Texans RB Carlos Hyde (ankle) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Bucs. He got in just 2 limited practices this week. We've heard nothing to suggest that Hyde is in danger of missing this one, but check back around 11:30 am ET on Saturday to make sure he's active if you're planning on using him. Hyde's absence would turn RB Duke Johnson into a fantasy starter.

Texans HC Bill O'Brien said Monday that RB Duke Johnson has "picked [the offense] up really well." O'Brien added, "He's a very bright guy." Johnson joined the Texans less than 3 weeks ago but figures to play a big role right out of the gate with RB Lamar Miller out for the season. RB tends to be 1 of the easier positions at which to settle into a new system, so we're not overly concerned with Johnson's short time with the team.

Sunday's MRI confirmed a torn ACL for Texans RB Lamar Miller. He'll miss the entire 2019 campaign. Miller will have a little more than a year to get ready for 2020 -- but he's set to hit free agency next offseason and will turn 29 in April. His days as a fantasy starter could be over. RB Duke Johnson, meanwhile, faces the best opportunity of his NFL career as Houston's likely lead back.

The Texans "fear" a torn ACL for RB Lamar Miller, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. That doesn't come as a surprise if you've seen video of the injury. We'll look for confirmation of the torn ACL, but we've already removed Miller from the RB rankings. His absence leaves Houston with RBs Duke Johnson, Damarea Crockett, Karan Higdon and Taiwan Jones. Johnson is clearly the top talent here. And while he's never handled a true lead role at the NFL level, he goes 5'9, 210 pounds and averaged 18.6 carries per game in his final college season at Miami. We'll look for clues about the Texans' backfield plans. But if they're willing to give Miller 12 to 15 carries per game -- on top of the pass-catching work -- he'll boast top-15 fantasy upside.

Texans RB Lamar Miller left Saturday night's game on a cart after suffering a nasty-looking injury to his left knee. We'll await official word, but you should avoid Miller if you're drafting tonight. Duke Johnson, on the other hand, suddenly looks like a strong option in the middle of the single-digit rounds. We'll pass along updates as soon as we get them.

Texans RB Duke Johnson won't play in his new team's 2nd preseason game, according to insider Aaron Wilson. Johnson is still dealing with the hamstring injury that had him sidelined at Browns camp. We haven't heard a target date for his return, but he needs the practice reps with his new offense.

The Browns have traded RB Duke Johnson to the Texans in exchange for a conditional 4th-round pick that can become a 3rd-rounder based on undisclosed conditions, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. Johnson has been asking out of Cleveland all offseason, and the Texans cutting ties with RB D'Onta Foreman finally did the trick. In Houston, Johnson will slide right in as the #2 RB and dominate passing-down work. We'll see how apt the Texans are to use him on early downs. RB Lamar Miller has been good-not-great in that role over the past 3 seasons. Consider Johnson a RB3 with upside for now. We'll be keeping a close eye on his usage. Downgrade Miller to RB3 status now that he'll be losing passing-down snaps. The Johnson addition is another boon to QB Deshaun Watson's fantasy outlook. Meanwhile in Cleveland, RB Nick Chubb is now set up to play an every-down role. He'll still need to contend with RB Kareem Hunt over the 2nd half of the season, but Chubb's fantasy stock gets a nice boost here.

Update: The Browns will receive a 3rd-round pick if Johnson is active for 10+ games, according to The Athletic's Zac Jackson.

Browns RB Duke Johnson missed Saturday's practice with a right hamstring injury. "We don't know the specifics," HC Freddie Kitchens told the Akron Beacon Journal. "We are going to see how it progresses. Duke is a quick healer, but we want to be cautious. We have to make sure the guy is healthy and that it is not something that lingers." RB Kareem Hunt has also sat out camp practices to this point with a groin injury.

Pro Football Talk tweeted that Tampa Bay is "a team to watch as a potential Duke Johnson destination." We're guessing the tweet is based on whispers the site has heard around the league. The fit certainly makes sense considering the Bucs are sporting 1 of the league's worst RB groups in Ronald Jones, Peyton Barber and Andre Ellington. Johnson would immediately become the team's best pass-catching back and could easily emerge as the lead ball-carrier. He's worth a later-round pick in fantasy drafts right now in hopes he finds a new home before Week 1. In Cleveland, though, he'll struggle for even RB3 value in PPR leagues behind Nick Chubb.

The Browns have signed former Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt. It's surprising news in terms of both timing and landing spot. Hunt is still on the Commissioner's Exempt List after video was released of his February altercation with a woman inside a Cleveland hotel. It's unclear when he'll be reinstated and how long a suspension he'll garner to open the 2019 campaign. And the Browns, of course, already have RBs Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson on the roster. We'll see when Hunt is ruled eligible to return, but his addition makes Chubb a riskier pick in early fantasy drafts. We've seen him going in the late 1st and early 2nd round of FFPC best-ball drafts.

