Who Should I Start? Jacob Saylors or Riley Nowakowski


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.4 2.0 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.0

Jacob Saylors News

Jacob Saylors Leads Lions in Rushing on Saturday

Sunday, August 24, 9:08 AM

Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors recorded nine carries for 32 yards and three receptions for 27 yards in preseason action on Saturday against the Houston Texans. The 24-year-old is a long shot to make the team, but he saw an increased workload in the preseason finale with Detroit's presumed RB4 Sione Vaki (undisclosed) sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Saylors finishes the preseason with 164 yards from scrimmage on 40 total touches. If Vaki's injury leads him to miss the start of the regular season, Saylors could find his way onto the Lions' 53-man roster. Still, he's unlikely to be fantasy-relevant in 2025.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.2 0.0 0.0 0.6 5.3 0.0

Riley Nowakowski News

Steelers Select Riley Nowakowski at No. 169 Overall

Saturday, April 25, 11:23 AM

The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Indiana tight end prospect Riley Nowakowski with the 169th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Nowakowski caught 32 passes for 387 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the Hoosiers' national championship-winning offense last year. He also got involved as a fullback, scoring two rushing touchdowns. We could see him take on a similar hybrid fullback/tight end role in Pittsburgh, serving as the team's replacement for Connor Heyward, who signed with the Raiders this offseason. Assuming that's the case, Nowakowski doesn't have a clear path to fantasy relevance. He can be avoided in most fantasy football drafts.


Jacob Saylors vs. Riley Nowakowski

Still trying to decide between Saylors and Nowakowski? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jacob Saylors is projected to score 0.4 points this week while Riley Nowakowski is projected to score 1.2 points.