Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Tyrone Tracy Jr.

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, January 4, 5:53 PM

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushed for 103 yards on 18 carries during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Dallas Cowboys. He also caught eight of his nine targets for an additional 56 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. The lone blemish of Tracy's performance was a third-quarter fumble. The second-year back finished the 2025 season with four touchdowns and over 1,000 scrimmage yards, filling in admirably for rookie Cam Skattebo (ankle). While we expect Skattebo to operate as the Giants' workhorse running back next year, Tracy is a valuable handcuff who has shown that he can be equally productive in the lead-back role.