The Browns have fired HC Hue Jackson, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Finally! Jackson has compiled a 3-36-1 record in Cleveland but somehow hung around for 2-and-a-half seasons. We'll see who the Browns tab as their interim HC, but the move can be nothing but good news for the team's skill-position guys.

Update: The Browns have also fired OC Todd Haley.

Update: The Browns have named former DC Gregg Williams their interim HC and former RBs coach Freddie Kitchens their interim OC.

Browns WR Josh Gordon is out for Sunday's game at New Orleans. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Gordon complained of hamstring trouble at team headquarters Saturday and was ruled out after getting checked. That leaves a few more targets available for WR Jarvis Landry, TE David Njoku and RB Duke Johnson in a game where Cleveland figures to trail.

The weather for today's Steelers-Browns game doesn't look quite as bad as it appeared it might be 24 hours ago. Light rain is expected throughout with winds of 10-20 mph. We'd try to avoid the kickers in this game and use the weather as a tiebreaker for passing-game pieces. But we're not adjusting our projections.

Browns RB Nick Chubb didn't get any snaps with QB Tyrod Taylor and the 1st-team offense in Friday night's preseason game against the Bills. RB Carlos Hyde was on the field for 17 of Taylor's 25 snaps, carrying 9 times for 64 yards and a score. RB Duke Johnson played the other 8 snaps with Taylor, finishing with 27 yards on 4 carries. It's clear at this point that Hyde will open the season as Cleveland's lead back. Chubb could work his way into playing time over the course of the year but won't be an early-season fantasy option.

The Browns agreed to a 3-year, $15.6 million extension ($7.7 million guaranteed) with RB Duke Johnson on Thursday, NFL Network reports. Johnson already looked likely to hang on to his significant offensive role, and this extension only solidifies that standing. It's especially important given the additions of Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb to the Cleveland backfield this offseason. Johnson is a nice value in current PPR drafting.

Browns HC Hue Jackson said Friday that he's giving OC Todd Haley "total autonomy" of the offense. He's "one of the best in the business," Jackson added of Haley. Consider this good news for all of Cleveland's skill-position guys. The Browns have ranked 31st and 32nd in points scored under Jackson the past 2 seasons. Haley arrives with 11 years of experience as a HC or OC. Eight of his squads have finished in the top half of the league in total points, including 6 top-10 finishes.

The Browns used the 35th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft on Georgia RB Nick Chubb. Chubb busted out as a true freshman back in 2014, racking up 1,547 yards and 14 TDs on 7.1 yards per carry. His 2015 was cut short in October by a catastrophic left knee injury: a torn PCL, MCL and LCL, plus cartilage damage and a dislocation. Chubb returned for 2016 but didn’t look like the same player, posting a career-low 5.0 yards per carry. He bounced back nicely this past year, carrying 223 times for 1,345 yards (6.0 YPC) and 15 TDs. Chubb proved that the knee injury is behind him by registering an 83rd percentile SPARQ score at the Combine. When healthy, this guy is as good a runner as any RB in the class. He’s mostly unproven in the passing game, though, totaling just 31 catches across 4 college seasons. Chubb won’t be doing much pass-catching in Cleveland with Duke Johnson in the same backfield. But the rookie has a good shot to beat out Carlos Hyde for lead ball-carrying duties. That’ll be a situation to monitor throughout the summer.

Browns run-game coordinator Kirby Wilson says the team wants to have RB Duke Johnson on the field "as much as possible because we believe so strongly in him as a playmaker," according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Week 10 saw Johnson play his largest snap share since the season opener, but last week found him back down a bit: 49% compared with 59%. Johnson has caught 4+ passes in 4 straight games, though, after reaching that number just twice through the 1st 6. He scored on a 27-yard catch last week and totaled 88 yards the game before. Cleveland would be wise to increase his playing time against the Bengals on Sunday.

Browns RB Duke Johnson exited in the 4th quarter of Sunday's game to be checked for a concussion. We'll update his status when we learn more. Johnson previously sustained a concussion in August of 2015.

Update: Johnson cleared the protocol. He'll be available when Cleveland comes out of its Week 9 bye.

Browns RB Duke Johnson has been "doing everything" on offense early in training camp, HC Hue Jackson said. "He can catch out of the backfield. He runs the ball. We line him up in different places where we can get an advantage with him. He is a weapon for us," Jackson gushed. "We are just trying to use him as much as we can, and we do." Isaiah Crowell has established himself as Cleveland's lead back, but there's still room for Johnson. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry on 74 totes last year and hauled in 53 of 74 targets. Only 5 RBs caught more passes. Johnson ranked 30th at his position in PPR points in 2016 and sits in a similar spot in our 2017 PPR rankings. He's coming off the board at RB39 in recent MFL10 drafts.