Who Should I Start? Israel Abanikanda or Noah Whittington
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Noah Whittington News
Thursday, August 13, 7:21 PM
Houston Texans running back Noah Whittington finished his team's preseason loss to the Chargers with 13 carries for 40 yards and also caught his only target for a loss of four yards. The undrafted rookie from Oregon fits the profile of a potential rotational back due to his compact frame and powerful running style. His heavy workload could lead to him earning a spot on the team, and since Houston likes to rotate running backs, he could end up with fantasy value at some point this season. Woody Marks and Jawhar Jordan are back to carry the load alongside newcomer David Montgomery, though, so Whittington will need to show more explosiveness before he threatens for enough work to be fantasy relevant. It is worth noting, though, that he got plenty of chances to make an impact in Preseason Week 1 against the Chargers.
Israel Abanikanda vs. Noah Whittington
Still trying to decide between Abanikanda and Whittington? 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 Noah Whittington is projected to score 0.0 points.
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