Israel Abanikanda
21-Year-Old
2023 Rush/Rec Stats
ATT
22
YDS
70
TD
0
YDS
43
TD
0
2024 Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
A fifth-round pick out of Pitt in 2023, Abanikanda didn't see his first career touches until Week 11, after the Jets had parted ways with Michael Carter. With Dalvin Cook now out of the picture as well, there should be an open competition in camp between Abanikanda and a pair of 2024 picks, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, for the backup job behind Breece Hall. Abanikanda has breakaway speed and an extra year of experience in Nathaniel Hackett's offensive scheme, which could give him the edge, but none of the three have proven third-down skills. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Three carries in season finale
Abanikanda rushed three times for six yards and wasn't targeted in Sunday's 17-3 win over the Patriots.
ANALYSIS
Abanikanda didn't see much work while Breece Hall rumbled for 178 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 37 rushing attempts in snowy conditions. Hall's the clear lead back in New York heading into the 2024 season, but Abanikanda could be his top backup if the Jets don't add reinforcements in the backfield. Abanikanda saw limited action after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, finishing his rookie season with 22 carries for 70 yards, in addition to seven catches for 43 yards on 11 targets.
Abanikanda didn't see much work while Breece Hall rumbled for 178 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 37 rushing attempts in snowy conditions. Hall's the clear lead back in New York heading into the 2024 season, but Abanikanda could be his top backup if the Jets don't add reinforcements in the backfield. Abanikanda saw limited action after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, finishing his rookie season with 22 carries for 70 yards, in addition to seven catches for 43 yards on 11 targets.
NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Israel Abanikanda's 2023 advanced stats compare to other running backs?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Broken Tackle %
9.1%Positive Run %
72.7%% Yds After Contact
58.6%Avg Yds After Contact
1.9Rushing TD %
0.0%Touches Per Game
4.8% Snaps w/Touch
38.7%Air Yards Per Game
0.2Air Yards Per Snap
0.01% Team Air Yards
0.0%% Team Targets
2.0%Avg Depth of Target
0.1 YdsCatch Rate
63.6%Drop Rate
18.2%Avg Yds After Catch
6.7% Targeted On Route
23.9%Avg Yds Per Route Run
0.93Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2023
2023 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Israel Abanikanda lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
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2023 Israel Abanikanda Split Stats
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Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do Israel Abanikanda's measurables compare to other running backs?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* The 40-Yard Dash, Shuttle Time, Cone Drill, and Vertical Jump metrics are from his Pro Day. All others are from the NFL Combine.
Height
5' 11"Weight
215 lbs40-Yard Dash*
4.44 secShuttle Time*
4.32 secCone Drill*
7.14 secVertical Jump*
41.0 inBroad Jump
0 inBench Press
0 repsHand Length
8.25 inArm Length
32.00 in
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Could see expanded role
Abanikanda could see additional opportunities with the Jets after Michael Carter was released Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
The Jets took Abanikanda in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, and he has yet to make his NFL debut. He struggled with a thigh injury during the preseason and was subsequently buried on the depth chart behind Breece Hall, Dalvin Cook and Carter. While Abanikanda will almost certainly be active for the first time in his career in Week 11 against the Bills, he still isn't likely to have a significant role in the Jets' offense.
The Jets took Abanikanda in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, and he has yet to make his NFL debut. He struggled with a thigh injury during the preseason and was subsequently buried on the depth chart behind Breece Hall, Dalvin Cook and Carter. While Abanikanda will almost certainly be active for the first time in his career in Week 11 against the Bills, he still isn't likely to have a significant role in the Jets' offense.
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Abanikanda is quite talented, and his combination of college production and athletic metrics is better than his fellow fifth-round running backs in any given draft. Perhaps the NFL held Abanikanda's youth against him -- he doesn't turn 21 until October and could conceivably need some development time. He ran for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards per carry at Pittsburgh last season, exceptional numbers that demonstrate his speed and agility. He bulked up a bit for offseason testing (216) after likely playing closer to 200, yet still ran a sub-4.5 40 with elite jumps (41-inch vertical, 128-inch broad jump). Breece Hall is better than Abanikanda, and the Jets signed Dalvin Cook in August for depth, but the rookie could beat out Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight for the No. 3 job.
More Fantasy News
Active as pass catcher Thursday
Abanikanda rushed twice for three yards and brought in four of seven targets for 27 yards in the Jets' 37-20 loss to the Browns on Thursday night. He also returned one kickoff for 12 yards on which he lost a fumble.
ANALYSIS
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Available Thursday vs. CLE
Abanikanda (ankle) is active to face the Browns on Thursday Night Football.
ANALYSIS
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Questionable to face Cleveland
Abanikanda (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Browns.
ANALYSIS
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Limited in walkthrough
Abanikanda (ankle) was a limited participant at the Jets' walkthrough practice Tuesday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Dealing with ankle issue
Abanikanda is listed as a limited participant on Monday's practice estimate due to an ankle injury, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
ANALYSIS
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