Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Tyler Allgeier

Monday, October 21, 12:07 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris handled 21 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown in a 37-15 win against the New York Jets. He failed to haul in his only target of the contest, but Harris was nonetheless productive and efficient on the ground. Although he ran hard throughout the game, he did not find the end zone until only 26 seconds remained in the fourth quarter, rumbling in for a 10-yard score to seal the victory. After a slow start to the campaign, Harris has looked great over the past two weeks. Additional goal-line opportunities could be in store for him going forward as Pittsburgh's offense seems more capable of pushing the ball downfield with quarterback Russell Wilson under center. Harris should project as a solid fantasy RB2 next week against the New York Giants.

Monday, October 21, 2:10 PM

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier returned his usual backup role in Sunday's 34-14 loss to the Seahawks, ceding a full workhorse load to backfield mate Bijan Robinson. It seemed the 24-year-old's role was expanding, culminating with an 18-carry, 105-yard outburst in Week 6, but finished Week 7 with just five carries compared to Robinson's season-high 21 rush attempts, totaling 36 yards on the ground while adding one catch for nine yards. He was never destined to out-touch Robinson, but his efficiency (5.5 YPC) and proven ability to carry the load pointed to more opportunities that ultimately did not come to pass this week. Despite averaging 7.2 YPC in Sunday's contest, Allgeier still looks like a volatile, game-script-dependent fantasy asset right now, but remains a strong handcuff to Robinson should anything happen to Atlanta's lead back. The Falcons' Week 8 opponent, Tampa Bay, has generally been stout against the run, which doesn't bode well for Allgeier's near-term prospects.