Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Ollie Gordon II

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.

Tuesday, September 23, 4:20 PM

Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II had a big preseason and got good sleeper buzz as a result. However, once the regular season started, he played just 12 snaps in Week 1 and five snaps in Week 2. In those two contests, he had three carries for just 12 yards. Even with Jaylen Wright (knee) off the injury report, Gordon was much more active in Week 3. While he still only played 25% of snaps, he did get nine carries and totaled 38 yards and a touchdown. His score came on the first possession of the game, when he took over for starter De'Von Achane in the red zone. Gordon is much more suited for tough running between the tackles than Achane, while Achane is excellent in space. The two could develop into a nice specialized tandem going forward, and the Dolphins need them to carry the offense while Tua Tagovailoa continues to struggle. Gordon gets good matchups against the Jets and Panthers the next two weeks and is a solid name to consider off the waiver wire in deep leagues.