Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Tyjae Spears

Sunday, January 26, 6:46 PM

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler tallied just 32 all-purpose yards during their loss in the NFC Championship game to the Philadelphia Eagles. Ekeler also lost a fumble. The Commanders were playing from behind throughout most of the contest, putting their rushing attack out of the game plan. However, even when Ekeler was given the ball through the air, he could not perform. He caught five of his seven targets but tallied just 17 yards. His seven targets tied him the second-most on the team, only behind tight end Zach Ertz. Throughout the season, the 29-year-old operated primarily as a change-of-pace option in the Washington backfield. Entering Sunday, Ekeler posted a strong 10.3 yards per catch and a 4.8 yards per carry. Ekeler will likely remain in this role next season as he enters the final year of his contract.

Tuesday, May 20, 11:27 PM

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (concussion) has been taking part in the team's organized team activities this week after sitting out the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Houston Texans at the end of last season. The 23-year-old has obviously recovered from his head injury and will be ready for the start of the 2025 campaign this fall. Tony Pollard was a workhorse back for the team in 2024 in his first year in Tennessee, but head coach Brian Callahan has already been hinting that it might be in the team's best interest to take some of the load off of Pollard in order to keep him healthy. Spears, who is more of a pass-catching back, was only active for 12 games last year and had 84 carries for 312 yards and four TDs on the ground, adding 30 catches for 224 yards and another score. He's elusive with the ball in his hands, so if he can stay healthy, Spears could be a nice sleeper pick late in fantasy drafts.