Breece Hall's injury wasn't the reason why the New York Jets suffered an embarrassing Week 7 loss to the then winless Miami Dolphins at home, especially given that Braelon Allen rushed for over 100 yards in his place as the team's RB1, but having another explosive playmaker like Hall certainly wouldn't have hurt matters.

With a tougher matchup looming in Week 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Jets fans hope to see their star running back return to action, with the team hoping to avoid a loss that'd drop them to a likely unsalvageable 2-6. Unfortunately, as of this writing, no indication has been given regarding his status beyond a questionable designation, which, based on previous events, doesn't bode particularly well.

Is Breece Hall playing today? What Jets are saying about RB1's role in Week 8

Hall has been sidelined since Week 4 with a quad injury, and while Jets fans have been hopeful for his return for a little while now, it hasn't happened. Hall was a limited participant in practice twice last week and was given a questionable designation, only for him to not play. He was limited in all three practices this week, which is technically a step up (but not really), and is given a questionable designation again. Are we sure he's going to play?

What is interesting, though, is that head coach Aaron Glenn made it clear that once Hall returns, he's going to be the team's starter.

This was before Allen's monster Week 7, so perhaps Allen will get more touches, but if (and it's definitely a big if) Hall is able to play, Jets fans should expect him to be a big part of their offense against a Raiders rushing defense that's allowed the second-most yards per game (143.6).

Jets running back depth chart behind Breece Hall shows New York doesn't need to force anything

Would it be ideal for Hall to play in this game? Of course. However, we've seen that this rushing attack can survive, if not thrive, without him, so the Jets certainly don't need to force the issue.

Not only was Allen dominant in Week 7, but he's been outstanding since Hall's injury, averaging 18 carries for over 89 yards per game in the Jets' four games without Hall. Allen has two 100-yard performances in that span, and has finished a game with under 60 yards on the ground just once (and that came in a blowout loss in Chicago in his first start of the season).

Again, the preference will always be for Hall to play if he's able, but Allen's emergence allows the Jets to take a cautious approach with their star running back, which is something that makes sense for them organizationally, but might not be the most popular decision among fantasy football managers.

Fantasy football replacement options for Breece Hall

If the Jets determine Hall can play, I'd start him. Sure, there might be a pitch count of some sort, but Glenn's comments make it clear that he'll be the team's starter when he's on the field, and given how putrid the Raiders' defense against the run is, the possibility of a big game is too great to pass on.

If Hall cannot play, I'd start Allen without much hesitation. Again, this Raiders defense has been so bad against the run, and Allen has been nothing short of brilliant. If Hall is out, a 20+ carry, 100+ yard game with a touchdown or two could be in the cards, which is a dream scenario for anyone fortunate enough to have claimed him off the waiver wire.

If Hall is unable to play and you don't have Allen, you might simply be out of luck. A decent non-Jets replacement option could be Jonah Coleman of the Denver Broncos. It's hard to fully trust anyone in the Broncos' backfield, but Coleman was on the field more than any Broncos back in Week 7, and with RJ Harvey landing on IR, could be in for even more run. The matchup won't be an easy one with Denver hosting the Kansas City Chiefs, but beggars can't be choosers.