Who Should I Start? Trey Sermon or Israel Abanikanda

Monday, October 21, 1:09 AM

Indianapolis Colts running back Trey Sermon carried the ball eight times for 36 yards in the team's 16-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. Sermon also caught his only target for another 13 yards through the air. Sermon took a backseat to running back Tyler Goodson in Sunday's matchup, being out-touched 14-to-nine, marking the first time Goodson had the higher opportunity share since the two overtook the backfield in Jonathan Taylor's (ankle) absence. Sermon had some issues with efficiency in the previous week but improved on that, averaging 4.5 yards per carry on Sunday. Sermon's fantasy value does take quite a hit with Goodson's expanded role, and the two may both be off the radar in Week 8 if Taylor were to return. If Taylor sits out again in Week 8 against the Houston Texans, Sermon can be viewed as a RB3/4 option.

Monday, September 9, 7:44 PM

New York Jets running back Israel Abanikanda is a healthy scratch for the team's Week 1 regular-season opener at Levi's Stadium on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers. Abanikanda enters the 2024 season as the team's RB4 behind starter and bell-cow Breece Hall and rookies Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. As such, the 21-year-old is obviously off the fantasy radar in most single-year leagues for the time being unless injuries push him into a relevant game-day role. The former fifth-round pick out of Pittsburgh last year was also buried on the depth chart in his rookie season and finished with 22 carries for 70 yards while catching seven passes for 43 yards in only six games. Abanikanda has breakaway speed but is once again buried on the depth chart and will have to wait for his opportunity beyond Week 1.