Who Should I Start? Javonte Williams or Jaleel McLaughlin

Sunday, August 30, 12:40 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams appears poised to remain in the workhorse role following the team's latest batch of cuts. Dallas cut running backs Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah, and Israel Abanikanda on Sunday, leaving the Cowboys with a backfield of just Williams and Malik Davis. We saw Dallas carry just two running backs into game day quite often last year, and it looks like they're sticking with that same strategy this year. We could see Blue or Mafah return to the practice squad, but at the very least, the Cowboys are making it clear that they only felt compelled to keep Williams and Davis. That's great news for Williams' fantasy managers, as it points to him being used as the workhorse back once again this year. If the Cowboys wanted to spread the workload around, they would've likely kept three running backs. Williams' exact workload will depend on game script, but we wouldn't be surprised to see him consistently get at least 18 to 20 touches per game. Last year, he averaged 18.9 touches per game with 1,138 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns by season's end. He remains a mid-to-low RB1 for fantasy purposes in 2026.