Who Should I Start? Braelon Allen or Ray Davis

Sunday, August 17, 4:36 AM

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen rushed seven times for 34 yards in his team's 31-12 preseason loss to the New York Giants. Allen and teammate Breece Hall again evenly rotated in with the starting offense on the field, though the latter out-touched him 7-to-4 and picked up the only target between them. However, the Wisconsin alum seemed to be the preferred option in short-yardage situations. It's unknown if that was by happenstance or if head coach Aaron Glenn schemed it up. If that was the plan, it could mean that Allen will be the goal-line back come the regular season. He's the more imposing rusher of the two -- and looked more explosive on Saturday -- but it's fair to wonder how much that role will mean with the threat of quarterback Justin Fields vulturing a touchdown alive and well. In all, this situation is fluid and portends to be a frustrating one for fantasy managers. Allen and the rest of the starters will likely get a little longer of a look next Friday when they face the Philadelphia Eagles at home in their preseason finale.

Saturday, August 9, 7:07 PM

With Buffalo Bills star running back James Cook staging a hold-in and unwilling to play Saturday, Ray Davis earned the start in the team's 34-25 preseason-opening loss to the New York Giants. Davis rushed for just seven yards on four attempts and caught one of two targets for another seven yards. As the Bills' emergency kicker, his most memorable highlight came on a successful extra-point attempt in the second quarter. The 5-foot-8, 220-pound Davis joined the Bills as a fourth-round pick from Kentucky in 2024 and was a capable reserve behind Cook as a rookie. Davis appeared in all 17 of the Bills' regular-season games and totaled 442 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 113 rushing attempts. He also caught three TDs and pulled in 17 of his 19 targets for 189 yards. With third-down back Ty Johnson also in the fold, Davis took around 25% of offensive snaps last season. That should be the case again in 2025, but Davis might have an expanded role early on if Cook is unavailable. While Cook seems unlikely to sit out into Week 1 over dissatisfaction with his contract, Davis figures to be the main beneficiary if he does. Cook missed one game last season, a 23-20 win over the New York Jets in Week 6, and Davis accrued 152 total yards (97 rushing, 55 receiving) on 23 touches as Buffalo's go-to back.