Who Should I Start? Braelon Allen or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Wednesday, October 14, 6:33 PM

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen went from being an under-the-radar handcuff to a must-roster player due to Breece Hall's quad injury. Allen handled lead-back duties for the second straight game in the Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns and had a breakout day on the ground, carrying the ball a season-high 24 times for 116 yards and his second rushing touchdown of 2026. The 22-year-old added one catch for no gain on four targets. He will inevitably fall back down in fantasy circles when Hall returns to take over his lead-back role, but for now, Hall is on the rise and should be considered a must-start in Week 6 against the division-rival New England Patriots on the road if Hall misses a third straight game. Head coach Aaron Glenn said that Hall is still week-to-week, and he was unable to practice again on Wednesday. Allen is averaging 4.1 yards per carry for 236 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 57 carries through his first five games, catching seven passes for 19 yards as a receiver. It will not be easy for Allen to go off again against New England's defense, though, as they are allowing only 90.8 rushing yards per game, the sixth-fewest in the NFL.