Who Should I Start? Israel Abanikanda or Kene Nwangwu

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.

Sunday, September 7, 1:47 PM

The New York Jets announced that running back Kene Nwangwu (hamstring) is questionable to return to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The veteran's primary job is to be the kick returner, so the Jets placed receiver Xavier Gipson in that role in the meantime. From a fantasy perspective, Nwangwu, who has four career kick return touchdowns, is only a roster option in leagues that score return yards.