Who Should I Start? Lan Larison or Riley Nowakowski

BENCH

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
0.9 5.9 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Lan Larison News

Lan Larison an Early Leader for RB3 Role

Friday, July 31, 1:54 PM

Patriots.com's Evan Lazar reports that New England Patriots second-year running back Lan Larison appears to be an early leader for the third RB job behind TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson. With that said, rookies Jam Miller and Myles Montgomery "have flashed explosiveness and lateral quickness" so far in training camp. Larison might be the early favorite, but it might not be easy for him to hold off both rookies, who "have noticeable burst inside the outside zone schemes." The deciding factor for all three young RBs could come on special teams, and all three have been getting opportunities in the return game in early practices. Larison, who went undrafted last year out of UC Davis, didn't get involved at all on offense in his rookie season in 2025 due to a broken foot that landed him on Injured Reserve last August. At best, Larison is a stash candidate for RB depth in deep dynasty/keeper leagues.

START

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.

Lan Larison vs. Riley Nowakowski

Still trying to decide between Larison and Nowakowski? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Lan Larison is projected to score 0.9 points this week while Riley Nowakowski is projected to score 1.2 points.