Who Should I Start? Travis Homer or Patrick Taylor Jr.

Tuesday, August 26, 8:21 PM

Chicago Bears running back Travis Homer (calf) has been placed on injured reserve with a return designation, per an announcement from the team. The return designation means Homer must miss the first four games of the season, but will have a chance to play in 2025. With or without Homer, the Bears are thin at running back behind D'Andre Swift. Chicago's top RB2 candidates, Roschon Johnson (foot) and Kyle Monangai (undisclosed), are both dealing with injuries of their own. The Bears are a logical candidate to bring in some help at the running back position before the regular season begins. If they do not, Swift could be in line for a heavy workload and may be a value for fantasy managers in the middle rounds of drafts.

Wednesday, August 20, 9:56 AM

The San Francisco 49ers have placed veteran running back Patrick Taylor Jr. (shoulder) on the season-ending injured reserve list. Taylor suffered a dislocated shoulder in the team's second preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders, and he joins the growing list of 49ers running backs struck by injury. While presumed backup Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) was able to return to practice on Tuesday after missing several weeks with a shoulder injury of his own, the team has already lost Ameer Abdullah (ribs) for the season. Rookie Jordan James has already missed a few weeks due to a broken finger. After trading Jordan Mason to the Minnesota Vikings, the 49ers' running back depth has been seriously tested already, which is the last thing the team needs in their efforts to keep All-Pro Christian McCaffrey healthy. Jeff Wilson Jr. and Ke'Shawn Vaughn will likely see the majority of work in the team's final preseason game. If he can remain healthy, McCaffrey once more enters the year as perhaps the biggest difference maker in fantasy football. Still, given his checkered injury history, Guerendo is one of the league's most important backups to roster.