New York Jets running back Breece Hall was so impressive in his first game back from a torn ACL injury last season, many fantasy football managers are worrying if they made a big mistake passing on him in fantasy drafts.
But how is that surgically repaired knee holding up after his encouraging 2023 debut? Let’s take a closer look.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Start/Sit Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
Latest News Surrounding Breece Hall
After a prime-time matchup on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills, the Jets went through a walk-through for Wednesday’s practice heading into their Week 2 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
According to the Jets’ injury report, Hall was a limited participant in practice to start the week.
Injury report: The Jets only had a walk through today, which was closed to the media. #Jets pic.twitter.com/pnhsEf1Iwr
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) September 13, 2023
His limited participation isn’t necessarily a sign that he suffered any sort of setback and could very well be a planned rest day to manage the workload on his left knee, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on his practice participation as the week progresses.
Will Hall Play This Week?
Hall appeared on the team’s final meaningful offensive possession in regulation and didn’t appear to re-aggravate his injured knee or suffer any significant setback during the game.
What we don’t know is whether or not Hall is dealing with any swelling after seeing his first game action since October of last season.
MORE: NFL Fantasy News Tracker
If anything, his limited participation in practice is likely a good sign. The Jets certainly could be taking a cautious approach with his practice participation to ensure his health for Sunday.
What Does This Mean for Hall’s and Dalvin Cook’s Fantasy Ranking?
The Jets’ backfield felt like a complete mystery heading into the season opener. If you simply look at the box score, many will wonder why Cook out-touched Hall 16 to 11.
Cook: 13 carries for 33 (3.3 YPC) and three receptions for 26 yards
Hall: 10 carries for 127 yards (12.7 YPC) and one reception for 20 yards
This tells me the Jets clearly had a plan for managing Hall’s workload in Week 1. Cook didn’t look bad by any means, but Hall looked like the more explosive option consistently throughout the night.
I expect the work in this backfield to remain pretty even throughout the first month of the season while the team continues to ramp up Hall’s workload off the knee injury. But I still expect him to be more efficient with his looks than Cook.
Unfortunately, the even split isn’t going to do either backs any favors in their upcoming matchup against the Cowboys this Sunday.
The Dallas defense made life miserable for New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the season opener, sacking him seven times and picking him off twice in the midst of a 40-0 destruction of their division rival on national television. If Jones struggled against this stout defense, I’m not exactly feeling great about Jets starting quarterback Zach Wilson generating a ton of scoring opportunities in this one.
Let’s not forget, the Cowboys also managed to limit Giants running back Saquon Barkley to just 63 total yards on 15 touches.
If the Jets’ offense struggles to stay on the field, I just don’t see the upside for either of these talented New York backs to have a big day against Dallas.
Currently, I have Hall as the RB26 in the PFN Weekly Consensus Rankings and will likely keep him there if he continues to practice as the week progresses.