Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Tyler Allgeier

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.

Wednesday, December 10, 9:14 PM

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier tallied double-digit carries in Week 14's 37-9 loss to the Seahawks, rushing 11 times for 34 scoreless yards (3.1 YPC), but managed to salvage his fantasy day by recording two catches for 33 yards. His work in the passing game, albeit small, is an interesting revelation, as the BYU product recorded just one game out of nine played with Michael Penix Jr. (knee) in which he tallied two receptions, however, he's done so in three of four games with Kirk Cousins at the helm. If nothing else, it increases his fantasy floor and could make him a more viable flex option going forward. The 25-year-old, with eight touchdowns already this year, will take on a Buccaneers defense that has yielded the 13th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. Although he's firmly behind Bijan Robinson in the backfield pecking order, he continues to get red zone opportunities (four each last week) and should be a priority handcuff for Robinson managers. The fourth-year pro projects as an RB4/Flex play for Thursday Night Football, and could even see a small uptick in usage given the short turnaround from Sunday, as Robinson had less time than normal to recover.