Who Should I Start? Jordan James or Kalel Mullings

Thursday, August 7, 4:31 PM

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Jordan James (finger) broke his finger and will undergo surgery, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. As a result, James will be out for "a couple weeks," according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. It's tough news for the 21-year-old heading into his first NFL season, but the good news is that he could still be ready to roll for the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September. Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) is also expected to miss a couple weeks, so San Fran's backfield behind injury-prone Christian McCaffrey is suddenly very thin in camp. Going forward, Patrick Taylor, Ameer Abdullah and Corey Kiner will see more opportunities to prove themselves in practices and the preseason. Unless Guerendo isn't ready for the start of the season, James will probably go undrafted in most single-year fantasy leagues.

Sunday, August 10, 11:57 AM

Tennessee Titans rookie running back Kalel Mullings finished with a team-high 33 rushing yards on seven carries in Saturday's preseason-opening 29-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With starter Tony Pollard receiving limited work (four carries, nine yards) and Tyjae Spears suffering a high-ankle sprain, Mullings ended up serving as the Titans' lead back. Julius Chestnut, who's competing with Mullings, totaled 18 yards on three carries and added one catch for eight yards. A sixth-round pick from Michigan, Mullings ran for 948 yards and six touchdowns on 185 attempts in his last year with the Wolverines in 2024. The 22-year-old could see an increased role during Spears' absence. If Spears isn't able to return by the Titans' season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 7, it could be Mullings backing up Pollard. In the meantime, Mullings will try to build on a productive debut in preseason game No. 2 against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday.