from the other, he will be a worthwhile late-round pick.
  • DAL Running Back #33
    ESPN’s Todd Archer advises that readers not to get carried away with any of today’s observations. It’s a reasonable preface. There is no reason to think Williams’ absence is concerning. The Cowboys are still conducting voluntary workouts, so he is not compelled to be there. Mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 16-18. Archer adds that RBs Phil Mafah, Jaydon Blue and Malik Davis split first-team reps, with Mafah notably taking the first snap.

Rotoworld

  • WAS Defensive Tackle #94
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    ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Daron Payne suffered a season-ending Jones fracture.

    Payne suffered the injury during Friday’s practice. A previous report from Ian Rapport stated the 29-year-old defensive tackle suffered a significant foot injury and would be out for the foreseeable future. Payne will be placed on injured reserve as he’s set to miss the rest of the season. He recorded a sack, a forced fumble and 14 tackles in six games with the Commanders this year.
  • GB Running Back #8
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    NBC 26 Northeast Wisconsin reports “newly released records show additional women contacted the Hobart/Lawrence (Wisconsin) Police Department to report alleged physical incidents involving Josh Jacobs.”

    The Wisconsin television station received “heavily redacted” police reports on Friday evening, though they included allegations from three other women. There are multiple extremely disturbing allegations of physical violence. One alleged incident took place in January 2022. The accuser “contacted investigators in June after learning about the May investigation, telling police the allegations sounded similar to her prior experience with Jacobs.” She also said the incident had “never been reported to law enforcement, (and that she) contacted police when she believed her alleged experience with Jacobs could be relevant to the case.” The allegations highlight the folly of the NFL’s apparent wish that the situation would just go away. It has not, and now it is quite possible, if not likely, that Jacobs ends up suspended for the remainder of the 2026 season. Stay tuned.
  • GB Defensive End #1
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    The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero reports Micah Parsons (knee) is expected to practice next week.

    If Parsons returns to practice next week, the Packers will have a 21-day window where he can practice before activating him to the 53-man roster. Pelissero also reported that Parsons’ most likely return date is in Week 11 against the Rams. Including the playoffs, Green Bay is 5-8 since Parsons tore his ACL last December.
  • IND Quarterback #17
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    The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero reports the Colts haven’t discussed benching QB Daniel Jones.

    Jones received a vote of confidence from Colts HC Shane Steichen earlier this week and now there’s a report from prominent NFL Insider Pelissero that the organization hasn’t discussed benching him. While that’s all well and good, the Colts still seem like they’re in the early stages of a process that will likely end with benching Jones at some point this year. The fact that Pelissero mentioned Jones’ contract includes a $10.51 million injury guarantee for 2027 is an ominous sign. Once the 2-5 Colts are officially eliminated from playoff contention, Indianapolis won’t have much incentive to risk injury with the oft-injured Jones.
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    The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones reports Giants HC John Harbaugh called Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk about trading for DT Jeffery Simmons.

    With Giants GM Joe Schoen stonewalled, Harbaugh broke with traditional NFL trade-talk norms and called the Titans owner himself. Unfortunately for the Giants, the message was the same, that Simmons was off limits in trade talks. Previous reporting from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer stated that Bears GM Ryan Poles’ long-standing relationship with Titans GM Mike Borgonzi played a huge role in Simmons ending up in Chicago. Poles and Borgonzi first met in 2007 when Poles was a guard at Boston College and Borgonzi was a recruiting assistant.
  • NYJ Wide Receiver #5
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    ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports WR Garrett Wilson won’t be traded.

    Wilson told reporters this week that he hasn’t requested a trade. Now Schefter reports, citing a “well-placed” source, that there’s “no way” the Jets will trade the 26-year-old wide receiver before the trade deadline. Wilson was held to two catches and 26 yards in Week 7, but remains in the WR2 mix heading into Week 8’s matchup against the Raiders.
  • IND Running Back #28
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    ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Colts are open to trading RB Jonathan Taylor.

    Multiple teams are interested in acquiring the 27-year-old Taylor and talks are active and ongoing, according to Schefter. The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Colts already turned down an offer for Taylor that included a 2027 second-round pick and another pick. While previous reports stated the Colts weren’t interested in trading Taylor, who signed an extension before the season, Indianapolis appears to be holding out for the best offer they can get. Taylor would see a slight boost in fantasy value if acquired by another team while Seth McGowan would likely take over the Colts’ backfield.
  • SEA Wide Receiver #22
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    Rashid Shaheed (knee) remained sidelined for Friday’s practice.

    Shaheed is now firmly on the wrong side of questionable heading into Monday evening’s game against the Bears. If he was in your third receiver or second FLEX spot in a 14-team league, it is time to start making other plans.
  • SEA Running Back #26
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    Zach Charbonnet (knee) was downgraded to “limited” for Friday’s practice.

    It’s not particularly concerning — this is probably part of a pre-established practice plan as Charbonnet completes his injury comeback — but Jadarian Price’s Friday return to full practice certainly has our attention. Now even if Charbonnet does manage to make his 2026 debut on Monday evening against the Bears, he could have even more company in Seattle’s crowded backfield. Both backs returning would make all three of Charbonnet, Price and Emanuel Wilson shaky FLEX plays. We will receive official game designations on Saturday afternoon. Until then, hang tight.
  • SEA Running Back #8
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    Jadarian Price (chest) was upgraded to “full” for Friday’s practice.

    Price was upgraded to full while Zach Charbonnet (knee) was downgraded to limited. That is probably part of a pre-planned process with Charbonnet, but as of Friday evening, we suppose Price is now technically closer to returning than his veteran backfield mate. As it is, both players now seem more likely than not to suit up, which would make for an extremely chaotic fantasy situation with Emanuel Wilson still in the fold. With the Seahawks playing on Monday evening, we will receive official game designations Saturday afternoon.