Week 1 starts on Thursday in Tampa Bay, and we're still getting transactions right on the cusp of game day. No major trades or acquisitions have happened recently, but even under-the-radar moves affect fantasy football rankings. At such a fragile position, it's important to know what's going on behind the 32 starting RBs around the league. The Tony Jones Jr./Latavius Murray position battle has come to an end, and Le'Veon Bell has finally found a new home -- perhaps to the chagrin of Ty'Son Williams owners. Again, these aren't moves that will break fantasy football, but on the last day of fantasy drafts, they could shake up some draft boards. Moving forward, we'll learn the effects of these transactions as the regular season rolls forward.
Before diving into those, get an updated look at Michael Thomas' fantasy value here. For a take on whether you should draft Deshaun Watson, go here. We also have help for those wondering if they should draft Saquon Barkley in the first round (click here ). For position battle news, click here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2021 Cheat Sheet
Latavius Murray cut, Tony Jones Jr. emerges as sleeper
Murray was cut by the Saints on Tuesday, and Jones Jr. now takes on his role as Alvin Kamara's primary handcuff -- one of the top handcuffs to own in fantasy football. Of course, Kamara remains as the star of that offense, but we've seen some fantasy relevance out of Murray in the past.
People think of Kamara as a workhorse RB, but he actually leaves a lot on the bone for his backup. Just last year during Kamara's RB1 season in PPR, Murray received 169 touches for 832 total yards and four total touchdowns. Obviously, the Saints had enough faith in Jones to let Murray walk.
As for Murray, you shouldn't drop him yet depending on your league size. He's a talented player who will surely be signed elsewhere, perhaps as a primary handcuff. It could be this week or later down the road when a starting RB gets injured, but he's worth a stash if you have room on your roster.
Week 1 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Le'Veon Bell Update
Bell will return to the AFC North, as he has reached an agreement with the Ravens. He likely won't be active in Week 1, so he doesn't affect those rankings. However, what if I told you he doesn't affect rankings much down the road either? We have to face the facts -- Bell just isn't very good anymore. He feels like a weird pairing in the downhill rushing attack of the Ravens.
It's tough to see him ever becoming the lead back, and it remains to be seen if he will even supplant Ty'Son Williams as the No. 2 RB. He's probably in a timeshare at the RB2 spot, at best, after Week 1, and in an offense that doesn't feature RBs in their passing game (where Bell has thrived), we don't see where the value could come from. If he'd gone somewhere where he was force-fed targets, he may have some appeal.
WEEK 1 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Maybe he does prove us wrong and becomes highly fantasy-relevant, but playing the probabilities tells us that's very unlikely (especially while he's on the practice squad).