Who Should I Start? Braelon Allen or Tahj Brooks

Friday, August 1, 2:16 PM

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (knee) returned to practice on Friday, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Allen missed the team's practices on both Wednesday and Thursday due to knee soreness. The second-year back has drawn rave reviews thus far in training camp, and early reporting indicates that the Jets plan to use more of a committee approach in the backfield between Allen, Breece Hall, and Isaiah Davis. As a rookie in 2024, Allen rushed for 334 yards and two touchdowns on 92 carries. Provided he can stay healthy, all indications are that he'll significantly increase his workload in 2025. If that happens, he could be a value as a late-round dart throw in fantasy drafts.

Sunday, August 3, 7:18 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks continues to make waves during training camp, with Chris Roling of USA Today reporting that the rookie "just keeps impressing." The Bengals held their annual night practice at Paycor Stadium in front of fans on Saturday. While there were more than a few standouts, there was no denying that Brooks was one of them after he "ripped off a few big runs." The 23-year-old was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. In his final collegiate season at Texas Tech, he amassed 1,505 yards off 286 touches while finding the end zone a total of 18 times. Of course, Chase Brown is expected to get the bulk of the snaps out of the backfield. However, with the team recently releasing Zack Moss, Brooks may find himself getting more work over Samaje Perine, who the team brought back this offseason.. Although that won't make Brooks a starting fantasy option in redraft leagues, he could have increased value as an insurance policy for Chase's managers, assuming he continues to trend in the right direction heading into Week 1.