Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Jahmyr Gibbs

Monday, September 22, 12:34 PM

Although Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. wasn't all that efficient (3.5 yards per carry) in his 2025 debut in the team's 41-24 blowout win over the visiting Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, he did lead the team with 11 carries. Rodriguez was a healthy scratch the first two weeks, but he was elevated to the active roster for Week 3 after Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles in Week 2. The 24-year-old ran for 39 yards on his 11 carries and was not utilized in the passing game. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt was second on the team with eight carries, and he, too, was inefficient with just 26 yards on the ground. Jeremy McNichols and quarterback Marcus Mariota combined for 10 rushing attempts and two touchdowns against the Raiders. Croskey-Merritt has the most upside in the Commanders' backfield moving forward with Ekeler done for the year, but Rodriguez is worth a waiver-wire pickup if you have JCM rostered or are looking for RB depth. Rodriguez is currently rostered in only 5% of Yahoo leagues.

Sunday, November 9, 8:53 PM

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 15 carries for 142 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns during Sunday's Week 10 win over the Washington Commanders. He also caught three of his four targets for an additional 30 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Just one week removed from a disappointing showing at home, Gibbs bounced back with a monstrous three-touchdown explosion on the road. This marked his largest fantasy points total of the 2025 season, vaulting him to the overall RB4 spot in PPR leagues. Managers should continue to deploy Gibbs as a high-end RB1 in fantasy football, including next week against the Philadelphia Eagles.