Who Should I Start? Brashard Smith or Kaelon Black

BENCH

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
2.3 6.7 0.0 0.8 5.0 0.0

Brashard Smith News

Brashard Smith Leads Chiefs Backfield In Final Preseason Game

Saturday, August 29, 12:25 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith led all players with 16 carries for 72 yards in the 9-9 tie with the Seattle Seahawks. No other back on the Chiefs received double-digit carries or eclipsed 50 yards on the ground in the contest. Smith also caught his only target of the night for a loss of five yards. Although Smith ended the game with the most touches, all five of the first running back opportunities went to rookie Emmett Johnson. Smith is currently ranked fourth on the Kansas City running back depth chart, so this game may be the only time we see him get double-digit opportunities this season. Fantasy managers may be better off looking elsewhere for running back depth in 2026.

START

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
4.2 19.5 0.1 0.8 6.0 0.0

Kaelon Black News

Kaelon Black a Priority Waiver Wire Target After Impressive Debut

Monday, September 14, 6:29 AM

San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black should be a priority waiver wire target for managers in 12+ team leagues. Black rushed for 65 yards on 14 carries in Week 1, and he also caught one pass for five receiving yards. This was one of the first times during Christian McCaffrey's stint with the 49ers that we saw a backup handle 10+ touches, even though McCaffrey was active. There are a few factors to consider here. First, McCaffrey was returning from an undisclosed injury, so maybe he wasn't 100 percent and the 49ers wanted to use Black to keep him fresh. Second, the 49ers won by 20 points, so it makes a little more sense to integrate the depth players once the game gets out of hand. Still, this was a fascinating development for the 49ers and their rookie running back. At worst, Black is a bench handcuff who would jump to the RB2 tier if McCaffrey gets hurt. At best, Black can have weekly RB3/flex value of his own.

Brashard Smith vs. Kaelon Black

Still trying to decide between Smith and Black? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Brashard Smith is projected to score 2.3 points this week while Kaelon Black is projected to score 4.2 points.