Tag: braelon allen

Fantasy Football waiver wire: 5 running backs to target in Week 4

These five running backs should waiver wire targets in your fantasy football league this week.

As we wait for a pair of Monday Night Football games to wrap up Week 3, fantasy football managers are already considering their waiver wire options for next week.

The options at wide receiver include Jauan Jennings (36%) and Wan’Dale Robinson (15%). Cole Kmet (27%) is an intriguing candidate at tight end and Sam Darnold (17%) is suddenly a hot streaming option at quarterback.

Today, though, we’re focusing on running back. We’ve put together a quick list of five running backs to target on the fantasy football waiver wire ahead of Week 4. There are other RBs out there, but these are Broncos Wire’s targets of the week at the position.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Running Backs

1. RB Bucky Irving (33%): Rachaad White (42) still dominated the snaps, but Irving (18) made the most of his opportunities. White ended the day with 11 touches for 35 yards. Irving had 12 touches for 84 yards. With that kind of production, it’s easy to imagine Irving getting more snaps going forward.

2. RB Braelon Allen (28%): Breece Hall (52) will continue to lead the backfield, but Allen (23) is carving out a role. Allen turned 14 touches into 68 yards on Thursday and he has two touchdowns through three weeks. Allen is an extremely important handcuff running back, and he has some standalone value now as a flex option thanks to his rotational role.

3. RB Tyler Badie (0%): Broncos coach Sean Payton hinted that week that changes could be coming if Javonte Williams’ production did not improve. Williams averaged 2.4 yards per carry on Sunday and Jaleel McLaughlin (1.4 YPC) was even worse. Badie got an opportunity in the fourth quarter and ripped off a 43-yard run. Payton stuck with the hot hand and Badie got all seven carries in the fourth quarter, ending the day with 70 rushing yards. Badie (5-8, 197 pounds) might not have the size to emerge as the starter, but he’s worth picking up in case his role increases in the coming weeks.

4. RB Emanuel Wilson (2%): Josh Jacobs (33) and Wilson (26) did not have a big gap in snaps or carries in Week 3. Jacobs rushed 14 times for 43 yards and Wilson got 12 carries for 50 yards. Wilson is certainly worth a look in deeper leagues.

5. RB Kareem Hunt (21%): Carson Steele led KC’s backfield on Sunday and Samaje Perine was a factor in passing situations, but Hunt remains a wild card. He just joined the team last week and did not play on Sunday night, but Hunt might be worth stashing if you’re thin at running back.

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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Former Wisconsin star Braelon Allen agrees he should not have fallen to fourth round of NFL draft

Former Wisconsin star Braelon Allen agrees he should not have fallen to fourth round of NFL draft

Former Wisconsin star running back Braelon Allen teased NFL draft scouts following his impressive performance for the New York Jets in their Week 3 win over the New England Patriots.

In response to a fan’s tweet that questioned how the former Badger standout dropped to the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft, Allen shared a rather cheeky comment for millions of fans to see.

Here’s Allen’s reply:

“Everyone wanted to see me run in my underwear to decide if I was a good football player.”

In other words, NFL scouts should have cared more about my on-field play than my performance at the combine.

At 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, Allen is built like a linebacker. His stature is reminiscent of former All-Pro running back and Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry, who stands at 6-foot-2, 247 pounds.

The kicker: the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, native has yet to turn 20. In his third game ever with the Jets, Allen led the team with 55 rushing yards on 11 carries. He also added three receptions for 13 receiving yards on Thursday vs. the New England Patriots.

The performance comes on the same day Allen won his first career NFL Rookie of the Week for his output in New York’s first win of the season over the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 15. He registered seven carries, 33 rushing yards, four receptions, 23 receiving yards and two total touchdowns at Nissan Stadium.

On the season, Allen has tallied 19 carries through three games for 96 rushing yards, 5.1 yards per carry and one rushing touchdown. His workload will continue to expand alongside Hall during the 2024 slate.

