Who Should I Start? Israel Abanikanda or Carson Steele

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.

Monday, January 6, 4:42 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Carson Steele handled eight carries for 25 yards and two catches for two yards in the 0-38 loss to the Denver Broncos. Steele was the clear lead back for the Chiefs, but he could not do much with his opportunities. The rookie out of UCLA stepped into the lead role with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt ruled out for this game. Steele averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, but no other Chief carried the ball multiple times in this contest. The next time the Chiefs suit up will be against the winner of the wild card matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans. Steele will likely be relegated to his RB3 role when the Chiefs play their next game.