Who Should I Start? Brashard Smith or Kaelon Black
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4 | 5.1 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 6.2 | 0.0 |
Brashard Smith News
Sunday, August 16, 6:02 AM
Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith drew the start in Saturday's preseason opener against the Rams, but in his battle to earn the primary backup role behind Kenneth Walker III, the points in his favor end right about there. Smith carried the ball eight times for 21 yards and brought in both of his targets for an additional 12 yards, but he was outshined by rookie Emmett Johnson, who looked explosive in gaining 59 yards on his 12 carries. Johnson also added three catches for ten yards and ran in a four-yard touchdown that was nullified by a holding penalty. As a rookie in 2025, Smith was unable to carve out a meaningful role in a backfield led by Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, finishing the year with 323 yards and one touchdown on 79 total opportunities. With a significantly higher talent level in the room for 2026, he could struggle to find regular work and is not likely to make any fantasy impact without a notable injury ahead of him.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | 17.3 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 0.0 |
Kaelon Black News
Wednesday, August 19, 8:24 AM
San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Kaelon Black "looked powerful" in his return during Tuesday's joint practice against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Black missed the previous two weeks of camp with an inner-thigh injury, but he was the team's top runner on Tuesday with Christian McCaffrey still sitting due to undisclosed tightness. Black, a third-rounder, did not look rusty at all, taking an early carry for 50 yards while showing violence and strength on several runs. He also had a catch at the goal line during a red-zone drill. "I thought he looked good hitting the hole and running hard," quarterback Brock Purdy said. The Niners cut RB Khalil Herbert on Monday, and Jordan James (rib) and Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) are injured. Going into camp, James was the favorite for RB2 duties behind the oft-injured McCaffrey, but if Black continues to impress and James continues to sit out with his injury, it could be Black winning the RB2 role going into Week 1 in Australia against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.
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 2.4 points this week while Kaelon Black is projected to score 3.5 points.
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