Who Should I Start? Braelon Allen or Devin Neal

Monday, February 9, 6:45 PM

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (knee) saw his 2025 season come to an abrupt end after he suffered an MCL sprain back in Week 4. New York left the door open for him to return, but that never came to fruition. He ultimately finished his second pro season with 18 carries, 76 rushing yards, two catches, 17 receiving yards, and one touchdown through parts of four games. It was a frustrating setback for a young ball-carrier who was projected to eat into Breece Hall's workload. While that didn't pan out in 2025, we could still see Allen step into a much larger role next season. Hall is headed for free agency, and if the Jets don't franchise tag him, he could quite possibly sign elsewhere. That would leave Allen and Isaiah Davis, who had 422 yards and one touchdown across 16 games last season, sharing a rung atop the depth chart. The fantasy surge of Allen and Davis hinges on New York letting Hall walk and failing to replace him, which is far from a guarantee. However, there's certainly a path to Allen being a top-36 fantasy running back next season. Managers should pay close attention to the Jets' free agency plans when evaluating the 22-year-old's fantasy future.

Thursday, December 18, 5:00 PM

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal (hamstring) has been placed on Injured Reserve, ending his 2025 season. Neal suffered a hamstring injury during New Orleans' Week 15 win over the Carolina Panthers. With Saints backs Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle) and Kendre Miller (knee) sidelined, Neal has served as his team's RB1 since Week 13. The 22-year-old played well across his two fully healthy starts, recording 153 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 37 touches. With Kamara's return timeline uncertain and Neal and Miller both done for the season, the Saints appear likely to turn to the combination of Audric Estime and Evan Hull for backfield snaps down the stretch of the season. Estime was the more productive of the two backs in Week 15, recording 50 scrimmage yards on six touches. New Orleans will host the New York Jets in Week 16 before traveling to Tennessee to take on the Titans in Week 17.