Braelon

Allen

Allen was not targeted in the passing game. His fewest handles since Week 1 came as Breece Hall matched a season high with 23 touches. The backup running spot just isn’t a good place to be in an offense that struggles for both volume and points. With the Jets headed on bye for Week 12, you would be forgiven for cutting Allen loose despite his massive contingency value.

Allen played well in his rotational role early on, rumbling through contact to get the tough yards. The Jets fell behind 14-3 with five minutes left in the first quarter and the Cardinals expanded the lead to 24-6 before half. Allen touched the ball just two times in the third and fourth quarters. He is a must-stash player for playoff-bound fantasy squads. He is an RB4 against the Colts in Week 11.

Allen’s two-yard fourth quarter score came after Breece Hall gained a yard the previous play. The 12 carries were a new season high out of nowhere after Allen had been limited to just six total touches over his previous two games. It’s unclear why exactly, as Hall was far more efficient and seemed to be getting the ball too little in New England. Allen is not threatening Hall’s RB1 status, but both backs could be in for big short-week workloads against the Texans’ imposing pass defense on Thursday.

Allen failed to coral either of his two targets, more importantly watching on the sideline for greater stretches while Breece Hall was thrust back into a featured role after the offensive coordinator change this week. It appears as if any fantasy value has dried up for as long as Hall remains healthy.

Allen didn’t get consistent playing time, but he remained a thorn in Breece Hall’s side and looked as spry as Hall. He enters Week 6 as a touchdown-or-bust bet against the Bills on Monday Night. When the Jets aren’t able to build a positive game script, it will be tough for Allen to return fantasy value.

This comes just days after Saleh told reporters the team’s goal-line role “is definitely something to look at.” It doesn’t sound like Hall is at risk of losing goal-line work to Braelon Allen, but it’s also not a rock-solid endorsement. Fantasy managers will be starting Hall regardless of his goal-line role, but any lost work in that high-value area of the field would be a blow to his weekly fantasy outlook.

Saleh was responding to reporters who asked why Braelon Allen was not used at the goal line early in the game. Saleh noted “it was still kind of early when that play came about,” before seemingly acknowledging that Hall’s early inefficiencies altered the backfield’s second-half deployment. Allen jumped from a 22.5 percent RB snap share in the first half to a 47.4 percent RB snap share in the second half. Allen appears to be successfully forcing a split backfield.

Hall was stuffed time and again against a stout Denver defense. He was all but phased out of the Jets offense in the second half, though he managed a solid five targets in the Week 4 loss. Backfield mate Braelon Allen was again far more effective, totaling 34 yards on four rushing attempts and catching one pass for 12 yards. Allen’s emergence has become something of a problem for Hall, who was seen as the team’s unquestioned workhorse headed into the 2024 season. Hall’s pass game involvement should keep him afloat as a top-10 fantasy option going forward.

Breece Hall, meanwhile, logged 10 carries for a whopping four yards and had two grabs for 14 yards in a miserable game for the New York offense. Allen, who had 55 yards on 11 rushes in Week 3 against the Patriots, has emerged as a 1B option to Hall’s 1A — for now. That Allen remains in the game in high leverage situations shows the Jets coaching staff trusts the rookie to be a viable lead back when the situation is right. Allen has a tough Week 5 matchup against the Vikings.

Allen actually out-rushed Breece Hall even as Hall out-touched him 20-14. Eye-brow raising stuff, though this was not a competitive game even if 24-3 doesn’t read like a true blowout. The Pats generated only 11 first downs, never putting any pressure on the Jets. That allowed them to do basically whatever they wanted on offense, and one of the things they’ve wanted the past two weeks is for Allen to find his NFL sea legs. It’s a moderate concern for Hall, though we doubt Allen is going to see this much work in more competitive contests. Of course, Week 4 against the Broncos could be another easily-controlled affair. Allen could offer desperation FLEX appeal for that one.