2021 Positional Tracker: Running Backs

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2021 Positional Tracker: Running Backs

Updated March 25 at 11:55 AM Eastern

Tom Brolley and I are covering every major offensive transaction from the 2021 off-season in our Off-season Tracker articles. We broke down all the important free agency signings and trades from a fantasy perspective in articles sorted by position. The articles are ordered by players changing teams ("New Homes") and by players sticking with their 2020 teams ("Staying Put"). The players are also ordered by their potential fantasy impact for the 2021 season in each section. Be sure to also check out Graham Barfield’s “Fantasy Fallout” pieces on the biggest transactions of the off-season.

New Homes

Kenyan Drake (LV, 27) — Drake joins the Raiders on a two-year deal worth up to $14.5 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Fantasy Points: Puke. In terms of fantasy, it’s hard to imagine a worse signing than this one. The Raiders already underutilize Josh Jacobs in the pass game, and Drake is coming off a season in which he was merely OK. He didn’t live up to his second-round ADP, but he posted 239/955/10 (3.9 YPC) rushing and 25/137/0 receiving on 31 targets (just 5.5 YPR). That’s where the disappointment comes in, however — I’m sure if you told us Drake would have 10 rushing TD in 2020, we’d have taken him top-8 overall. But he caught fewer passes in a full season in Arizona in 2020 than he did in just eight games in 2019, when he came over from Miami after the trade deadline. It’s possible the Cardinals misused him — he’s a much better player who can use his straight-line burst in space — and apparently Gruden thinks Drake will be an asset in the passing game. We would agree, but this is a massive suck on Jacobs’ value, and keep in mind that the Raiders have completely dismantled their offensive line this off-season. Drake and Jacobs are close — they both played at Alabama — so this won’t be a relationship-hurting type of signing, but it’s a massive headache for fantasy.

Mike Davis (Atl, 28) — Davis agrees to a two-year, $5.5 million deal with $3 million guaranteed in the first year, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Fantasy Points: Davis signed with the Panthers after the Bears cut him toward the end of the 2019 season, and he stumbled into a career-reviving opportunity as Carolina’s bell-cow back in 2020. Christian McCaffrey played in just three games after being the RB1 in 2019, and Davis took the team’s spot and ran with it. He posted 165/642/6 rushing and 59/373/2 receiving to finish as the RB19 with 13.8 FPG while playing 60% of the snaps in 15 games. Davis doesn’t excel in any one area, but he’s capable of filling in as a runner, as a receiver, and as a blocker when needed. Moreover, he can be a bridge starter if the Falcons don’t draft a running back or want to develop a rookie given he showed the ability to take on a huge workload for stretches of time. Coming from the Panthers’ predominant zone-blocking schemes, he’s a very good fit under new Falcons coach Arthur Smith. Davis certainly has mid-round appeal in best ball at this stage, with the chance he sneaks into the top 70 or so picks if the Falcons don’t spend significant draft capital at the RB position.

Jamaal Williams (Det, 26) — Williams is staying in the NFC North, signing a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Lions, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Fantasy Points: Yuck. That’s nothing against Williams, who in the right spot can be a really good fantasy player, and by all accounts is a spectacular teammate and competitor. But the Lions might arguably be the worst team in the NFL in 2021, and Williams’ presence could be a huge drain on the upside of D’Andre Swift. Williams has an intriguing three-down skill set for fantasy purposes despite being cast as a complementary player behind one of the NFL’s best RBs in Aaron Jones the last four years. Williams has caught 25+ passes and he’s run for 460+ rushing yards — he owns a career 4.0 YPC average — in each of his first four seasons despite never playing more than 50% of the snaps in a season. Williams doesn’t have break-away speed (4.59 40-time) but he’s a physical, sustaining runner who is also reliable with no career fumbles and just four missed games. Unfortunately, those skills and Williams’ competitiveness, along with his salary, likely means he’s going to play a decent bit in Detroit. As we’ve seen in Green Bay, that hasn’t been an issue for Jones’ fantasy upside. But Green Bay is a good team with a Hall-of-Fame quarterback. The Lions? Well, they’re not that. In the right spot, Williams could be a very interesting fantasy pick. This is not that spot, and it’s just a buzzkill for those with Swift in keeper or dynasty leagues. Swift is still a likely second-round pick in redraft, but the Williams addition is likely to give drafters some pause.

