Who Should I Start? DJ Giddens or Riley Nowakowski

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Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts.	Rush. Yds.	Rush TD	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec TD
2.3	10.1	0.1	0.5	3.1	0.0

DJ Giddens News

DJ Giddens Remains Out on Saturday

Saturday, August 8, 7:32 AM

Indianapolis Colts running back DJ Giddens (hamstring) is not practicing on Saturday as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. Giddens has not practiced since last Sunday and has reportedly struggled to stand out at training camp. In 2025, Giddens had just 26 carries for 96 yards in nine games and had no receptions. Meanwhile, rookie Seth McGowan has shown more flash as a runner and has been compared to David Montgomery. He has begun to separate himself from Giddens as the clear RB2 in Indianapolis behind the newly paid Jonathan Taylor. If Giddens can't recover quickly enough from his hamstring injury, he will likely fall off the fantasy radar in 2026.

Riley Nowakowski - Pittsburgh (RB)

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Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts.	Rush. Yds.	Rush TD	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec TD
1.2	0.0	0.0	0.6	5.3	0.0

Riley Nowakowski News

Steelers Select Riley Nowakowski at No. 169 Overall

Saturday, April 25, 11:23 AM

The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Indiana tight end prospect Riley Nowakowski with the 169th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Nowakowski caught 32 passes for 387 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the Hoosiers' national championship-winning offense last year. He also got involved as a fullback, scoring two rushing touchdowns. We could see him take on a similar hybrid fullback/tight end role in Pittsburgh, serving as the team's replacement for Connor Heyward, who signed with the Raiders this offseason. Assuming that's the case, Nowakowski doesn't have a clear path to fantasy relevance. He can be avoided in most fantasy football drafts.

DJ Giddens vs. Riley Nowakowski

Still trying to decide between Giddens and Nowakowski? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that DJ Giddens is projected to score 2.3 points this week while Riley Nowakowski is projected to score 1.2 points.