Who Should I Start? Audric Estimé or Dylan Laube

Friday, December 20, 12:18 AM

With Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) out for the Week 16 contest on Thursday night against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers, rookie Audric Estime was Denver's lead rusher in the 34-27 loss. Estime had team-highs in carries (nine) and rushing yards (48) while finding the end zone for the first time in his NFL career. He was not targeted in the passing game. The nine carries were the second-most that the 21-year-old fifth-rounder has seen in his first year in the NFL, and he averaged a healthy 5.3 yards per carry. The Broncos certainly have high hopes for Estime in the long term, but how big of a role he'll have in a strong matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals' porous defense in Week 17 will probably all come down to the health of McLaughlin. The fact that Estime hasn't really been utilized in the running game would also make him no better than an RB3/flex if McLaughlin misses another game.

Monday, November 25, 2:03 PM

Las Vegas Raiders running back Dylan Laube did not receive a single opportunity out of the backfield in Sunday's 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. The rookie returned one kickoff for a gain of 59 yards. It was disappointing to see the 24-year-old finish the game with no backfield work on a day when Zamir White (quad) and Alexander Mattison (ankle) were both held from the contest with their respective injuries. Instead, Ameer Abdullah led the way with a 90% snap share, with Sincere McCormick picking up the other 10%. Laube has participated on just one snap in his first NFL campaign, fumbling away his lone carry. It appears he's buried deep in the Raiders' depth chart and will continue his role on special teams alone for now. Las Vegas will line up against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead in Week 13.