Braelon Allen isn’t even the best former Wisconsin Badger on the New York Jets offense

Braelon Allen isn’t even the best former Wisconsin Badger on the New York Jets offense

The “Wisconsin Badgers in the NFL” headlines are currently dominated by one player: New York Jets running back Braelon Allen.

There is other news, including continued dominance from Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt, a return to form by Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and ongoing injury issues with Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson. But no player is driving more conversation around their start to the 2024 season than Allen.

Related: Social media in awe of former Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen after big game in Jets win over Patriots

The former Badger great led the Jets in rushing with 55 yards on 11 carries in Thursday night’s 24-3 win over the New England Patriots. Social media reacted accordingly, wondering why he fell to the 134th pick (fourth round) of the draft.

The first three weeks of the season have seen Allen emerge as a significant piece of the Jets’ offensive attack, serving as more of a ‘1b’ to Breece Hall’s ‘1a,’ as opposed to a clear 1-2. It has been a fun ascendance to watch.

While Allen dominates the stat sheet and is hard to miss on the field, he isn’t even the best former Wisconsin Badger on the Jets offense. That would be center Joe Tippmann.

The Jets selected Tippmann in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft after a four-year Wisconsin career (2019-22) — two years as the program’s starter at center.

His rookie-year performance as the Jets’ starting center earned him a spot on  the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team. The former Badger was one of the offense’s most dependable players in 2023 despite the unit struggling after an early-season injury to starting QB Aaron Rodgers.

Tippmann has taken a significant jump in his second season. He has played a substantial role in the rushing success of both Hall and Allen — a rushing attack that is a big reason the team is 2-1 through three weeks.

The second-year pro’s overall performance has him graded as one of ProFootballFocus’ top centers in the sport.

So while Allen compiles impressive rookie year stats and continues to make NFL fans wonder how he fell to the Jets in the fourth round, just know another former Badger is a big reason for his strong play.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

How Braelon Allen performed in Jets’ big Thursday Night Football win over Patriots

How Braelon Allen performed in Jets’ big Thursday Night Football win over Patriots

Former Wisconsin Badgers and current New York Jets running back Braelon Allen continued the strong start to his NFL career on Thursday night.

Allen was an integral piece of the Jets’ offensive attack in their 24-3 blowout win over the New England Patriots. He led the team with 55 rushing yards on 11 carries. He added three receptions and 13 receiving yards. While the rising star did not find the end zone as he had twice last week, his final line of 14 touches, 68 total yards and 4.85 yards per touch continue an impressive start to his young career.

Related: Every former Wisconsin Badger on an NFL 53-man roster entering 2024 ranked by career earnings

Allen entered Thursday night’s contest fresh off winning NFL Rookie of the Week for his effort in the Jets’ Week 2 win over the Titans. His final stats from that game were seven carries, 33 rushing yards, four receptions, 23 receiving yards and two total touchdowns.

The Badger great is up to 19 carries through three games for 96 rushing yards, 5.1 yards per carry and one rushing touchdown. He has six catches on eight targets for 45 receiving yards, a 7.5 yard per catch average and one touchdown.

The Jets have done a phenomenal job unlocking Allen’s ability in the receiving game — something the Wisconsin staff was not entirely able to do.

Importantly, Allen’s numbers get better by the week. He is on his way toward earning a bigger and bigger role in the Jets offense — even with star RB Breece Hall playing well as the starter.

The early returns from the former Badger’s rookie season raise a question of how NFL teams allowed him to fall to the fourth round.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Former Wisconsin running back named NFL Rookie of the Week

Former Wisconsin running back named NFL Rookie of the Week

Former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen snagged the NFL’s Pepsi Rookie of the Week honor after his two-touchdown Week 2 performance for the New York Jets.

Allen, who was in the running alongside Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Jared Verse, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, takes home the nod for the first time in his young career.

The Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, native registered a career-best 56 yards from scrimmage off nine combined touches against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 15. He also reached the end zone twice for his first two scores with the New York Jets.

https://twitter.com/nyjets/status/1836790758101111084

While Allen is more than deserving, the Week 2 nod could’ve gone to several playmakers. Harrison Jr. tallied 130 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Rams while Nabers, who was targeted a staggering 18 times against the Commanders, finished with 10 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown on Sunday.

Nonetheless, Allen’s brilliance thus far has undoubtedly provided a spark for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Jets offense. Through two road games, he’s showcased his ability to wreak havoc both downhill and outside the sticks as New York’s No. 2 running back.

New York will return to the gridiron for its Week 3 game against the New England Patriots on Sept. 19.

Jets vs. Patriots: Players excited for home opener at ‘JetLife’ stadium

Jets vs. Patriots: Players excited for home opener at ‘JetLife’ stadium

After two long weeks in a row on the road, the New York Jets will finally play a game at MetLife Stadium.

Unless you’re Aaron Rodgers, then it’s “JetLife” Stadium.

After starting the first two games of the year on the road against the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans, respectively, New York (1-1) will finally play in front of their own fans against the New England Patriots (1-1) on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 3.

Players are ready for it.

The likes of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Braelon Allen all expressed excitement for finally playing at home. That’s how Rodgers’ nickname for home field came about.

“I feel good about it. It’s been a long time since I’ve took the field at JetLife,” Rodgers said.

Check out the roundup of clips below from Rodgers, Wilson and Allen below for their reaction to playing in the home opener:

 

 

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Jets’ Aaron Rodgers on Braelon Allen: ‘He was running over people’

Jets’ Aaron Rodgers on Braelon Allen: ‘He was running over people’

In his very young NFL career, Braelon Allen is impressing the New York Jets locker room.

The Jets (1-1) got their first win of 2024 in big part to their rookie. Allen had two touchdowns and set a modern NFL benchmark.

At 20 years and 239 days old, Allen became the youngest touchdown scorer in league history.

While impressing, not everyone is surprised.

Head coach Robert Saleh said he knew what New York had in the fourth-round rookie.

“When we watched his tape from two years ago, we saw a guy that was very capable of running an NFL-style offense,” Saleh said via video conference. “For us, when we drafted him, we just knew that he was going to be a really good player.”

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn’t quite as sold as much as Saleh right away. It just took a little dose of preseason football for the QB to be convinced, but make no mistake, Rodgers is now.

“He’s a smart kid, he knows this game, it’s not too big for him,” Rodgers said. “He was running over people, hittin the hole.”

Allen’s next chance to keep building his NFL momentum will be on Thursday in New York’s home opener against the New England Patriots in Week 3.

For more from Rodgers on Allen, see the attached clip below:

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Former Wisconsin star in running for NFL’s Rookie of the Week

Former Wisconsin star in running for NFL’s Rookie of the Week

Former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen is in the running for the NFL’s Pepsi Rookie of the Week after his historic Week 2 performance.

Allen, who scored his first NFL touchdowns in the New York Jets’ 24-17 triumph over the Tennessee Titans, was listed as one of six candidates to earn the award this week. The list includes Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Jared Verse, Los Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.

Daniels, who rushed for 88 yards and two scores during his Commanders debut vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, took home the honor in Week 1.

Allen walked off the turf with 56 total yards and two touchdowns in the Jets’ first win of the season over the Titans at Nissan Stadium. He became the youngest player in NFL history (20 years, 239 days) to register two scores from scrimmage in the same game.

While Harrison Jr., the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison, will likely take home the honor with his 130-yard, two touchdown day, Allen’s contributions to the Jets offense suggest he will become more involved in future games.

New York plays the New England Patriots in the team’s first home game of the 2024 season on Thursday, Sept. 19.

Fantasy Football: 20 waiver wire targets for Week 3

Scrambling to replace Isiah Pacheco and Cooper Kupp in your fantasy football lineup? Here are 20 waiver wire targets to consider this week.

