Braelon Allen has thrived in his five games as the Jets’ lead back. Since Breece Hall went down with a quadriceps injury after Week 3, Allen has handled at least 16 touches in every game, and he just ran for 147 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries against Las Vegas. Now Hall has been medically cleared, practiced in full and carries no injury designation for Sunday’s trip to Kansas City. Find out whether you should start or sit Braelon Allen in Week 9.
Braelon Allen Start or Sit Advice for Week 9
Allen has earned a real role. Over the last five games, he has run for 504 yards on 93 carries, a 5.4 yards-per-carry clip, and he has averaged 21.4 PPR points across his last two outings. He has also taken over near the goal line, with 11 red zone carries in that span, including five against the Raiders.
That production gives the Jets a reason to keep him involved. Hall has averaged just 3.2 yards per carry this season, and a back returning from a five-game absence could see his snaps managed in his first game back. If New York splits the work more evenly than it did early in the season, Allen keeps some value.
Kansas City does give backs something to work with as receivers. The Chiefs allow 41.9 receiving yards per game to the position, above the league average of 32.4.
The Biggest Fantasy Risk for Braelon Allen in Week 9
Hall’s return reshapes this backfield. When both backs were healthy in Weeks 1 through 3, Allen handled just 10, 6 and 7 touches, totaling 61 rushing yards. Hall took 24, 21 and 16 touches in those games and drew eight red zone carries to Allen’s two. Hall is also the more involved receiver, so the passing-down work Allen picked up during the absence likely goes back to him as well.
The matchup is a tough one on the ground. Kansas City allows 3.26 yards per carry to running backs against a league average of 4.16, and just 70.3 rushing yards per game to the position against a league mark of 93.5. The Chiefs have also faced only 21 red zone carries from opposing backs, below the league average of 29.2. Kansas City has faced Indianapolis, Denver twice, Miami, Las Vegas, the Chargers and Seattle, a group running 15% below league average against them. That suggests the schedule has helped a little, but not enough to explain the gap.
New York’s offense offers little margin for error. The Jets score 21.2 points per game, convert just 42.3% of their red zone trips against a league average of 59.5% and have allowed 23 sacks. They will also be without Garrett Wilson, who has been ruled out with a concussion. A part-time back in a stalled offense against a stingy run defense has a narrow path to a useful day.
Fantasy Outlook for Braelon Allen in Week 9
Sit Allen in Week 9. He has been productive as the lead back, but Hall is back at full strength, and the last time both were healthy, Allen was a clear backup. Kansas City’s run defense and the Jets’ scoring limitations shrink whatever share he does get.
Allen remains a valuable bench stash. He has shown he can carry the load if Hall suffers a setback, and his recent efficiency could earn him more work if Hall starts slowly. Fantasy managers should wait to see how New York divides the carries before trusting him in a lineup.