Who Should I Start? Phil Mafah or Lan Larison

Saturday, August 9, 11:43 AM

Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Phil Mafah indicated Friday that he played through a torn labrum in his shoulder during his final college season at Clemson, Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News reports. Mafah has been looking good in camp thus far and mentioned that he is feeling healthy, then proceeded to discuss his 2024 injury. During the 2024 season, he rushed for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns on 216 carries. He also caught 21 passes for 103 yards and played all 14 games, starting every one, and was voted a permanent team captain by his teammates. Those are still solid numbers considering he was dealing with a shoulder injury. Nonetheless, it could be why he fell to the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft in the spring. A big performance from Mafah on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams could create a running back battle in the Cowboys' backfield between the two veterans (Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders) and the two rookies (Jaydon Blue and Mafah) ahead of Week 1. At this point, from a fantasy standpoint, Mafah remains a dynasty stash at best.

Saturday, August 9, 12:34 AM

New England Patriots running back Lan Larison rushed seven times for 35 yards and a touchdown during Friday's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders. He also caught each of his two targets for a total of nine yards through the air. Larison, a 23-year-old UC Davis product, signed with the team as an undrafted free agent back in May. As a result, he faces an uphill battle to make the roster. Nevertheless, he certainly made a positive impact and got himself noticed with Friday's productive showing. As the summer carries on, Larison will likely continue to compete with Terrell Jennings and JaMycal Hasty for the No. 4 running back role.