Phillip Lindsay (Hou, 27) — Lindsay signed a one-year deal worth up to $3.25 million, with $1 million guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Fantasy Points: The guaranteed money — double what Houston gave Mark Ingram — makes it seem likely Lindsay will make the Texans’ roster. Lindsay is one of those players whom fans seem to value far differently than his team does. Multiple coaching staffs have determined Lindsay can’t be deployed as a full-time back, and he had a career-low output across the board 2020, playing just 11 games (foot, knee, and hip injuries), playing just a 27% snap share, tallying just 10.7 carries per game, and catching just 7 passes all year. Indeed, the numbers bear it out — Lindsay was one of the worst running backs in the NFL last year. Among the 48 running backs that had 100 carries last year, Lindsay ranked dead last in success rate (29%). Lindsay also ranked dead last among 92 qualified running backs in receiving yards gained per route run (0.29).To my eyes, he’s a straight-line, explosive back who plays bigger than his size, but his lack of production as a receiver is a huge impediment to someone his size given he isn’t the type of back who can anchor a run game — coaching staffs obviously don’t trust him in pass protection either. Fortunately, he might be the early-down back here with David Johnson taking the passing-down work. The bad news is the Texans — especially if they don’t have Deshaun Watson — will be awful, meaning they’ll be playing from behind. Lindsay looks like a low-end RB3/RB4 type as it stands now.

Damien Williams (Chi, 29) — Williams signs with the Bears on a one-year deal according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Fantasy Points: It’s a pretty pathetic, nasty world out there for running backs. At the end of the 2019 season for the Chiefs, a very good argument could have been made that Williams should have been Super Bowl LIV MVP — he ran for 100 yards, caught a touchdown, and ran for a touchdown in that game, the first player ever to do so in the Super Bowl. He opted out of the 2020 season for COVID concerns, given his mother had just been diagnosed with cancer. And then the Chiefs cut him. Williams should have fresh legs in Chicago, where he’ll back up David Montgomery and provide some insurance in case Tarik Cohen isn’t fully healthy from his ACL tear. If Cohen is healthy, this is now a pretty deep backfield, and Williams is almost certain to dig into Montgomery’s passing-game production as well — there was basically no one behind Montgomery after Cohen went down last year. He’s an intriguing handcuff type because of his talent and knowledge of the offense (he’s worked under both Matt Nagy and Bill Lazor).

Malcolm Brown (Mia, 28) — Brown signs a one-year deal worth $1.75 million guaranteed with the Dolphins, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Fantasy Points: Per ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe, the Dolphins are expected to add to their backfield in the NFL Draft. For now, Brown comes in to compete with Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed. Sturdy and powerful with special teams experience, Brown is a no-frills runner who gives a team the ability to play on all three downs in a pinch, and he excels in the red zone. He posted a career-best 101/419/5 rushing (4.1 YPC) and 23/162 receiving with the Rams a season ago. He opened the year with a significant role, but that role waned as rookie Cam Akers took the backfield over. Brown is likely to be used similarly with the Dolphins, and the guaranteed money in his deal makes it seem like he’s a lock to make their roster. He will have only last-round, dart-throw type of appeal for best ball drafts.

Carlos Hyde (Jax, 31) — The Jaguars are signing Hyde to a two-year deal worth up to $6 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Fantasy Points: Hyde is back in Jacksonville, having previously been there in 2018 after a mid-season trade. If you don’t remember, we forgive you — he averaged just 3.3 yards per carry on 58 rushes in eight games before getting released. However, this is a new Jacksonville regime, headed by GM Trent Baalke (who drafted Hyde in San Francisco) and coached by Urban Meyer (who coached Hyde at Ohio State). And to be fair, Hyde ran really well for the Seahawks in 2020, posting 81/356/4 (4.4 YPC) rushing and 16/93 receiving on 20 targets in 10 games. In the game he started for an injured Chris Carson in Week 11, he managed 14/79/1 and 2/16 receiving. He missed six games with a combination of hamstring and turf toe injuries, and then another for a non-COVID illness, but he’s now put together two solid seasons in a row. Perhaps most importantly for Hyde, he didn’t lose any fumbles in 2020 — it was a huge problem for him with Houston in 2019. The Jaguars said this past week that they wanted to add some talent in their RB room alongside James Robinson, and if Hyde is their biggest “splash,” we won’t be knocking Robinson too much in our rankings. That being said, Meyer is a complete unknown as it pertains to his RB rotations, and it’s possible the Jags force Hyde into lineups even when it’s clear Robinson is the better option. We have to at least consider the possibility that the Jags view Hyde as more than just a depth option given the money they gave him. Still, it’s hard to think of him as anything but a decent handcuff as it stands now.

