Who Should I Start? Braelon Allen or Will Shipley

Monday, July 14, 6:09 PM

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen will "have plenty of opportunities in 2025 to make his mark and prove he can be the long-term starter with (current starter Breece) Hall in the last year of his contract," according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Rosenblatt notes that Jets' first-year head coach Aaron Glenn and play caller Tanner Engstrand would like to emulate the two-back model that was so successful in their last stop with the Detroit Lions. Allen was the clear RB2 behind Breece Hall last season, earning 92 carries for 334 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games played. A more even timeshare with Hall would be a highly fantasy-relevant development in the Jets backfield. That's especially true if Allen, as the larger back, gets more of the team's work around the goal line.

Wednesday, May 21, 2:38 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley is expected to fill the RB2 and two-minute offense role vacated by Kenneth Gainwell, according to team reporter Jimmy Kempski. "My understanding is that the Eagles were very encouraged by what they saw from Will Shipley during practice throughout the season and in games," he wrote. The team signed former Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon this offseason, but he's unlikely to have much of a role unless Saquon Barkley gets banged up. Shipley, a 2024 fourth-round pick out of Clemson, rushed 30 times for 82 yards and caught four passes for 35 yards in 16 games last season. The 22-year-old can be stashed in deeper setups, but it would be a surprise if he's playable in lineups given Barkley's workhorse role. That said, he would have plenty of upside if Barkley has to miss any time in 2025, and the former Giant has missed at least three games due to injury in four of his seven NFL seasons.