Who Should I Start? A.J. Dillon or Emari Demercado

Friday, October 17, 8:13 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back A.J. Dillon was the only other member of the Philly backfield to get any action in Week 6, carrying the ball once and grabbing two receptions in the loss. Dillon played just 14% of snaps once again, but seems to have cemented himself as the primary handcuff option for if Saquon Barkley goes down. If managers have Barkley and some extra room on the bench, Dillon isn't a bad piece to add just in case. But for now, that's his only fantasy value. He should not be in lineups for his upcoming matchup against the Vikings.

Saturday, December 20, 4:26 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado is expected to handle an increased workload against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, but his fantasy outlook remains murky. He is on track to operate as the backup to Michael Carter this week after Zonovan Knight (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. While Demercado was viewed as Arizona's passing-down specialist at points earlier this season, it's unclear whether that remains his role given how well Carter has performed in the passing game lately. Carter has 19 catches over his last five games, whereas Demercado has just 10 catches through parts of 10 games this year. Rather than being a true passing-down specialist, it seems more likely that the 26-year-old will fall into a change-of-pace role, allowing the Cardinals to manage Carter's workload and keep him fresh. Demercado has shown impressive burst in the past, and his 8.3 yards per carry over the last two seasons indicates that he's capable of breaking off big plays. His fantasy value in Week 16 likely hinges on whether he's able to break off any big runs or catches against the Falcons. In other words, he'll need high efficiency to overcome a backup's workload. He currently ranks as the RB51 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16.