Who Should I Start? Israel Abanikanda or Michael Wiley

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.

Thursday, February 6, 5:54 PM

The Washington Commanders announced on Thursday that they re-signed running back Michael Wiley to a Reserve/Futures deal. Wiley was an undrafted rookie out of the University of Arizona but eventually found his way onto the Commanders' practice squad during the 2024 season. The 24-year-old never got brought up to the active 53-man roster for a regular season game, though, and he will now look to continue his development this offseason in Washington before he makes his case for a roster spot in spring training this summer. Wiley stands at 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds and is a native of Houston, Texas.