Who Should I Start? Damien Harris or Dameon Pierce

Monday, March 25, 9:07 PM

Former New England Patriots running back Damien Harris announced his retirement from professional football on Monday at age 27. The Patriots selected Harris in the third round (87th overall) in the 2019 NFL draft out of Alabama, and he had 449 rushing attempts for 2,094 yards and 20 touchdowns in his four years in New England in 38 regular-season games (34 starts) while adding 40 receptions on 51 targets for an additional 281 receiving yards. Harris spent the 2023 campaign with the Buffalo Bills but played in only six games before suffering a season-ending concussion/neck injury that saw him be taken off the field in an ambulance. He'll end his NFL career after just five seasons, recording 2,188 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 427 carries with the Pats and Bills.

Monday, September 8, 12:59 PM

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce totaled five yards on his three carries in Sunday's 14-9 road loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He failed to bring in his lone target. Veteran Nick Chubb was the only Houston rusher to see more than three carries (13), and Pierce technically saw the second-most of his fellow RBs. However, rookie Woody Marks also saw three attempts, and Dare Ogunbowale handled two of his own. It was a rough day for Houston's offense overall, as they were blanked in the second half by a hungry Rams' defense. Still, Chubb was the clear-cut Texans RB1 in this outing, and Pierce's current touch load wouldn't be enough to sustain fantasy value. Houston will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as part of a Monday Night Football doubleheader in Week 2. We'll see if Pierce can carve out a larger role then.