Broncos RB Javonte Williams took 11 carries for 42 yards in an ugly loss to Miami. The good news is that Williams looked explosive on a few runs. Denver, though, failed to keep this one close, which limited Williams’ touches. We also saw Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin sub in near the goal line. We’ll see if Williams’ role grows at all for a Week 4 date at Chicago.

Broncos RB Javonte Williams earned 15 of 21 team RB opportunities in Sunday’s loss to Washington. Nice usage in general, although he lost out on a goal line TD to reserve RB Jaleel McLaughlin. Williams watched Samaje Perine take passing down snaps, too (23 routes run vs. 12). Denver draws a tough Dolphins D in Week 3. They just limited New England RBs to 63 yards on 20 attempts.

Cecil Lammey and Andrew Mason of Denver Sports expect Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin to have a role on offense in Sunday's opener vs. the Raiders. Lammey threw out a prediction of a 40/40/20 split between Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, and McLaughlin. "Jaleel is trusted on those passing downs ... situations where you need that big play," Lammey added. It's certainly worth remembering that HC Sean Payton often deployed 3-RB committees with the Saints. McLaughlin is certainly not a Week 1 fantasy option, but garnering even a few touches would put a dent in Williams and Perine's fantasy value.

Broncos RB Javonte Williams is not listed on the Week 1 injury report. He'll play on Sunday vs. the Raiders -- his first regular-season game since last October's multi-ligament knee injury. HC Sean Payton said Wednesday that Williams will have a "big role" this weekend. "I haven’t put together a [snap] number for him," Payton added. "He’s moving well. He’s strong and healthy." We're still expecting Williams to at least open the season in a fairly even committee with RB Samaje Perine. But Williams should see enough work to at least be a RB3 or flex play in Week 1.

NFL Network’s James Palmer reports that Broncos RB Javonte Williams (knee) is not expected to start training camp on the PUP list. That would mean there’s no chance for him to open the regular season on the PUP. That’s obviously great news for his early-season outlook and the overall status of Williams’ knee. He’s been going at a low-risk level in early fantasy football drafts

Broncos RB Samaje Perine left practice on Wednesday with a thumb injury. Perine walked to the locker room with Denver’s training staff, although HC Sean Payton downplayed the injury later on. We’re not expecting Perine to be limited for the start of training camp.

UPDATE: Perine's injury was a thumb bruise. Carry on.

Nick Kosmider of The Athletic believes RB Samaje Perine “should be a fixture of Denver’s offense, regardless of when [Javonte] Williams returns.” It certainly sounds like new HC Sean Payton agrees. “When we signed Samaje, this is a guy that gave us flexibility,” Payton said. “We signed him because we knew he was durable and reliable. We felt like we got another solid runner who’s built in a strong way. There are a lot of things he does well. When we signed him, there was still uncertainty (with Williams). I was taught a long time ago to stack them up at that position. It’s a tough position in our league.” We’ll continue tracking the ACL/LCL rehab for Williams, who looks close to 50/50 for Week 1. For now, Perine’s Round 9 ADP on Underdog Fantasy looks tempting.

The Broncos have agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal with RB Samaje Perine. This contract also includes an additional $1 million in potential incentives. Perine makes a lot of sense for the Broncos given the uncertain recovery timeline for RB Javonte Williams, who tore his ACL in Week 4 of 2022 vs. the Raiders. Even if Williams is able to recover in time to play a majority of the 2023 season, Perine stands to shoulder a decent amount of the rushing workload in a Sean Payton-led offense that historically uses a committee approach at RB. The Broncos have invested heavily in their offensive line this offseason as well, inking large contracts with T Mike McGlinchey and G Ben Powers so far. How much this move impacts fantasy will depend on the health of Williams, but this move is far from insignificant, especially if the Broncos don't spend any more on the RB position this offseason.

