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Running Backs the Jets Should Target if They Move On From Le'Veon Bell

By Max Staley

Le'Veon Bell was held to 789 rushing yards in his first season with the Jets.
Le'Veon Bell was held to 789 rushing yards in his first season with the Jets. / Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
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Le'Veon Bell had a tumultuous year in his first season as a New York Jet. After sitting out the entire 2018 season, Bell had arguably the worst season of his career in 2019, failing to reach 800 rushing yards for the first time since 2015 (when he was limited to just six games).

To make matters worse, Bell has had some odd, to say the least, exchanges with Jets head coach Adam Gase recently. At this point, whether or not Bell returns to the team next season is anyone's guess. But if the Jets decide to move on, here are three running backs they should target in free agency.

1. Matt Breida, San Francisco 49ers

Matt Breida on the field after the 49ers defeated the Seattle Seahawks.
Matt Breida on the field after the 49ers defeated the Seattle Seahawks. / Alika Jenner/Getty Images

Matt Breida was the odd man out in the San Francisco 49ers' backfield, ceding touches to Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman and even Jeff Wilson by the end of the year. The 5-foot-11 back might not be big enough to really carry the load on his own, but he could be excellent as a speedy, change-of-pace option for the Jets. He's a restricted free agent, but given where he stood on the depth chart this season, it's hard to imagine San Francisco makes re-signing him a priority.

2. Jordan Howard, Philadelphia Eagles

Jordan Howard walks off the field after losing to the Seattle Seahawks.
Jordan Howard walks off the field after losing to the Seattle Seahawks. / Steven Ryan/Getty Images

Before losing his job to Philadelphia Eagles' rookie Miles Sanders, Jordan Howard was enjoying a nice bounce-back season. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry over the first nine games of the season until a shoulder injury prematurely ended his season. Notably, that was Howard's highest yards-per-carry mark since his rookie season in 2016 (5.2 yards per carry). Like Breida, Howard shouldn't command too steep a price tag, and he'd provide a stable, veteran presence for the Jets.

3. Carlos Hyde, Houston Texans

Carlos Hyde makes a move against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Carlos Hyde makes a move against the Kansas City Chiefs. / David Eulitt/Getty Images

Carlos Hyde was thrust into action for the Houston Texans once incumbent starter Lamar Miller went down with a knee injury in the preseason. While he's not the flashiest back on the market, he was solid running behind a shoddy Texans' O-Line, finishing with 1,070 rushing yards and six scores on the ground. He likely won't add much, if anything, in the passing game but he's a decent downhill runner who could be a great stopgap option for New York.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.