RB Najee Harris Reportedly Will Start for Giants Against the Saints

In this story:
The New York Giants are reportedly planning to start Najee Harris at running back ahead of Cam Skattebo.
Najee Harris is set to start for the Giants in New Orleans. https://t.co/FUc1It54p6
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 18, 2026
The move wouldn't be unexpected, given Skattebo’s recent ball-security issues. The second-year running back currently has four fumbles this season, including one he fumbled out of bounds.
He has fumbled in each of his last three games and lost a critical fumble last week in overtime against Washington as the Giants were driving toward a potential game-winning score.
The Giants are expected to have all four of their running backs active for this week’s game after running with three active — Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, and Harris — the last three weeks.
That means Devin Singletary is expected to get a game-day jersey after being the odd man out in the rotation.
It’s unknown how much, if any, work Skattebo, who is averaging 0.72 yards before contact (36th out of 43 running backs), will get in the offensive game plan this week against a porous Saints run defense that has allowed 148.8 rushing yards per game (30th).
But any work he does get will be under a microscope given his ball-security issues.
Why is Najee Harris starting over Cam Skattebo today for the #NYG? Skattebo has five fumbles in 282 touches over 13 NFL games, one every 21.7 touches. Harris has six fumbles in 1,223 career touches, one every 203.8 touches. That's the biggest reason why.
— Big Blue View (@bigblueview) October 18, 2026
Harris might not be the long-term answer, but for now, given his slightly better ball-security record.
Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news, and send your mailbag questions to us.

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.
Follow Patricia_Traina