Who Should I Start? Ameer Abdullah or Jaleel McLaughlin

Saturday, December 21, 2:55 AM

The Las Vegas Raiders will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16 in what is an easy matchup for running backs in fantasy. Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah will probably split volume with RB Alexander Mattison (neck), and Abdullah presents the more interesting option in fantasy football, since he seems to have more pass-catching upside. The 31-year old rushed three times for just eight yards in Week 15, but caught all seven of his targets for 58 yards and a touchdown. JAX has one of the league's most porous defenses. These factors make the 10th-year pro an intriguing option in deeper PPR leagues as an RB3/FLEX, but starting anyone from this backfield in fantasy football carries plenty of risk.

Wednesday, December 18, 4:42 PM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. McLaughlin opened the week as a non-participate but was able to upgrade to a limited participant on Tuesday. However, he was downgraded on Thursday and will set his sights on returning in Week 17 to face the Cincinnati Bengals. The 24-year-old left last weekend's game early with this injury. Before departing, McLaughlin tallied 21 yards on seven attempts. McLaughlin has struggled to find consistent attempts in the offense but has flashed some upside when given work, as he has averaged 5.3 yards per carry over his past four games. With McLaughlin ruled out, fantasy managers should expect Javonte Williams to see a majority of the opportunities out of the backfield.