The NFL season is quickly approaching, and fantasy drafts are starting. At DraftKings, you can play an array of different season-long fantasy contests.
This is a look at the fantasy value of all of the players in the New York Jets’ backfield.
New York Jets Backfield
It has been a brutal past two years for the Jets. Of course, it has been brutal for much longer than that for Jets fans, but the last two years were specifically full of false hope. They had one of the best defenses in the league, some promising young talent on offense, and then added what they thought was the missing piece: Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Of course, year one under Rodgers lasted just four plays and was over as soon as it started. However, as the defense and young stars continued to shine, optimism grew for year two under Rodgers. That also didn’t pan out, as Rodgers lost a step and the Jets’ defense and special teams took a big step back.
In 2025, the Jets are starting a new era. They have a new general manager, head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterback. Former Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn will be leading the team, with former Lions Passing Game Coordinator Tanner Engstrand at OC and Justin Fields at quarterback. The Jets were a very pass-heavy team under Aaron Rodgers and Nathaniel Hackett. Last season, New York ranked fourth in the NFL in passing play percentage. With Justin Fields, the Jets should become a much more run-heavy team. In 2022 and 2023, when Justin Fields was the full-time starter in Chicago, the Bears ranked 31st and 32nd in passing play percentage, respectively.
This run-heavy approach should help Breece Hall get back to his elite form. Hall was one of the best running backs in football in 2023, ranking second only to Christian McCaffrey in PPR fantasy scoring. However, he dropped off in 2024 with Aaron Rodgers, ranking 16th in that same metric. Hall is now heading into a contract year, and while his fellow 2022 Draft classmates, Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson, have gotten contract extensions, it looks like Hall will play the year out with no extension. Hall will look to prove he is worth a big contract next offseason, either with the Jets or elsewhere.
Running Back Handcuffs: Braelon Allen
During Breece Hall’s struggles last season, the Jets turned to their rookie running back Braelon Allen. Allen was a star at Wisconsin and immediately forged a place for himself in the Jets’ offense. He finished the season with nearly 500 all-purpose yards and scored three touchdowns. With Breece Hall potentially headed elsewhere next season, the Jets could look to give Allen more touches in year two, trying to see if he is capable of being their running back of the future. The progression that Allen shows this season could actually play a huge role in whether or not the Jets decide to pay Breece Hall this offseason.
In a more run-heavy offense, Braelon Allen should naturally see more touches. The Jets will hope to get Breece Hall back to the peak of his powers, but to do that, they won’t want to overwork him. If they are running the ball significantly more, Allen will see a lot more action. Allen is also a strong physical runner and could start to see more goal-line touches. The Jets ranked first in the NFL in passing touchdown percentage last season. Hackett and Rodgers wanted the ball in the QB’s hands, making the plays when they got close to the end zone. Between the improved competence at offensive coordinator and Justin Fields’ dynamic running ability, the Jets should have the opposite approach this season. They should look to use Allen and Hall in option packages with Fields and try to pound it in.
The legs of Justin Fields should help the Jets’ running backs as a whole. Aaron Rodgers was one of the least mobile quarterbacks in football, and despite his flaws, Fields is one of the best running quarterbacks the league has ever seen. The threat of Justin Fields being able to take the ball and run himself takes some of the attention off of whichever back is on the field. The Jets also invested in their offensive line this offseason, drafting Armand Membou to play right tackle with their first-round pick. They will now start Membou and Olu Fashanu, their first-round picks from the past two years, at the two tackle positions. All of this should lead to a bounce-back year from Breece Hall and an improvement on a promising rookie year from Braelon Allen.
