Who Should I Start? Israel Abanikanda or Ronnie Rivers

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, March 16, 3:14 PM

The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to re-sign running back Ronnie Rivers to a one-year deal. The contract amount has not been disclosed. Rivers has spent the last three seasons with LA, though he never garnered more than 32 carries despite appearing in 34 games since 2022. He's a versatile back and profiles to be a solid handcuff if ever called upon in that capacity. However, he's more of an asset on special teams for the Rams, piling up 75.7% of his 2024 snaps in that phase of the game. The 26-year-old will continue to vie for offensive snaps with backup Blake Corum behind incumbent starter Kyren Williams. Rivers can currently be ignored for fantasy purposes.