Who Should I Start? Nyheim Hines or J.K. Dobbins

Tuesday, February 18, 9:08 PM

The Cleveland Browns released running back Nyheim Hines (knee) on Tuesday. Hines has not played in an NFL game due to a torn ACL since 2022, when he split time with the Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills. The Browns were hoping that the 28-year-old would be ready at some point in 2024, but that never came to pass and he spent all year on Injured Reserve. He'll now have to prove he's past his knee injury in order to get picked up by another team looking for a RB with pass-catching skills out of the backfield as depth at the position. The former fourth-rounder (104th overall) by the Colts in 2018 out of North Carolina State has 306 rushing attempts for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 240 receptions for 1,778 receiving yards and eight TDs in five NFL seasons. Even if Hines latches on with a new team for 2025, he won't be on the fantasy radar.

Wednesday, June 11, 12:52 PM

ESPN's Jeff Legwold writes that the Denver Broncos figure to give new running back J.K. Dobbins a long look in the third-down role ahead of Week 1 of the 2025 regular season. Dobbins has dealt with multiple injuries since being drafted in 2020, mainly knee and Achilles injuries, but he had career-highs in rushing yards (905), catches (32) and receiving yards (153) last year with the Los Angeles Chargers and tied his career best with nine rushing touchdowns. And that was with him missing four games in 2024 with an MCL sprain. Javonte Williams led the Broncos in carries (139) and rushing yards (513) last year, but he's now in Dallas. Second-round rookie RB RJ Harvey is the favorite for lead-back duties in 2025, but Dobbins (if healthy) could be a nice RB3/flex option for fantasy managers in PPR leagues if he captures the full-time third-down role.