Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Tank Bigsby

Wednesday, September 24, 6:15 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Wednesday that they placed running back Najee Harris (Achilles) on Injured Reserve, according to Fernando Ramirez of the Sporting Tribune. Harris' season is over after he tore his Achilles in the Week 3 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. It's a disappointing end to his first year with the Bolts after signing with them in free agency in the offseason. The 27-year-old will end his streak of four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to begin his career. In his three games this year, Harris carried the ball 15 times for 61 yards and no touchdowns, adding three receptions for 25 yards through the air. The Chargers will be forced to lean more on rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton as their lead back going forward, making him a must-start each week. Hassan Haskins will be elevated to the RB2 role, with Kimani Vidal the next man up at No. 2 in the backfield.

Tuesday, December 2, 10:00 PM

Across 11 games since being acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles, running back Tank Bisgby has recorded just 18 carries for 164 yards. As long as star Eagles running back Saquon Barkley remains healthy, there appears to be a firm ceiling on Bigsby's playing time and opportunity for touches. The 24-year-old has logged double-digit offensive snaps in just one game this season. However, Bigsby's average of 9.1 rushing yards per attempt is a clear indicator of his significant production upside if Barkley were to suffer an injury. In a larger, 168-carry sample size across 16 games with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, Bigsby averaged 4.6 yards per attempt and scored seven rushing touchdowns. Bigsby's never provided much production as a receiver, so fellow Eagles back Will Shipley would likely handle passing-downs work even if Barkley were to go down. Still, Bigsby is a high-end handcuff option who is worth rostering in fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams heading into a Week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.