Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Tahj Brooks

Monday, September 8, 6:06 PM

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said that the team planned to give running back Najee Harris 12 to 15 plays in the Week 1 season opener last Friday in Brazil against the Kansas City Chiefs and capped him at 12. However, Harbaugh said Harris' workload could change in a Week 2 divisional clash on Monday night against the Las Vegas Raiders. Harris was only on the field for 12 plays last Friday in the 27-21 win but managed just one carry for five yards while catching his only target for another five-yard pickup. Meanwhile, first-round rookie Omarion Hampton led the Bolts' backfield with 15 carries for 48 yards (3.2 yards per tote) while adding two catches for 13 yards. Harris missed almost all of training camp and the entire preseason with an eye injury, which is why L.A. eased him in. While he could see the field more in Week 2, he still won't be much more than a shaky RB3/flex in fantasy.

Saturday, September 6, 11:53 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after a lengthy collegiate career at Texas Tech. While he didn't do much in his two preseason contests, he reportedly looked good throughout training camp. With that in mind, Chase Brown is the undisputed No. 1 option out of the backfield. Samaje Perine is back in the mix after signing a two-year deal in the offseason. That leaves little room for Brooks, who will likely get the residual scraps left over by Brown and Perine in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. That arrangement will likely extend moving forward. Unfortunately, that won't him a viable option in any format on Sunday and beyond, so he shouldn't be starting in any fantasy lineup.