Who Should I Start? J.J. Taylor or Jaret Patterson

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).

Sunday, November 2, 9:14 AM

Los Angeles Chargers running back Jaret Patterson has been elevated to the active roster for Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans, which means he'll likely serve as the backup to Kimani Vidal once again. The Bolts have been forced to make plenty of running back moves this season with Najee Harris (Achilles), Omarion Hampton (ankle), and Hassan Haskins (hamstring) all on injured reserve. Vidal has played quite well as the de facto lead back, but having someone like Patterson for a change of pace is important. He played 21 percent of the snaps last week, rushing for 30 yards on 11 carries. We could see him handle a similar workload if the Chargers take an early lead on the Titans and pull some starters, but it probably won't be enough to get Patterson on the fantasy radar unless he scores a touchdown. Managers can continue to leave him on waivers in most leagues.