Jets' Fantasy Outlook: One Start, One Sit for Week 2 in Dallas

Only one Gang Green ball carrier warrants starting status in Week 2

It's only one game, but it may have provided enough clarity into the New York Jets' running backs situation. 

Heading into the Monday Night Football season opener against the Buffalo Bills, fantasy managers were in the dark when it came to workload distribution in Gang Green's backfield. Then, there's the fact that both Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook were coming off surgery and there was no telling how they would react to game action at this juncture.

Hall answered a key question on the game's first play from scrimmage, finding space on the left side and ripping off a 26-yard burst. Limited to 31 percent of the Jets' offensive snaps as he builds confidence in his surgically-repaired knee, he finished with 147 total yards on 11 touches.

"I was nervous before the game, a little anxious," said Hall of his first appearance since Week 7 last season. "For me, it was just getting tackled. Once I got my first hit, I was good."

While Hall was arguably the most-efficient player on the field, Cook led all ball carriers in snap count. He was on field for exactly 50 percent of the Jets' 54 offensive plays.

Jets' head coach Robert Saleh admitted that Hall is still on a "pitch count" for the time being. 

"You just try to give him a little more every single week," said Saleh. "It’s our job to protect players from themselves, because they’re just so competitive. We’ll continue to push the envelope, same thing for Dalvin, we’ll continue to push the envelope to get those guys into football shape."

The season-opening performances should inspire fantasy managers to START Hall but SIT Cook in their Week 2 matchups.

START: Breece Hall, RB 

Hall is clearly the most dynamic ball carrier on the roster despite being only 11 months removed from tearing his ACL in Denver. I admittedly suggested a wait-and-see approach with the second-year pro this season, but it was certainly a mistake to sit the budding superstar.

He carried only 10 times, but Hall's 127 rush yards were the highest Week 1 total in the AFC. The Iowa State product, who was taken at No. 36 overall by the Jets in the 2022 NFL Draft, reached 20.54 miles per hour on an 83-yard first-half run. 

He flipped the field in the second quarter, bringing the ball from the Jets' 4-yard line to the opponent's 13 in the blink of an eye. It was the longest play of the week in the NFL with Hall covering 100.3 yards of ground (according to NFL's @NextGenStats).

The only reservation I have about Hall is the lighter-than-usual workload that he is likely to receive in the first half of the season. He played only 17 offensive snaps on Monday night, but that number should incrementally increase over time.

SIT: Dalvin Cook, RB

Cook doesn't look as explosive as he once was. Granted we've only seen him play 27 offensive snaps in a Jets' uniform thus far, but his paltry 2.5 yards per carry has to raise a red flag, especially considering the Minnesota Vikings showed no hesitation in the decision to cut ties with the four-time Pro Bowler.

Despite exceeding the 1,100-yard rushing mark for the fourth year in a row, Cook averaged a career-low 4.4 yards per rush while watching his advanced metrics drop in 2022. He did make three receptions for 26 totals yards, but his potential in the passing game isn't enough to warrant a start on your fantasy team.

In his first game action following offseason shoulder surgery, the 2017 second-round draft pick rushed 13 times for 33 yards, with a long of 10, on the ground against the Bills. Outside of the 10-yard burst, Cook gained only 23 yards on 12 rushes. 

With the Jets likely facing stacked boxes more frequently now that Zach Wilson is taking the snaps, it's hard to have a bullish outlook on Cook. He belongs on your bench until further notice.

Jets' running backs Dalvin Cook (33) and Breece Hall (20) :: X / @nyjets

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