Mark Ingram (Hou, 31) — Ingram signed with the Texans on a one-year deal with $500,000 guaranteed. It’s worth up to $2.5 million.

Fantasy Points: Well, we’re a little surprised by this, only because it figured to be “ring-chasing” season for Ingram, who is entering his 11th season in the NFL. But Ingram — who fell out of the Ravens’ rotation late in 2020 (and Baltimore’s offense became more effective) — must believe he can still play, and clearly wants carries. As it stands now, he’ll be at best the #2 RB in Houston behind David Johnson, yet another back whose best years are behind him, and the Texans signed Phillip Lindsay too. Ingram’s role is likely as a fantasy headache, at best, on what looks like a really bad football team even with Deshaun Watson.

Mike Boone (Den, 26) — Boone signed a two-year deal with $2.6 million guaranteed with the Broncos, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Fantasy Points: Well now, this is interesting. New Broncos GM George Paton knows Boone well from his time in Minnesota. For fantasy, Boone is most famous to preseason DFS sickos and for being extremely disappointing in Week 16 championship games in 2019, when the whole world was spot starting him for the injured Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, and he crapped out with 11/28 rushing (before posting 160 yards from scrimmage and a TD in Week 17). Boone had just 11 carries in 2020, but he’s a core special-teams player for the Vikings, and it’s kind of surprising Minnesota didn’t bring him back. However, Denver may have valued him more, and Boone’s arrival spells the end of Phillip Lindsay’s time at Mile High. Boone’s outrageous measurables always make him an intriguing bench stash, though the Broncos may prefer to grab someone else to be their #2 behind Melvin Gordon if they don’t trust Royce Freeman. Still, Boone is someone to keep an eye on for last-round best-ball picks.

Tevin Coleman (NYJ, 28) — Coleman signed a one-year deal worth up to $2 million with the Jets, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Fantasy Points: In our free agency preview, I wrote “maybe he can coax some interest out of the Jets as a veteran backup in a system he’s familiar with.” Nailed it! It’s not a particularly exciting signing, however, because Coleman looked completely cooked in 2020. He played in just eight games, posted 28/53 rushing and 4/34 receiving, and dealt with knee injuries all season. Coleman has a reputation for being “injury prone” and probably has played more games than you think, but the constant issues with his legs — knee, hamstring, ankle — are a huge concern for a guy who built his career on straight-line speed. However, he knows the system of OC Mike LaFleur because of how much time Coleman has spent with Kyle Shanahan, and right now there isn’t much competition in the Jets backfield.

Matt Breida (Buf, 26) — Breida signed a one-year deal to join the Bills, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Fantasy Points: The Dolphins traded a fifth-round pick for Breida during the 2020 NFL Draft, and he performed well enough on a per touch basis with 59/254 rushing and 9/96 receiving, missing two games a piece with a hamstring injury and on the COVID list. But for whatever reason, Breida was never able to find favor with his coaching staff, never playing more than 32% of the offensive snaps and not even getting any time on offense in the final two games of the season. That was despite the Dolphins’ other main RB acquisition of last off-season, Jordan Howard, being so bad that he was cut in November after averaging just 1.2 YPC. Breida has excellent straight-line speed and explosiveness and plays special teams, so it’s not surprising he found some interest, but from a fantasy perspective, it’s alarming that he couldn’t find consistent work in what may have been the NFL’s weakest RB room. He’s the #3 behind Devin Singletary and Zack Moss on a team that ran the ball under 40% of the time in 2020.

