Who Should I Start? Nick Chubb or Braelon Allen

Monday, February 16, 12:04 PM

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb is likely in the final stage of his career after an underwhelming season with the team. Chubb hasn't been the same since his ACL and MCL tears in Cleveland in 2023. After seven years in Cleveland, he joined the Texans for the 2025 season to operate as their No. 1 running back ahead of Woody Marks. The veteran was held in check early in the season, though, and Marks ended up taking over the backfield. Chubb finished the year with a modest 506 rushing yards and three touchdowns, ranking as the overall RB54 in PPR leagues. His 5.9 points per game represented a new career low, and it has become evident that he's not going to be a major fantasy threat going forward. He's slated to hit free agency this offseason and will presumably end up signing somewhere as a backup -- presumably somewhere with an established, younger lead back. It'll be tough to trade Chubb for anything at this point in dynasty leagues, but he's definitely not a "buy."

Monday, February 9, 6:45 PM

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (knee) saw his 2025 season come to an abrupt end after he suffered an MCL sprain back in Week 4. New York left the door open for him to return, but that never came to fruition. He ultimately finished his second pro season with 18 carries, 76 rushing yards, two catches, 17 receiving yards, and one touchdown through parts of four games. It was a frustrating setback for a young ball-carrier who was projected to eat into Breece Hall's workload. While that didn't pan out in 2025, we could still see Allen step into a much larger role next season. Hall is headed for free agency, and if the Jets don't franchise tag him, he could quite possibly sign elsewhere. That would leave Allen and Isaiah Davis, who had 422 yards and one touchdown across 16 games last season, sharing a rung atop the depth chart. The fantasy surge of Allen and Davis hinges on New York letting Hall walk and failing to replace him, which is far from a guarantee. However, there's certainly a path to Allen being a top-36 fantasy running back next season. Managers should pay close attention to the Jets' free agency plans when evaluating the 22-year-old's fantasy future.