Who Should I Start? Nathan Carter or Riley Nowakowski

BENCH

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
0.8 5.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Nathan Carter News

Nathan Carter Racks Up 17 Carries in Bid for No. 3 RB Role

Sunday, August 23, 7:09 AM

Atlanta Falcons running back Nathan Carter earned the bulk of the backfield load in Saturday's 34-6 win over the Colts, playing the entire game and rushing 17 times for 42 yards. The second-year back also scored one of the team's four touchdowns, finding the end zone from one yard out early in the second quarter. Carter served as the team's No. 3 back last season, tallying just nine carries for 60 scoreless yards, and is in position to operate in that role again this year. There is some competition from offseason signee Tyler Goodson, who also scored on a 49-yard run in Saturday's contest, but neither back figures to be fantasy relevant unless either Bijan Robinson or Brian Robinson were to go down with injury, so Carter should remain off the radar in fantasy drafts.

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.

Nathan Carter vs. Riley Nowakowski

Still trying to decide between Carter and Nowakowski? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Nathan Carter is projected to score 0.8 points this week while Riley Nowakowski is projected to score 1.2 points.