Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Kyren Williams

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, February 4, 4:06 PM

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams signed a three-year, $33 million contract extension with the team last fall before the start of the 2025 season and then went on to post his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season, along with 10 rushing touchdowns on 259 carries over 17 regular-season games. Williams didn't see as many carries as he did in 2024, but he was more efficient (4.8 yards per carry) and added a career-best 36 catches for 281 yards and three more scores on 50 targets. The 25-year-old has now had double-digit rushing TDs in each of the last three seasons, and he ended the 2025 campaign as the RB8 in half-PPR scoring. Backfield mate Blake Corum took on a bigger role late in the year as the Rams tried to keep Williams fresh for their playoff run, and he out-touched Corum in all three playoff games, which means he should maintain his lead-back role in 2026. As long as quarterback Matthew Stafford returns for another season, Williams figures to be a top-10 RB target in fantasy.