Who Should I Start? Antonio Gibson or Jaleel McLaughlin

Friday, December 20, 11:58 PM

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson doesn't receive enough volume to make him a household name in fantasy football, but his efficiency does put him on the radar in deeper leagues. The 26-year-old is averaging 6.8 yards per carry on 14 rushing attempts over the last two weeks, adding a touchdown along the way. He also caught two passes for 15 yards in last Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The bad news for Gibson is that he faces the Buffalo Bills this week. Buffalo has been stingy against running backs on the ground, and while they're softer against pass-catching running backs, we expect Rhamondre Stevenson to command more targets than Gibson. The good news is that Gibson's efficiency has earned him additional opportunities lately, good enough to tally 20.6 fantasy points (PPR) over his last two contests. The Memphis product ranks as a mid-to-high RB4 ahead of Sunday's battle in Buffalo.

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.