In Week 9, the Jets are expected to get Breece Hall back from a five-game absence this week as they visit the Chiefs, but while Hall has been out, Braelon Allen has been very effective. What will the timeshare look like in Week 9, and how can you plan on using Hall or Allen in fantasy football lineups in a tough matchup against the Chiefs?
Let’s look at the latest info on Hall’s injury and status for this week and preview the Jets’ backfield against the Chiefs on Sunday.
Breece Hall injury update
Hall originally sustained his quadriceps injury in Week 3 against the Lions. While he has seemed close to a return in each of the last two weeks, he was ruled out before kickoff. Coach Aaron Glenn said that he is “trending in the right direction” for this week, and he was limited in practice on Wednesday.
Hall’s name has been floating in trade rumors as well, with teams possibly moving to him if they can’t get Jonathan Taylor from the Colts. Some of the teams that have been connected to big RB additions are the Broncos, Seahawks, and Vikings. However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on Wednesday that he “would be surprised if the Jets moved RB Breece Hall.”
Hall was effective before the injury, running for 163 yards on 51 carries and adding 10 catches on 10 targets for 102 yards.
As long as he doesn’t suffer a setback in practice in the buildup to Week 9, Hall is likely to get back in action this week.
Braelon Allen’s emergence
While Hall has been absent, Allen has looked the part of a true No. 1 running back.
He has over 75 rushing yards in four straight contests and has over 100 yards and 21 FPTS in three of those contests. He ran for a career high with 147 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Raiders last week.
Allen only had two catches for six yards in that contest, but overall, he has been very solid as a receiver out of the backfield as well, showing no real weakness as a three-down option with Hall out.
Even before Hall’s injury, Allen played 40% of snaps in Week 1 and 31% of snaps in Week 2. After so much success in the last four weeks, he could easily maintain the majority of the workload even after Hall gets back to full speed.
Jets RBs Fantasy Football Outlook
Short-term, Allen is definitely the preferred play until Hall gets back to full speed after missing five weeks. Once both backs are fully healthy, it’s very uncertain exactly how the timeshare will shake out. Coach Aaron Glenn didn’t bring clarity to the situation when asked about it on Wednesday.
This week, both running backs are in a tough matchup against the Chiefs, who have only allowed 100 yards rushing to running backs one time in their seven games this season. They have given up five rushing touchdowns to RBs, and Jonah Coleman had a good game against them last week, but it’s still a tough spot, especially on the road in Kansas City.
The Bottom Line: Start Braelon Allen in all formats, but Breece Hall retains long-term value
With his recent results, Allen is an RB3 or FLEX play in all formats, even if Hall is back this week. Hall will be more of a high-risk play since he may need to be eased back into the rotation. He still brings plenty of long-term potential if he is back in place as a top option, whether that’s with the Jets or another team down the road.
In Week 9, the Jets RBs are also on the board as part of the main DraftKings DFS contests like the NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]. Allen’s salary has climbed to $6,300, while Hall is at $6,000. Both are high-risk plays at that salary with an uncertain timeshare and tough matchup.
