Who Should I Start? Israel Abanikanda or Jacob Saylors
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3 | 8.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
Israel Abanikanda News
Friday, August 21, 12:12 PM
Dallas Cowboys running back Israel Abanikanda has exceeded expectations in training camp so far, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. Abanikanda has not appeared in an NFL game since his rookie season in 2023, when he recorded 113 scrimmage yards on 29 touches across six games with the New York Jets. He spent the final portion of the 2025 season on the Cowboys' practice squad and is now competing for a spot on the team's 53-man roster this summer. Dallas has a clear leader in the backfield in running back Javonte Williams. However, the team's RB2 job appears to be an open competition between Jaydon Blue (shoulder), Malik Davis, and Phil Mafah. With all three of those players largely unproven as NFL contributors, Abanikanda may have a chance to work his way into the mix for the Cowboys. In deeper league formats, Abanikanda may be a name for fantasy managers to keep an eye on throughout the remainder of the preseason.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.4 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
Jacob Saylors News
Friday, August 14, 7:07 AM
Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors led his team's ground attack in preseason action against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night, rushing for 55 yards on eight carries while also logging three catches for 28 yards on five targets. Saylors appeared in 16 games for the Lions in 2025, but his impact mostly came on special teams, as he recorded just two carries for 11 yards. Entering 2026, Detroit has running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and Isiah Pacheco locked in at the top of their depth chart. However, Saylors could be leading the team's RB3 competition, which also features Sione Vaki (nose), Kye Robichaux, and Raheem Blackshear. As long as Gibbs and Pacheco are healthy, Saylors is highly unlikely to play a fantasy-relevant role in Detroit. Still, he could be a name to know in deeper leagues in case one of the two top Lions backs suffers an injury.
Israel Abanikanda vs. Jacob Saylors
Still trying to decide between Abanikanda and Saylors? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Israel Abanikanda is projected to score 1.3 points this week while Jacob Saylors is projected to score 0.4 points.
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