Who Should I Start? Riley Nowakowski or Kaytron Allen

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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.

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
2.0 10.6 0.1 0.3 2.0 0.0

Kaytron Allen News

Kaytron Allen Given Large Workload in Preseason Debut

Friday, August 14, 6:31 PM

Washington Commanders running back Kaytron Allen tallied 23 carries, 85 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown during Friday's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. He also converted one of his two targets for a one-yard reception. Allen, a sixth-round pick out of Penn State, is presumably competing for the No. 3 role behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White and ahead of Jeremy McNichols. More importantly, Allen could be proving to the coaching staff that he deserves consistent touches once the regular season comes around. There's not much pass-catching upside here, but it wouldn't be crazy to say that Allen could become the primary ball-carrier if Croskey-Merritt goes down, while White remains in more of a receiving role. Allen's big preseason showing makes him an instant riser in dynasty leagues, and he could even sneak onto the fantasy radar as an option in the deepest of redraft formats.

Riley Nowakowski vs. Kaytron Allen

Still trying to decide between Nowakowski and Allen? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Riley Nowakowski is projected to score 1.2 points this week while Kaytron Allen is projected to score 2.0 points.