Devontae Booker (NYG, 29) — Booker agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $6 million with the Giants, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Fantasy Points: The argument can be made that Booker’s season in Vegas this year was the best he’s looked in his career. In 16 games backing up Josh Jacobs, he posted 93/423/3 rushing (4.5 YPC) in his first year outside of a Broncos uniform. Of course, Booker’s audition as a starter for an injured Jacobs didn’t go very well — with Jacobs out in Week 13 against the Jets, Booker posted 16/50 rushing and just 1/1 receiving while playing a season-high 42% of the snaps. However, he’s a capable backup, a solid receiver, and perhaps most importantly, a core special teamer, which may be why the Giants valued him over bringing back Wayne Gallman. Given the money in Booker’s contract, he’s almost certainly viewed as the top backup to Saquon Barkley (who, you may remember, is coming off a major knee injury).

Alex Armah (NO, 26) — Armah moves from Carolina to New Orleans on a one-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Fantasy Points: Sean Payton loves him some fullbacks, and he’s seen Armah twice a year across the field in Carolina. Armah — at 6’2”, 255 — is an absolute unit. Regarded as one of the league’s best lead blockers, Pelissero also indicated the Saints have more planned for Armah. On 29 career offensive touches, Armah has just 64 yards, but 3 TDs. The guess here is he’ll vulture a TD or two from Alvin Kamara this year.

Staying Put

Aaron Jones (GB, 26) — Jones is staying with the Packers on a four-year deal worth up to $48 million, with a $13 million signing bonus, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Fantasy Points: Jones has scored 30 TD over the last two seasons — that’s tied with Dalvin Cook, and only Derrick Henry (35) has more. You can guarantee Rosenhaus looked at the recent extensions Cook, Henry, and Alvin Kamara (fourth on that TD list with 27) signed, and wanted to get Jones in that $16-20 million guaranteed range over a multi-year extension. Meanwhile, Jones was the RB4 on the season with 18.5 FPG in 2020, behind those three elite backs. However, Rosenhaus told reporters that he believes Jones turned down more money by re-signing with the Packers before the market officially opened, because he wanted to return to Green Bay. One of the games more explosive and versatile backs, Jones’ carries per game fell from 14.8 in 2019 to 14.4 in 2020, but his receptions per game increased from 3.1 to 3.4. You wonder if that trend will continue in 2021, when Jones is likely to share the backfield — at least somewhat — with 2020 second-round bruiser AJ Dillon. That’s all well and good for us, given a target is worth more than twice as much in fantasy as a rushing attempt is. The Packers made a commitment to a popular and useful player, and for fantasy, it locks Jones into the first round in 2021 drafts.

For a more in-depth look at Jones’ extension and what it means for fantasy, check out Graham Barfield’s Fantasy Fallout.

Chris Carson (Sea, 27) — Carson signed a three-year deal with the Seahawks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, though it voids to a two-year deal worth north of $14 million to help spread the cap hit.

Fantasy Points: Carson is a really good back and has become more versatile and explosive as his career has progressed — his averages of 3.1 receptions and 23.9 receiving yards per game in 2020 were career highs, in addition to a career-high 4.8 yards per rush attempt in 2020 as well. In more positive news, Carson fumbled just once in 2020 after doing so a combined 11 times the previous two seasons. But Carson’s also had some dings and dents in his career, missing four games with a foot injury in 2020. Moreover, the Seahawks leaned on him less in 2020 than ever before, giving him just 11.8 carries per game, down from 17.6 in 2018 and 18.5 in 2019. Given the Seahawks’ offensive philosophy, which Pete Carroll has been pretty adamant isn’t changing, Seattle made the most sense all along. He no longer has to compete with Carlos Hyde for touches, but Rashaad Penny is over a year removed from his ACL year now, and DeeJay Dallas had some moments as a rookie. Presuming Russell Wilson is back — a big presumption at this stage — Carson will continue to make sense as a high-end RB2 for fantasy, and his increased receiving production makes him more appealing in PPR.

Leonard Fournette (TB, 26) — Fournette is re-signing with the Bucs on a one-year deal worth $4 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Fantasy Points: What a season it was for Fournette, who was cut in Jacksonville and signed with Tampa, where ended up having a wildly inconsistent regular season, bottoming out as a healthy scratch in Week 14. His regular season numbers were 97/367/6 rushing (3.8 YPC) and 36/233/0 receiving. He had one top-5 RB finish, one more top-12 finish, and four more top-24 finishes. And then the playoffs came. Fournette was a legitimate “factor back” in the Buccaneers’ run to the Super Bowl LV title. In four games, he managed 64/300/3 rushing (4.7 YPC) and 18/148/1 receiving. He played 69% or more snaps in each of the Bucs’ four playoff games, a number he topped just once during the regular season. He had four of his six best fantasy performances of the season during the playoffs. Fournette took his benching in Week 14 in stride and was one of the Bucs’ most valuable players in a title run. You wonder if he turned down more years and money elsewhere to reprise his role in an offense in which he’s obviously now comfortable, with a coaching staff he trusts. Fournette’s re-signing is a huge blow to the dynasty value of Ke’Shawn Vaughn, though it would be prudent to assume that Ronald Jones will remain in the rotation. Fournette’s ADP will be a fascinating one to watch during the summer — will the fantasy market view “Lombardi Lenny” as the real Lenny?

