Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Trey Benson

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.

Sunday, October 19, 2:00 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (knee) remains on injured reserve for at least another two weeks as the Cards attempt to make do with a committee ahead of Week 7 against Green Bay. The Florida State product was a surprising addition to injured reserve after playing more than half of the Cards' Week 4 game against Seattle, though the team expects him to return this season. The team activated running back D'Ernest Johnson this week and has previously featured a rotation that has included Michael Carter, Emari Demercado, and Bam Knight. From a fantasy perspective, it's been tough to rely upon any of them with the team cycling through so many players.