I’d love to predict a breakout for Miami Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake. Or promise that Jay Ajayi will finally score his first touchdown now that he’s with the Philadelphia Eagles. Or suggest that whenever Ezekiel Elliott does finally begin serving his suspension, then Alfred Morris (or Darren McFadden or Rod Smith) will step right into his role with the Dallas Cowboys.
Unfortunately, one of the most dramatic NFL weeks in recent memory didn’t bring much clarity to fantasy football. It mostly just amounted to a bunch of new running back time-shares for us to sort through.
Here’s our weekly sampling of the fallout from ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters after a tumultuous week that included some blockbuster trades, major injuries and suspension news:
Drake has upside: Drake probably won’t win anybody their fantasy league this year. The second-year pro has just 10 carries for 25 yards this season. The Dolphins rank 31st in the NFL in yards per game and yards per rush. And, as ESPN fantasy analyst Mike Clay pointed out, they are the only team in the NFL yet to run the ball at least once inside the opponents’ 5-yard line this year.
Plus, ESPN Dolphins reporter James Walker projects about a 60-40 split between Drake and Damien Williams, who has been used as both a pass-catcher and in Miami’s goal-line formations.
But with all of that being said, Drake was a third-round draft pick last year. And the fact that Miami traded Ajayi could signal that the team is interested in seeing more from him. As Walker wrote, “Drake’s versatility fits the mold of what works best in Gase’s scheme. He’s a home-run threat who also can line up outside or in the slot to create mismatches in the passing game against linebackers.”
Baby steps for Ajayi: Ajayi, meanwhile, has joined a much better rushing team in Philly (ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing yards per game). But that also means he won’t be as clear-cut of a No. 1 back anymore, since LeGarrette Blount has played well this year.
Fantasy owners might even have to consider keeping Ajayi on the bench this week against the Denver Broncos, since Eagles coach Doug Pederson said he is being given a “very limited” portion of the playbook (about 10 to 15 plays) for now.
“I think they view him as a player capable of being a featured back,” ESPN Eagles reporter Tim McManus said. “But that might not be fully realized until next season, given the presence of Blount and the fact that he is learning a brand new offense midseason.”
Meanwhile, Eagles backup Wendell Smallwood looks like he’ll become the odd man out.
Three-for-all in Dallas: When it looked for much of the week like Elliott might finally begin his suspension, ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer wrote the same thing he wrote earlier this year -- and the same thing he’ll probably write again next week -- that Dallas will go from a one-man band to a three-man committee with Morris, McFadden and Smith.
Archer wrote that Morris and McFadden are eager to show that they still have it after they were leading men themselves previously in their careers. But with Elliott's suspension once again on hold, he expects Dallas to keep riding the “hot hand” with Elliott, even though he didn’t practice until Friday. Elliott has returned to 2016 form with 116, 147 and 150 yards over his past three games.
New leading men: Instead of reacting to this week's major news events, you might be better off checking your waiver wire to see if Green Bay Packers rookie Aaron Jones is still available -- or maybe even the Seattle Seahawks' Eddie Lacy or Baltimore Ravens' Alex Collins.
I have no idea how Jones is still available in more than 10 percent of ESPN leagues. As ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky pointed out, Jones ran for 346 yards from Weeks 4 to 7 before their bye -- the sixth-best total in the NFL over that span. And his average of 5.58 yards per carry was better than all five backs ahead of him.
Meanwhile, former Packers running back Lacy is getting a chance to become the leading man in Seattle. Obviously it will be hard for fantasy owners to believe that any running back will thrive in that role at this point. But as ESPN Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson wrote, coach Pete Carroll admitted that the committee approach hasn’t worked. “I think I’ve held them back a little bit by spreading it around quite a bit and trying to figure that out,” Carroll said.
Perhaps Carroll should have held on to Collins, a former Seahawks runner who has become a breakout player for the Ravens. He is leading the NFL among qualified backs with 6.0 yards per carry and ranks ninth in the league with 478 yards. The problem is that he hasn’t scored a TD. For whatever reason, the Ravens have shown a preference for using Buck Allen in the red zone -- and Allen also gets a lot of touches as both a runner and receiver. But ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley wrote that Baltimore should put the offense on Collins’ back. And coach John Harbaugh said this week that Collins has earned more opportunities.
The New Orleans Saints probably won’t alter their Mark Ingram-Alvin Kamara time-share too much, which has been working so well during their five-game win streak. But as I wrote this week as the ESPN Saints reporter, it’s possible that Kamara could get an opportunity to be the 1A in the short term after Ingram lost two fumbles in the fourth quarter last week.
QB fallout: It’s impossible to think the Houston Texans’ receivers won’t take a hit now that Deshaun Watson is out for the year with a torn ACL -- especially considering how many TD catches DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller were racking up. ESPN Texans reporter Sarah Barshop wrote that “next man up” won’t be so easy in Houston, where coach Bill O’Brien had just talked this week about how Watson’s skill set had led to many changes in the playbook.
It’s hard to gauge how the Jimmy Garoppolo trade will affect the San Francisco 49ers' offense -- especially since they just lost top receiver Pierre Garcon for the season. It’s also hard to gauge exactly when Garoppolo will take over as the starter. ESPN 49ers reporter Nick Wagoner wrote about why they would be wise to take it slow with him.
WR fallout: Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess was probably the biggest individual beneficiary of any trade this week. ESPN Panthers reporter David Newton wrote about how he is ready to be the top dog after Carolina traded away a receiver with a similar skill set in Kelvin Benjamin.
Meanwhile, Benjamin should remain a No. 1 receiver for the Buffalo Bills.
Worth a click:
The Cardinals want to “feed the beast” with Adrian Peterson this week.
Detroit TE Eric Ebron didn’t get traded. Now ESPN Lions reporter Michael Rothstein says coaches must find a way to get him consistent and involved.
The Lions’ run game also needs a boost. It has been the worst in the NFL under coach Jim Caldwell.
The Falcons have been struggling as Devonta Freeman’s touches have decreased.
The Jets’ running game clicked after Matt Forte and others voiced concerns.
A reduced role helped Terrelle Pryor’s foot heal. Now the Redskins receiver is looking for more chances.
How the "fresh legs" of rookie receiver Corey Davis can help fix the Titans’ offense.