James White (NE, 29) — White returns to the Patriots on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Fantasy Points: Despite some apparent flirtations from the Buccaneers, White returns to the Patriots in what will be a completely revamped offense this season. Durable and reliable (0 career fumbles lost), White had no chance to be fantasy relevant in 2020 going from Tom Brady in his first six seasons to Cam Newton last year. He had by far his worst fantasy performance as a receiver since he played in just three games as a rookie in 2014. He finished with 49/375/1 receiving on 62 targets and 35/121/2 rushing for 116.6 FPG while playing 37% of the snaps in 14 games. White had 56+ catches, 429+ receiving yards, and 3+ TD receptions in each of his last four seasons before 2020. He isn’t going to bring much to the table as a runner since he’s never reached 95+ carries in any of his seven seasons, but he can make any passing game better as a receiving specialist. The question is if the Pats will get a better version of Newton in a better offense, or if they’ll have a new rookie QB under center. That will go a long way toward determining how relevant White is for fantasy.

Marlon Mack (Ind, 25) — Mack re-signs in Indy on a one-year deal worth up to $2 million, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Fantasy Points: Mack suffered a potentially career-altering injury when he ruptured his Achilles tendon just 11 snaps into Indy’s season opener last year. The injury happened at the worst possible time since he was set to hit the open market at the end of the season, and at the age of only 25, he could have garnered a multi-year deal elsewhere. Mack posted 442/1999/17 rushing and he averaged 4.5 in 26 games in 2018-19 before the Colts drafted Jonathan Taylor to be his replacement in the second round last year. Mack benefitted from playing behind one of the league’s best O-lines, and he’s been strictly a ball carrier to this point in his career with just 31/185/1 receiving in 2018-19. Mack is highly regarded as a teammate, and is close with both Taylor and Nyheim Hines, with whom he has been working out as he rehabs his injury. As of mid-March, our Adam Caplan reported that Mack is 80 to 90% healed, a rate that should have Mack ready to go by training camp. Achilles injuries are sometimes career-enders, and few running backs have come back from them strongly. It might seem like Mack is betting on himself with the one-year deal, but it’s possible no team was offering more than that. For fantasy, it might be a little scary to invest a top-12 pick in Taylor, but given how Taylor performed at the end of last season, it’s hard to imagine coach Frank Reich will employ an annoying three-man split.

Kyle Juszczyk (SF, 30) — “Juice” is re-signing with the 49ers on a five-year deal with $10 million guaranteed, our own Adam Caplan reported.

Fantasy Points: Hey, fullbacks are people too. Inasmuch as that is true, Juszczyk isn’t a normal fullback. When the 49ers signed him years ago as an anchor for Kyle Shanahan’s run scheme, it turned heads, and the fact that they’re bringing him back should tell folks how the franchise values him. Well, his on-field impact is also quantifiable — according to SIS, 49er RBs averaged 5.0 yards per carry with “Juice” on the field compared to just 4.1 without. Juszczyk’s 19 receptions in 2020 were his fewest in four seasons with the 49ers, but while he’s a viable weapon in that regard, his biggest fantasy impact is in helping this run scheme be more diverse, effective, and powerful.

Darrel Williams (KC, 26) — Williams sticks with the Chiefs on a one-year deal worth up to $2.13 million, with $930,000 guaranteed, according to Herbie Teope of the Kansas City Star.

Fantasy Points: A respected player in the Chiefs’ locker room — and a mentor to his former college teammate Clyde Edwards-Helaire — Williams is coming off a “career year” in 2020. Of course, that meant he had just 57 touches and 285 yards from scrimmage in 16 games, but Williams can play special teams and is a solid receiver. Given the guaranteed money in his deal, it appears likely he’ll be the Chiefs’ #3 back in 2021, at minimum. On the same day they re-signed Darrel, the Chiefs made a surprise move in cutting Damien Williams, which saves them money they may want to apply to the offensive line. It’s possible they view Darrel as a more-than-capable #2 RB.

