Who Should I Start? Jeremy McNichols or Braelon Allen

Tuesday, March 11, 4:37 PM

The Washington Commanders are re-signing running back Jeremy McNichols to an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN's John Keim. Although McNichols wasn't on the fantasy radar at all last year in his first year in D.C., he was a valuable member of the team's RB room as a backup for his blitz pickups while also contributing a career-high 267 rushing yards and a career-high four rushing touchdowns on 55 carries over 17 regular-season games (one start). He also had nine catches for 27 yards and added nine yards and a touchdown on five carries in three playoff games. With both Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler returning to the Commanders' backfield in 2025, McNichols will open the year as the No. 3 RB and will have a bigger role on special teams as a return man. The 29-year-old has only 625 rushing yards and five rushing TDs on 145 carries over seven NFL seasons.

Tuesday, June 3, 12:22 PM

SI.com's Albert Breer thinks that New York Jets running back Braelon Allen could have a significant role in the team's offense this year alongside Breece Hall. In his first year in the NFL in 2024, Allen had 92 carries for 334 yards (3.6 yards per carry) and two touchdowns, adding 19 receptions on 27 targets for 148 yards and another score in 17 games (two starts). The 21-year-old is one of the slower RBs in the league and mainly excels in short-yardage/goal-line situations, but he's also an excellent pass protector and is a polished pass-catcher out of the backfield. Allen lost steam as his rookie season wore on and even lost reps to fifth-rounder Isaiah Davis, but with new head coach Aaron Glenn wanting to establish a run-heavy approach in his first season at the helm, it's possible Allen could see more usage alongside Hall in 2025. At best, though, he's probably a handcuff again for those that select Hall.