Who Should I Start? Audric Estimé or LeQuint Allen Jr.

Thursday, January 1, 9:39 AM

New Orleans Saints running back Audric Estime carried 14 times for 94 yards and a touchdown in Week 17's 34-26 victory over the Tennessee Titans. After a confusing Week 16, where tight end Taysom took most of the rushing attempts, Estime took over and had the best game of his young NFL career. With Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle), Kendre Miller (ACL), and Devin Neal (hamstring) all missing significant time, Estime stepped up, playing 80% of the snaps. In comparison, backup Evan Hull played 18%, and Hill played only 14%. They face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 18, who rank middle-of-the-pack against running backs this season. However, this could be Hill's final game as a Saint, and his usage on the goal line and in other key situations could cap Estime's ceiling in Week 18. In a meaningless game for the Saints, look for Hill to have a proper send-off against the Falcons, whom he has dominated in his NFL career.

Tuesday, December 16, 11:15 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back LeQuint Allen Jr. hasn't played a significant role this season behind Travis Etienne Jr. and fellow rookie Bhayshul Tuten, but he is likely to see an uptick in snaps with Tuten set to miss a few weeks with a finger injury that will require surgery. Allen handled five touches for 16 yards in the Week 15 blowout win over the New York Jets, his most since Week 11. The rookie seventh-rounder will step into the RB2 role behind Etienne and becomes an interesting deep-league option heading into the Week 16 game against the Denver Broncos on the road. His appeal is limited to deep leagues only, but he could have some standalone value with more touches likely coming his way.