Who Should I Start? J.J. Taylor or Israel Abanikanda

Wednesday, August 20, 12:10 PM

The Houston Texans announced on Tuesday that they released running back J.J. Taylor and wide receiver Xavier Johnson and signed wide receivers Cornell Powell and Juwann Winfree in corresponing moves, according to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. Taylor didn't do enough to impress the Texans coaching staff during training camp and the preseason and will now look to catch on with another RB-needy team before the start of the 2025 regular season in early September. The 27-year-old had 10 touches for 29 yards in Houston's two preseason contests. Last year with the Texans, Taylor played in only five games and carried the ball 10 times for 44 yards and caught two passes for no gain. In his four NFL seasons (three with New England), he has only 62 carries for 200 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games played (no starts).

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.