Who Should I Start? Ameer Abdullah or Jeremy McNichols

Sunday, December 22, 10:00 PM

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah rushed seven times for 38 yards and a touchdown in his team's 19-14 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. He added 47 yards on 5-of-6 receiving. The 31-year-old was again heavily involved in the passing game, racking up his second straight game with at least six targets. Abdullah was the team's second-leading receiver in every statistical category behind sensational rookie tight end Brock Bowers and scored a touchdown for the second straight game. Despite backfield mate Alexander Mattison piling up five more carries, Abdullah out-gained him by 11 and ran for 5.4 yards per carry to 2.3 for the latter. With solid involvement through the air seemingly intact, the tenth-year veteran is an intriguing FLEX option in PPR formats. He'll be as such next Sunday in a road meeting with the New Orleans Saints.

Friday, December 20, 7:13 PM

Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols should not be started in any format this weekend facing the Philadelphia Eagles. With Austin Ekeler (concussion) sidelined, McNichols has taken the No.2 spot behind Brian Robinson Jr. While Chris Rodriguez Jr. has occasionally seen an increase in attempts, McNichols was deployed as the clear No.2 option last weekend as Rodriguez logged only three total offensive snaps. Since Week 12, McNichols has averaged a solid 5.3 yards per carry and has been operating as a change-of-pace option. However, in a game that will likely be very contested, Robinson may not leave the field quite often. Given his lack of stable opportunities, McNichols remains nothing more than a handcuff to Robinson with very little standalone value, especially when facing a Philadelphia defense allowing the third-fewest PPR points to the position this season.