The Minneapolis Star-Tribune's Matt Vensel said Adrian Peterson could be taken off the field in third-down situations.
Vensel believes Matt Asiata is the best pass protector and Jerick McKinnon is the best receiving back, so subbing one of them in for Peterson on obvious passing situations would allow the Vikings to spell Peterson without losing much in the offense. Peterson has never had more than 43 receptions in a season.
Randall Cobb's (shoulder) range of motion is still limited.
Cobb is dealing with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. "I have to deal with this for a few weeks," Cobb said. "That's part of it." Cobb is clearly less than 100 percent, but he will be on the field against the Bears. In what could be a blowout, Cobb may see a limited workload in the second half. He is a must-start in redraft leagues, but he is a risky play in DFS.
DetroitLions.com's Tim Twentyman expects Joique Bell to lead the team rushing yards this season.
Twentyman thinks both Bell and Ameer Abdullah could go over 1,000 total yards like Bell and Reggie Bush did in 2013, but he expects Bell to lead the tandem. Bell is listed as the starting running back on the Lions' depth chart and should get the most work early in the season, but he will cede carries to Abdullah if he struggles out of the gate like he did in 2014.
Lions OC Joe Lombardi said rookie RB Ameer Abdullah will be utilized "extensively" in the passing game.
Lombardi also said Abdullah will get a chance to run the ball and has the traits of a three-down back. After hearing Lombardi speak about Abdullah, MLive's Kyle Meinke tweeted, "Head's up fantasy peeps: Abdullah probably is going to play a lot." Joique Bell will open the season as the starter, but it appears to be only a matter of time until Abdullah becomes the lead back in Detroit.
The San Diego Union-Tribune expects Melvin Gordon to see between 220 and 250 carries this season.
The projection is fair. With Danny Woodhead slated to handle most of the passing-down work and capable back Branden Oliver behind him on the depth chart, the Chargers do not have to run Gordon 20 times a game. Gordon averaged just 2.3 yards per carry this preseason and has a tough matchup against the Lions Week 1. He is more of an RB3/FLEX this week.
The Chicago Tribune expects RB Matt Forte to play "more than 80 percent" of the Bears' offensive snaps.
He played 92.06 percent of the snaps last season. Forte's usage is expected to decline with Jacquizz Rodgers and rookie Jeremy Langford in town, but he will still be the dominant force in the Bears' backfield. Whether he can be effective with the touches is the real concern entering his age-30 season.
Arian Foster said he is "ahead of schedule" in his recovery from groin surgery.
Foster would not put a timetable on his return, but said, "I'm feeling wonderful." The Houston Chronicle's Aaron Wilson noted on Thursday Foster was "moving quickly and decisively" running on a side field during practice. Foster has said he will not return until he is 100 percent, but early October looks like a real possibility.
Browns OC John DeFilippo said it's a "fine line" trying to figure out how much work to get Duke Johnson coming off his concussion and hamstring injury.
The Browns want Johnson to play a massive role in, if not outright lead, their backfield, but he missed a ton of reps over the summer. DeFilippo also talked up Isaiah Crowell's workhorse capabilities on Thursday, suggesting Crowell could monopolize early-down work this weekend, with Johnson changing the pace on third downs. Related: Isaiah Crowell
Mike Evans (hamstring) missed another practice on Thursday.
The Bucs' goal was had been for Evans to return to practice on Wednesday or Thursday. His questionable tag for Sunday is beginning to lean toward doubtful. Vincent Jackson would get a huge workload against Tennessee if Evans sits, while Austin Seferian-Jenkins would become an intriguing DFS option.
Alshon Jeffery (calf) remained limited on Thursday.
Asked about Jeffery's status, OC Adam Gase replied "I'm not a trainer." It would be funny if the Bears didn't actually think obscuring injury information was giving them a competitive advantage. It's not, and most signs suggest Jeffery will be ready for Sunday's opener. We just might have to wait until 11:30 ET Sunday morning for official word.
Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith endorsed Doug Martin as his starter while adding "I don't see any reason why we won't be able to establish a run game this season."
The Bucs' didn't have enough confidence in Martin to pick up his fifth-year option but after a strong preseason, they're starting to change their tune. So are fantasy owners. His ADP has climbed into the fourth round after beginning the summer as a late sixth-rounder. If Martin stays healthy, a big if given how fragile he's been the last two seasons, he should be in the RB2 conversation.
Roddy White (elbow) is practicing in full for Week 1.
White had surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow on August 23 but returned to practice Tuesday and appears to be a go for Monday's season opener against Philadelphia. White quietly put up 80 catches last season and still carries weight as a WR3 in fantasy.
Randall Cobb (shoulder) remained limited in Thursday's practice.
Cobb admits he isn't at 100 percent, but his status is not in doubt for Sunday's opener. Even at less than full health, Cobb is locked-and-loaded as a WR1.
Marquess Wilson (hamstring) remained limited in Thursday's practice.
Most signs suggest Wilson will be ready to go as the Bears' No. 3 receiver against the Packers, but it's not a certainty. With the Bears refusing to play ball on injury information, we might not know Wilson's status until Sunday morning.
CBS' Jason La Canfora reports Arian Foster (groin surgery) could return as early as Week 2 or 3.
It's the first time we've seen a timeline this aggressive, but the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday that Foster was "moving quickly and decisively" on the Texans' side field. It previously appeared a safe bet that Foster wouldn't return before October. His status will be updated some time in the next few days.
Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin acknowledges that Andre Ellington will start Sunday's opener, but says touches between Ellington, Chris Johnson and David Johnson will depend on game flow.
Goodwin says he feels "pretty good" about his running back trio. "As long as we can open holes, we’ve got some potential to get some home runs in there." Ellington should get an opportunity to establish the hot hand, but coach Bruce Arians sounds like he won't hesitate to go to the Johnsons if Ellington is running into brick walls the way he did in 2014. Ellington is the only viable re-draft play for Week 1, but that could change for Week 2. We have Chris ranked ahead of David for Sunday. Related: Chris Johnson, David Johnson
