Bilal Powell

The Jets relied on Powell quite a bit to close last season and he came through with impressive efficiency. With that said, Forte has always performed well when he is healthy, which is apparently right now, so although Powell has some potential to his name, Forte seems primed to cut into that or steal all of the thunder for himself.

Bilal Powell to lead Jets' backfield in 2017?

New York Jets beat writer Rich Cimini believes running back Bilal Powell will lead the team's backfield over Matt Forte in 2017.

Fantasy Impact

Forte, who played well in 2016, began to slow down by midseason due to the wear and tear on his 31-year-old body, which is when Powell started to garner more touches. According to Cimini's report via ESPN, "Forte finished [2016] with more offensive touches than Powell -- 248 to 189 -- but Powell was on the field more than Forte -- 51 percent to 47 percent." If this shift carries over to 2017, Powell will be considered the No. 1 back, and now that the Jets are in rebuilding mode, the move makes sense. From a fantasy perspective, view Powell as a high-end RB2 whose upside peaks in PPR scoring formats due to his receiving ability out of the backfield. As for Forte, his stock is falling fast, but he could still present value at the Flex if he is taken in the mid-to-late rounds of a fantasy draft.