Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Braelon Allen

Tuesday, July 29, 7:13 PM

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said at training camp on Tuesday that there's still no timeline for running back Najee Harris (eye) to return to practice. The Chargers will play their first preseason game on Thursday against the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame game, and Harris hasn't been on the practice field at all with his new team after injuring his eye during a fireworks accident back on the Fourth of July. The Chargers are optimistic that Harris will be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season in early September, but with him missing all this crucial practice time, the odds of rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton seizing lead-back work increases each day Harris is absent. The former Steelers RB has been consistent so far in his NFL career, but he lacks big-play ability and could be working behind Hampton all year.

Friday, August 1, 2:16 PM

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (knee) returned to practice on Friday, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Allen missed the team's practices on both Wednesday and Thursday due to knee soreness. The second-year back has drawn rave reviews thus far in training camp, and early reporting indicates that the Jets plan to use more of a committee approach in the backfield between Allen, Breece Hall, and Isaiah Davis. As a rookie in 2024, Allen rushed for 334 yards and two touchdowns on 92 carries. Provided he can stay healthy, all indications are that he'll significantly increase his workload in 2025. If that happens, he could be a value as a late-round dart throw in fantasy drafts.