Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or TreVeyon Henderson

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.

Monday, January 5, 2:13 PM

Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson carried the ball 13 times for 53 yards in Sunday's blowout win over the Dolphins, finding the end zone twice in a game that saw most of New England's starters sidelined early in the fourth quarter. Henderson finishes his rookie campaign with 911 rushing yards, 221 receiving yards, and 10 total touchdowns. The Patriots face a stingy Chargers defense in Wild Card Weekend, but Henderson's homerun ability and steadily increasing usage near the goal line make him a strong opening play in playoff fantasy leagues of all formats. New England has averaged 35 rush attempts over their last two games and will likely look to stick to that formula in a game in which they open as 3.5-point favorites at home.