Who Should I Start? C.J. Ham or Israel Abanikanda

Wednesday, February 12, 10:17 PM

Minnesota Vikings fullback C.J. Ham (ankle) had a "simple procedure" done on his ankle on Wednesday. Ham was on the team's injury report with an ankle injury toward the end of the 2024 season, but he didn't miss any games. The 31-year-old veteran fullback shouldn't face a lengthy recovery timeline after having a minor surgery on his ankle and should be able to take part in most of the team's offseason workouts. He will not be anywhere near the fantasy radar once again going into the 2025 campaign after seeing only two carries for 10 yards and one touchdown and adding five receptions on six targets for 35 yards through the air in 17 regular-season games in his eighth year with the Vikings in 2024. In his eight NFL seasons, Ham has only 39 rushing attempts for 114 yards and four TDs and has caught 82 passes for 670 yards and two TDs in 130 games played.

Monday, September 9, 7:44 PM

New York Jets running back Israel Abanikanda is a healthy scratch for the team's Week 1 regular-season opener at Levi's Stadium on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers. Abanikanda enters the 2024 season as the team's RB4 behind starter and bell-cow Breece Hall and rookies Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. As such, the 21-year-old is obviously off the fantasy radar in most single-year leagues for the time being unless injuries push him into a relevant game-day role. The former fifth-round pick out of Pittsburgh last year was also buried on the depth chart in his rookie season and finished with 22 carries for 70 yards while catching seven passes for 43 yards in only six games. Abanikanda has breakaway speed but is once again buried on the depth chart and will have to wait for his opportunity beyond Week 1.