Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets. He was limited in practice all week. QB Lamar Jackson seemed to suggest on Wednesday that Dobbins would not play in the opener, but it looks like he at least has a shot. We'd expect Dobbins to be on a snap count if he does play, though, and wouldn't use him in Week 1 fantasy lineups.
Ravens OC Greg Roman said he'll go with the "hot hand" at RB in Sunday's opener vs. the Jets. Assuming RB J.K. Dobbins (knee) doesn't play, it'll be Mike Davis, Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill in the backfield. It's a plus matchup against last year's worst RB defense, but the murky backfield split makes it a tough situation to bank on in fantasy lineups.
RB Kenyan Drake is signing with the Ravens, according to insider Jordan Schultz. Drake was dumped by HC Josh McDaniels and the new Raiders regime a little over a week ago. He turns 29 in January and, while he remained effective as a pass catcher last year, he averaged just 4.0 yards per carry and ranked 42nd among 77 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' rushing grades. Drake is an insurance policy for a Ravens team still waiting for RBs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards to get over their 2021 knee injuries. We'll see whether Dobbins is ready for Week 1. If not, the Ravens figure to roll with Drake and Mike Davis.
The Ravens will host free-agent RB Kenyan Drake today, and it sounds like he's expected to sign with the team, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. This move could signal J.K. Dobbins not being ready for Week 1. Or perhaps Baltimore doesn't feel as good about Mike Davis as his depth-chart slot might seem. We'll see how this situation develops as the opener approaches.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Raiders plan to release RB Kenyan Drake. It's not a surprise given recent signals that Amber Abdullah has been garnering passing-down work ahead of him. We'll see whether the 28-year-old can find a meaningful role anywhere else.
Insider Albert Breer calls Raiders RB Ameer Abdullah a "camp revelation" and believes he's set to play the James White role in HC Josh McDaniels' offense. Abdullah quietly caught 35 balls in 11 games for the Panthers last year and tested as an 87th percentile athlete prior to getting drafted in 2015. Vegas' backfield is murky right now, but if Abdullah is truly pegged for the "James White role," it'd be bad news for RB Josh Jacobs and would leave RB Kenyan Drake undraftable.
We saw some funky usage in the Raiders backfield in Thursday night's Hall of Fame game. QB Derek Carr, WR Davante Adams and TE Darren Waller got the night off, but RB Josh Jacobs played the first 2 series, tallying 5 carries and 2 targets. "I always think it's good for (running) backs to carry the ball in the preseason," HC Josh McDaniels said afterward. “There’s a lot of things that happen when you’re getting tackled and hit that you can’t simulate in practice." Ameer Abdullah and Zamir White were the next 2 RBs in the game for the Raiders -- then came Kenyan Drake. We're not going to read too much into any of this just yet, but we're definitely keeping a closer eye on this backfield going forward.
Raiders RB Kenyan Drake is set to play a "significant role in the rotation as a runner and a receiver" in HC Josh McDaniels' offense, according to The Athletic's Tashan Reed. Drake averaged just 4.1 carries and 2.9 targets in 8 games alongside a healthy Josh Jacobs last year, but it sounds like his role could be bigger in 2022. Drake still isn't an exciting fantasy option, but this news makes Jacobs less attractive. Reed told us on a recent podcast that he expects a Patriots-like committee backfield in Vegas.
Raiders RB Kenyan Drake said he'll be ready for the start of training camp. He missed June minicamp as he continued to rehab a December broken ankle that required surgery. "I'm definitely going to be ready for camp," Drake said. "It's not going to be full speed ahead once I get into camp, but for the regular season, I'm going to be definitely ready to go." Drake averaged just 4.1 carries and 2.9 targets in 8 games alongside a healthy Josh Jacobs last season. We'll see if his role changes under new HC Josh McDaniels, but we're not expecting Drake to be a standalone fantasy option this season. And he'll need to fend off rookie RB Zamir White for the right to be Jacobs' handcuff.
Vic Tafur of The Athletic believes there’s a “good chance" RB Zamir White will start for Las Vegas in 2023. Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake enter contract years, although White joins the league with uninspiring draft capital (mid-Round 4 as the RB8). Vegas did trade up to land the Georgia product. He brings a nice speed/power combo to go along with a 6’0, 214-pound frame. Just don’t expect much of an impact in redraft leagues.
Raiders RB Kenyan Drake broke his ankle in Sunday's loss to Washington and will miss the rest of the season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Drake has averaged 5.1 carries and 2.6 targets behind Josh Jacobs over the last 8 games, so his absence could mean a few extra touches for Jacobs. RB Jalen Richard landed on the COVID list on Sunday morning, so we'll see when he's cleared to return. RB Peyton Barber also figures to be active for Vegas the rest of the way.
Raiders RB Kenyan Drake was carted to the locker room after taking a big hit in the 2nd quarter of Sunday's game vs. Washington. He was quickly ruled out with an ankle injury. We'll update Drake's status when we know more, but this looks like a likely long-term injury.
Raiders RB Josh Jacobs (toe, ankle) is inactive for today’s game against the Dolphins. That leaves Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber in Vegas’ backfield again. Drake played 71% of the offensive snaps last week, tallying 7 carries and 6 targets. He’s a RB2 in PPR leagues; a RB3 or flex in non-PPR.
Raiders RB Josh Jacobs (toe, ankle) is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins. It’ll be Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber in Vegas’ backfield again. Drake played 71% of the offensive snaps last week but was out-carried 13 to 7 by Barber. Drake racked up 6 targets, though, and is a borderline RB2 for Week 3.
Raiders RB Josh Jacobs (toe, ankle) remained sidelined for Wednesday's practice. HC Jon Gruden already called Jacobs "very questionable" for this weekend's game against the Dolphins, so fantasy owners shouldn't be counting on him. With Jacobs out last week, RB Kenyan Drake garnered 7 carries and 6 targets vs. Peyton Barber's 13 carries and 0 targets.
Raiders HC Jon Gruden said Monday that RB Josh Jacobs is "very questionable" for Sunday's game against the Dolphins. Jacobs missed Week 2 with toe and ankle injuries, and his coach doesn't sound optimistic or Week 3, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. That would leave the Vegas backfield to Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber once again. Drake dominated the playing time at Pittsburgh, 71% to 29%, but each RB drew 13 opportunities. We'd still bet on Drake over Barber in Week 3 if you're making that decision. And we'll certainly be watching Jacobs' status this week.
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