Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Tank Bigsby

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, December 2, 10:00 PM

Across 11 games since being acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles, running back Tank Bisgby has recorded just 18 carries for 164 yards. As long as star Eagles running back Saquon Barkley remains healthy, there appears to be a firm ceiling on Bigsby's playing time and opportunity for touches. The 24-year-old has logged double-digit offensive snaps in just one game this season. However, Bigsby's average of 9.1 rushing yards per attempt is a clear indicator of his significant production upside if Barkley were to suffer an injury. In a larger, 168-carry sample size across 16 games with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, Bigsby averaged 4.6 yards per attempt and scored seven rushing touchdowns. Bigsby's never provided much production as a receiver, so fellow Eagles back Will Shipley would likely handle passing-downs work even if Barkley were to go down. Still, Bigsby is a high-end handcuff option who is worth rostering in fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams heading into a Week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.