Who Should I Start? Darrynton Evans or Israel Abanikanda

Wednesday, August 20, 12:06 PM

The Buffalo Bills announced on Tuesday that they placed running back Darrynton Evans (hamstring) on Injured Reserve and also waived cornerback Te'Cory Couch and wide receiver Kaden Prather. In corresponding moves, they signed running back Jarveon Howard and wide receiver Grant DuBose. Evans will miss the entire 2025 season after he injured his hamstring during training camp practice last week. The 27-year-old was hoping to make the Bills' 53-man roster this summer as depth in the RB room after he played in only five games with the Chicago Bears last year, carrying the ball three times for three yards. The former third-round pick (93rd overall) by the Tennessee Titans in 2020 out of Appalachian State has only 65 career carries for 249 yards and one touchdown in 24 games (no starts) over his five NFL seasons.

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.