Samaje Perine (Cin, 26) — Perine is back in Cincinnati on a two-year deal, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Fantasy Points: It’s interesting that Perine gets a two-year deal coming off a solid season for the Bengals — 63/301/3 (4.8 YPC) in 16 games — because the Bengals could save over $4 million if they release Giovani Bernard. Perine is a no-nonsense grinder who looked like he would flame out of the league, but he experienced a resurgence in 2020 in a year in which not a whole lot else went right for the Bengals. If Bernard gets released, Perine could be the top handcuff behind Joe Mixon, who missed significant time with a foot injury last season.

Ameer Abdullah (Min, 28) — Abdullah is back in Minnesota on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Fantasy Points: It’s hard to believe Abdullah doesn’t turn 28 until this summer as it feels like he’s been around forever. While he’s never produced at the second-round draft capital level Detroit spent on him in 2015, he’s carved out a role for himself as a return man, special teamer, and occasional third-down specialist with the Vikings. Re-signing Abdullah was likely a priority for Minnesota after losing Mike Boone to the Broncos.

Josh Adams (NYJ, 24) — Adams is back on a one-year deal with the Jets, according to Connor Hughes.

Fantasy Points: Adams looked solid in limited action with the Jets in 2020, posting 29/157/2 rushing (5.4 YPC) in eight games, with 6/29 receiving. The Jets tendered him the lowest restricted tender, but the two sides came to an agreement on a contract. While Adams, more likely than not, will be fighting for a roster spot, you have to keep in mind that new OC Mike LaFleur comes from the zone-heavy Kyle Shanahan background. Adams both fits that scheme and Shanahan has made a handful of UDFA-type RBs look very good in that scheme. Adams also plays special teams, boosting his value.

Lamar Miller (Was, 30) — Miller is back in Washington on a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Fantasy Points: Miller suffered a nasty knee injury in 2019’s preseason and then missed the entire season. He barely played in 2020, seeing one game of action for the Bears and catching 2 passes for 6 yards. He was signed off the Bears’ practice squad to The Team’s roster late in the year but never got into a game. He hasn’t had a rush attempt since 2018 and has an uphill climb to make this roster.

Theo Riddick (LV, 30) — Riddick is back in Vegas on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. It has $50,000 guaranteed.

Fantasy Points: Riddick could be a long-shot to make this roster following the signing of Kenyan Drake. He hasn’t been fantasy relevant since 2018.

Nick Bellore (Sea, 32) — Bellore is back with the Seahawks on a two-year deal, according to PFF’s Mike Renner.

Fantasy Points: Bellore is one of the game’s top fullbacks and special-teams aces. He has 11 offensive touches in 10 NFL seasons, with 2 TD.

Taiwan Jones (Buf, 33) — Jones is back in Buffalo on a one-year deal, the team announced.

Fantasy Points: Jones is a core special-teams player for the Bills. He’s spent three of the last four seasons in Buffalo, and has one total offensive touch over that span.

Elijah McGuire (KC, 27) — McGuire re-signed a one-year deal in Kansas City, according to ESPN’s Jordan Schultz.

Fantasy Points: McGuire signed with the Chiefs’ practice squad in December. He hasn’t seen the NFL field since 2018, and though he’s a good receiver, he has a 3.3 YPC career average on the ground, making him one of the least effective runners in the NFL with 150 or more carries over the last five years. He will have an uphill climb to make the roster.

Jakob Johnson (NE, 27) — Johnson signed his one-year, exclusive rights tender with the Pats, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Fantasy Points: Who knows if Johnson will receive a ton of snaps in 2021 given the Patriots’ overhaul to a 12 personnel team — the Pats’ starting fullback in 2020 consistently received 20-plus snaps a game in “21” personnel. But he didn’t really have a choice to go anywhere else given he was an exclusive rights free agent.

Joe Dolan, a professional in the fantasy football industry for over a decade, is the managing editor of Fantasy Points. He specializes in balancing analytics and unique observation with his personality and conversational tone in his writing, podcasting, and radio work.