The Athletic's Jay Morrison writes that the Bengals cutting RB Joe Mixon "feels closer to a certainty than a mere possibility." The move would save Cincinnati $7.3 million against the 2023 salary cap. "The Bengals envisioned this scenario coming into play when they signed Mixon to a four-year, $48 million contract in 2020, and structured the deal so that they could get out of it two years early without much of a hit," Morrison adds. Mixon averaged just 58 rushing yards per game on 3.9 yards per carry last year. He ranked 47th among 51 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' Elusive Rating and 27th in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. Mixon was also accused of pointing a gun at a woman in downtown Cincinnati in January. We'll see if the Bengals send him packing before the start of free agency in mid-March. RB Samaje Perine is set to hit the open market then, leaving Chris Evans as Cincinnati's only other RB signed for 2023. Expect the Bengals to make a significant addition to the backfield -- via free agency or the draft -- if they do cut Mixon.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon only managed to record 21 yards on 11 carries in Sunday's win vs. the Buccaneers. Fortunately, Mixon made up for the less-than-stellar effort by adding 5 catches and 33 yards in the receiving game. Teammate Samaje Perine did not find much success either with 7 carries for 24 yards and one catch for no gain. Week 16's showdown against the Patriots will be difficult next week, as the Pats D ranks as the single-most difficult matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs this season. As such, fantasy managers advancing in the playoffs should temper expectations for Mixon moving forward.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon seems to have a tough matchup with the Bucs this weekend. Tampa Bay ranks 10th toughest on RB scoring by our adjusted fantasy points allowed and has yielded the 6th-fewest PPR points per game to the position. But most of that has been limiting TD production. The Buccaneers sit tied for 3rd-fewest RB rushing TDs allowed. But they've also allowed 4.6 yards per rush, 11th most in the league. Two of the past 3 opponents have had a RB go over 110 yards on the ground. So it might not be as bad a matchup as the overall numbers suggest. The biggest issue for Mixon might be Samaje Perine edging him in pass routes and targets last week. The Bengals' lead back still sits in RB1 territory in our Week 15 fantasy football rankings.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon managed a solid stat line in his return Sunday from a 2-game concussion. He tallied 106 total yards, with 96 rushing on 14 carries and 10 on his 2 receptions (2 targets). Mixon worked as the clear lead runner, ceding just 5 carries to Samaje Perine (4) and Trayveon Williams (1). But Perine actually beat Mixon in receiving opportunities. He drew 5 targets (1 catch) and ran 3 more routes than the starter. Perine also scored the team's lone rushing TD, from 6 yards out. If this increased role continues, it will hurt both the floor and ceiling for Mixon, who gets challenging rushing matchups with the Buccaneers and Patriots the next 2 weeks.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. It's his first full practice since going down in Week 11 and puts him on track to return for Sunday's game vs. the Browns.

Bengals HC Zay Taylor said Monday that RB Joe Mixon (concussion) was held out of the Chiefs game for "precautionary reasons." He added that Mixon could clear concussion protocol early this week. There's a good chance that Mixon is back for Sunday's game vs. the Browns, but nothing's definitive until he gets full clearance.

Bengals RB Samaje Perine ran for 106 yards on 21 carries in Sunday's win over the Chiefs. He added 6 catches for 49 yards among 7 targets, ranking 2nd on the team in both targets and receptions. Perine watched Chris Evans claim the only RB TD, on an 8-yard catch. QB Joe Burrow supplied the team's only rushing score. We'd bet on Joe Mixon being ready to return in Week 14 (vs. Cleveland) after missing the past 2 games with a concussion.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) is inactive for today’s game vs. the Chiefs. With Mixon out last week, RB Samaje Perine played 80% of Cincinnati’s offensive snaps and handled 17 carries and 7 targets. He’s a legit RB1 in Week 13 fantasy lineups.

ESPN's Dan Graziano hears that Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) is "highly unlikely" to play vs. the Chiefs later today. "They haven’t officially ruled him out yet," Graziano adds. But
"something would have to change last minute." We won't get Cincinnati's inactives until 3 pm ET, but Mixon should be on fantasy benches right now. Samaje Perine is a fantasy RB1 if Mixon is out.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon still hadn't cleared concussion protocol as of late Saturday night and is a "long shot" to play vs. the Chiefs today, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. ESPN's Adam Schefter isn't quite as pessimistic on Mixon's chances but confirms that he's still in the protocol. There's evidently a chance that he's cleared this morning, but fantasy owners should plan on being without him for now. Mixon's absence would again leave RB Samaje Perine in a feature role. He racked up 17 carries and 7 targets last week. Check out the updated projections for Cincinnati's backfield.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Chiefs. He was limited in practice all week. HC Zac Taylor confirmed on Friday morning that Mixon is still in concussion protocol and said that the team is “taking it on a 12-hour by 12-hour basis.” We’ll see if Mixon is able to clear concussion protocol by Sunday. If not, Samaje Perine will again operate as Cincinnati's workhorse.

Bengals HC Zac Taylor said RB Joe Mixon would be practicing with the team today, according to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe. Completing a practice is reportedly the final step for Mixon to get through the league concussion protocol, which would return him for Sunday's game against the Chiefs. We'll keep watching to confirm his status, but expect to have Mixon back in fantasy football lineups this week.