We’re just two weeks into the 2024 NFL season and injuries are already piling up across the league.

The two biggest injuries from a fantasy football perspective this week are Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (who is going on injured reserve with an ankle injury) and Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (who is also a candidate for IR with an ankle injury).

The in-house candidates to replace Pacheco in KC are Samaje Perine and Carson Steele, but there might be non-Chiefs running backs available on the waiver wire who are better options to replace Pacheco in your fantasy lineup. Kansas City is also bringing in Kareem Hunt for a free agent visit today.

In Los Angeles, the Rams are now missing both Puka Nacua and Kupp. That leaves Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson as the top WRs still standing, and rookie Jordan Whittington is a massive sleeper to consider this week.

Check out the full list of fantasy football waiver wire targets below. Each player’s roster percentage in ESPN fantasy football leagues is listed in parentheses.

  1. RB Bucky Irving (30%)
  2. RB Braelon Allen (8%)
  3. RB Kareem Hunt (1%)
  4. RB Rico Dowdle (38%)
  5. RB Dameon Pierce (3%)
  6. RB Antonio Gibson (33%)
  7. RB Trey Benson (44%)
  8. RB Samaje Perine (4%)
  9. RB Carson Steele (2%)
  10. WR Quentin Johnston (7%)
  11. WR Alec Pierce (14%)
  12. WR Demarcus Robinson (34%)
  13. WR Jordan Whittington (3%)
  14. WR Tyler Johnson (13%)
  15. WR Tutu Atwell (1%)
  16. TE Colby Parkinson (45%)
  17. TE Zach Ertz (7%)
  18. TE Hunter Henry (11%)
  19. QB Justin Fields (32%)
  20. QB Derek Carr (10%)

For more fantasy football coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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What we learned from the Jets’ Week 2 win over the Titans

What we learned from the Jets’ Week 2 win over the Titans

The New York Jets (1-1) continued their 2024 NFL schedule with a 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans (0-2) in Week 2.

Following the victory, as is always the case, we were taught a few things about this football team. There were things to take away from all three phases of the game that was.

With that, here are seven things we learned from the Jets’ win over the Titans:

Rodgers was 18-for-30 passing for 176 yards with two touchdowns. A performance that reminded one of his MVP years? No, of course not, but the clutch throws Rodgers made late in the win showed he’s still got something in his right arm that the Jets should be happy about.

While the Jets defense got the job done in the win, it was not because of cornerback Sauce Gardner. He was uncharacteristically bad. In his last nine games, he was credited with allowing six catches for 59 yards combined. He allowed five for 97 yards in Tennessee.

That said, there is no reason to believe that Gardner won’t go back to normal starting next week against the New England Patriots.

On the flip side for New York’s defense was Will McDonald IV. McDonald led the way with a legendary performance as he mustered up three sacks, including a clutch one late to help lock in the victory.

CJ Mosley (toe) left the Week 2 contest early. The linebacker was replaced by Jamien Sherwood who played incredibly well. Sherwood led the Jets with 12 tackles, including one for loss. Pro Football Focus graded Sherwood as his team’s best defender on the day with an overall mark of 82.7.

It looks like there is room for both Breece Hall and Braelon Allen in the Jets’ backfield. The pair played well against the Titans in their own right. Hall had a very impressive touchdown catch, giving his team the lead in the fourth quarter. After an early receiving score of his own, Allen took home the game-winning carry from 20 yards out.

Irv Charles notched a blocked punt for the Jets’ special teams unit. The Titans have now allowed back-to-back blocked kicks to start their season. Kudos to Charles, though. A good and momentum-changing play.

Haason Reddick watch gets brighter. Sure, McDonald performed well, but the Jets defense lost another pass rusher against the Titans in Jermaine Johnson. His season is over because of an Achilles injury. Now is the time to get Reddick in the door amid his contract dispute…