Who Should I Start? Craig Reynolds or Phil Mafah

Thursday, July 31, 11:24 PM

Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds led his team in rushing yards during the team's 34-7 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night. Reynolds finished with 10 carries for 38 yards and one touchdown as a rusher, adding one catch for 10 yards as a receiver. The 29-year-old running back is entering his seventh NFL season and has been with Detroit since 2021. In 34 games for the Lions since the start of 2023, Reynolds has logged 72 carries for 318 yards and one touchdown. He appears to be fairly locked into the RB3 role in Detroit behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Reynolds would need an injury to one of those two backs to be relevant in fantasy, and even then, he would likely be a fringe flex option at best.

Sunday, August 31, 4:05 PM

Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Phil Mafah (shoulder) has been placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least the first four games of the regular season with a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason finale. The seventh-round pick out of Clemson showed flashes in the preseason with 15 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown, good for a solid 3.9 yards per carry. Standing six-foot and weighing 234 pounds, Mafah's big-bodied, between-the-tackles style was impressive in his final college season, rushing for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns. His placement on IR is a setback, but with the Cowboys' current running back situation, a potential revolving door of Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, and Jaydon Blue, Mafah remains a potential contributor later in the season. He is worth a roster spot in deeper dynasty leagues. Still, his fantasy value will stay uncertain until he returns to full health and the backfield situation becomes clearer throughout the season.