The New York Jets have arguably the top running-back duo in the NFL. Breece Hall had an outstanding rookie year before a torn ACL ended his season in Week 7, and Dalvin Cook is dangerous when healthy. Which back is the better starting option for fantasy football players in Week 2?
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Breece Hall’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
Some believed Hall would miss the first few weeks recovering from the torn ACL injury. Instead, the former Iowa State star played in Week 1 and was outstanding. He had 10 rushing attempts for 127 yards and a reception for 20 yards against the Buffalo Bills.
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Hall scored 15.2 half-point PPR fantasy points, making him the RB9 in Week 1. Furthermore, he scored the third-most fantasy points in a game in his short career. However, the second-year running back’s final numbers got inflated by two long runs.
The former Iowa State star’s first two rushing attempts totaled 26 and 83 yards. Those two plays accounted for nearly 86% of Hall’s rushing yards in Week 1. By comparison, he averaged only 2.3 yards per rushing attempt on his other eight rushing attempts last week.
Dalvin Cook’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
Meanwhile, Cook’s New York debut wasn’t flashy. The former Florida State star had 13 rushing attempts for 33 yards against the Bills. He also caught all three targets for 26 receiving yards, ending the game with 7.4 half-point PPR fantasy points.
While Cook was only the RB34 in Week 1, fantasy players should feel encouraged by his play. The veteran running back only had a few weeks of practice before opening night after having offseason shoulder surgery. More importantly, he was the team’s lead running back.
The former Florida State star played 50% of the snaps in Week 1. By comparison, Hall played 31% of the snaps; Michael Carter played 22%. Furthermore, Cook had the most rushing attempts on the team. He also led the team’s running backs in routes run (13) and target per route run rate (23.1%) against the Bills.
Which of the New York Jets’ Running Backs Should You Start?
This week, the Jets face the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys shut down Saquon Barkley in Week 1, holding the superstar running back to 12 rushing attempts for 51 yards and 7.8 half-point PPR fantasy points.
Last year, Dallas had held running backs to only 16.1 fantasy points per game, the second-fewest in the NFL. Therefore, fantasy players should avoid starting either New York running back in Week 2.
With Zach Wilson under center, the Cowboys will do everything possible to make the third-year quarterback beat them on Sunday. While head coach Robert Saleh said Hall will remain on a snap count this week, the former Iowa State star is the better starting option against the Cowboys. His ability to turn any rushing attempt into a significant gain gives him a slight edge over the older Cook.