George Atkinson III

ESPN's Field Yates is reporting the Oakland Raiders have claimed running back George Atkinson off waivers from the Cleveland Browns.

Fantasy Impact

This move followed the release of Taiwan Jones by Oakland earlier in the week. Atkinson, who played for the Raiders from 2014-2016, could find a role on special teams with a stellar training camp, but I wouldn't expect to see him on the final roster come Week 1.

"The Oakland Raiders have signed RB George Atkinson III from the practice squad and placed CB Carlos Rogers on the reserve/injured list."

Fantasy Impact

The undrafted rookie was likely called up as insurance for Latavius Murray, who has been officially cleared from concussion protocol. While Atkinson is not a threat to Murray's status, he was called up for 2 reasons: Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew. It's hard to imagine either backs will return to the Raiders in 2015, and it appears Oakland is ready to take a look at their running back depth to help evaluate the future. Atkinson may not even be active for Sunday's game, but for fantasy purposes it's safe to say this move downgrades DMC and MJD even further. Fire up Murray this Sunday, and hope he breaks off another long run for a score.