Who Should I Start? Devin Neal or Jordan James

Tuesday, August 5, 5:31 PM

New Orleans Saints rookie running back Devin Neal (hamstring) will miss a few weeks due to a hamstring injury, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. It's the worst possible time for a rookie to have to sit out, and it means that Neal will miss the preseason opener this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers and most likely Week 2 of the preseason against the Denver Broncos. The 21-year-old is attempting to win a depth role heading into his first year in the NFL behind starter Alvin Kamara. The Saints plans to hold Kamara out of Sunday's preseason contest, so it will be Kendre Miller, Cam Akers and Clyde Edwards-Helaire splitting up the touches. For the 2025 season, Neal should strictly be considered a dynasty/keeper stash.

Thursday, August 7, 4:31 PM

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Jordan James (finger) broke his finger and will undergo surgery, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. As a result, James will be out for "a couple weeks," according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. It's tough news for the 21-year-old heading into his first NFL season, but the good news is that he could still be ready to roll for the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September. Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) is also expected to miss a couple weeks, so San Fran's backfield behind injury-prone Christian McCaffrey is suddenly very thin in camp. Going forward, Patrick Taylor, Ameer Abdullah and Corey Kiner will see more opportunities to prove themselves in practices and the preseason. Unless Guerendo isn't ready for the start of the season, James will probably go undrafted in most single-year fantasy leagues.