Who Should I Start? Breece Hall or C.J. Stroud

Sunday, August 17, 2:46 AM

New York Jets running back Breece Hall rushed for 26 yards on seven carries in his team's 31-12 loss to the New York Giants on Saturday. He failed to bring in his only target. Hall saw the team's first carry two plays into their opening possession, but was immediately relieved for backfield mate Braelon Allen on the next play from scrimmage. Allen was promptly stuffed for no gain on third-and-short, but remained on the field as the offense went for it on fourth down. The duo split pretty evenly for the next two series, with Hall out-touching him 7-to-4, though Allen notably operated in short-yardage situations. Whether that was the plan or a coincidence is unclear, but it's undoubtedly concerning for Hall's touchdown upside, as it leaves the door open for Allen to vulture him in those instances. Whatever the split, it seems these two are fated to cannibalize each other this season in the Jets' rushing attack. With the added threat of quarterback Justin Fields around the goal line, this backfield could be a source of headaches for fantasy managers. The Iowa State product will get one more preseason opportunity to make his case to be the lead back when New York squares off against the Philadelphia Eagles next Friday.

Monday, August 18, 8:49 AM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud played just two series on Saturday against Carolina, but he looked sharp, completing 6-of-8 pass attempts for 44 passing yards and a touchdown to Nico Collins. He wasn't satisfied with his preseason debut, though, expressing frustration that he missed Collins on a deep ball on the team's first possession, which ended in a punt. Stroud only played two series, but did enough to put his Texans ahead in a game they went on to win 20-3. After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, Stroud struggled a little bit last season, throwing for 3,727 yards and 20 touchdowns but also throwing 12 interceptions. With new offensive coordinator Nick Caley taking over from Bobby Slowik, Stroud will look to bounce back and be a fantasy factor again this season. He's a QB2 with upside coming into the season, but he has the potential to be a borderline QB1 if he can return to his 2023 form with better protection than he had last year.