Who Should I Start? Israel Abanikanda or Deuce Vaughn

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.

Tuesday, September 9, 6:50 PM

The Denver Broncos are signing free-agent running back Deuce Vaughn to their practice squad on Tuesday, sources tell Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Vaughn, a former All-American at Kansas State and a sixth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2023, will give Denver additional backfield depth behind J.K. Dobbins, rookie RJ Harvey, Tyler Badie, and Jaleel McLaughlin. The 5-foot-6, 176-pounder will be a long shot to make any noise in Denver this year or ever in the NFL, given his small stature. In his two seasons with the Cowboys over the last two years, he handled only 40 carries for 110 yards (2.8 yards per tote) with no touchdowns. Vaughn caught 10 of his 12 targets for 58 yards in the passing game. Dallas cut Vaughn from their roster at the end of training camp in late August.