Who Should I Start? Jeff Wilson Jr. or Phil Mafah

Sunday, August 10, 8:52 PM

The San Francisco 49ers are signing free-agent running back Jeff Wilson Jr., according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 29-year-old had a recent workout with the team and is now returning to San Francisco, where he began his career under head coach Kyle Shanahan and played from 2018-22. The 49ers traded Wilson to the Dolphins during the 2022 campaign after acquiring Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers. Wilson combined for a career-high 860 rushing yards and scored six touchdowns (five rushing, one receiving) between San Francisco and Miami that year, but his role in the Dolphins' offense diminished from 2023-24. Wilson totaled a meager 16 carries for 57 yards in nine games last season, and he spent several months on the open market as a result. Now that he's reuniting with the 49ers, Wilson will provide healthy depth at RB for a team lacking it behind McCaffrey. Backups Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) and Jordan James (finger) are dealing with injuries that will keep them out for a couple of weeks apiece. Meanwhile, recent free-agent pickup Ameer Abdullah (rib) had to leave the team's preseason opener against the Denver Broncos early on Saturday after suffering a rib injury.

Saturday, August 9, 11:43 AM

Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Phil Mafah indicated Friday that he played through a torn labrum in his shoulder during his final college season at Clemson, Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News reports. Mafah has been looking good in camp thus far and mentioned that he is feeling healthy, then proceeded to discuss his 2024 injury. During the 2024 season, he rushed for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns on 216 carries. He also caught 21 passes for 103 yards and played all 14 games, starting every one, and was voted a permanent team captain by his teammates. Those are still solid numbers considering he was dealing with a shoulder injury. Nonetheless, it could be why he fell to the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft in the spring. A big performance from Mafah on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams could create a running back battle in the Cowboys' backfield between the two veterans (Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders) and the two rookies (Jaydon Blue and Mafah) ahead of Week 1. At this point, from a fantasy standpoint, Mafah remains a dynasty stash at best.