Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Jaydon Blue

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.

Wednesday, November 12, 12:40 AM

Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Jaydon Blue was a healthy inactive in the team's last game in Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals. After being inactive for the team's first four games of the season, Blue was finally active for his NFL debut in Week 5 against the New York Jets after Miles Sanders (ankle, knee) was placed on injured reserve. The rookie fifth-rounder out of Texas served as the clear No. 2 back behind starter Javonte Williams, handling 22 carries for 65 yards and adding one catch (one target) for five yards in Weeks 5 through 8 before being made inactive again in Week 9. The lack of receiving usage was disappointing to see, as that is one of the most appealing parts of Blue's prospect profile, but he essentially just spelled Williams and didn't see many creative play designs to get him the ball in space and use his 4.38 speed. It remains to be seen if Blue will play in the coming weeks and what his usage will look like if he is active.