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
Monday, June 29, 5:13 AM
After a season in which the Kansas City Chiefs finished near the bottom of the league in rush attempts, rushing yards, and field-flipping runs, the team completely overhauled the running back position, leaving their lone returner from last season, Brashard Smith, fighting for a roster spot. A seventh-round pick in 2025, Smith finished his rookie season third on the team in running back carries and yards, but without a single back on the roster reaching four yards per carry, the Chiefs have since moved on from Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco. Kansas City signed Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to a three-year, $43 million deal and spent a fifth-round pick on Nebraska's Emmett Johnson. Johnson was one of the most productive collegiate running backs in his class, and his abilities in the passing game could make Smith's role redundant. The Chiefs rounded out the room with veteran Emari Demercado, who has been one of the league's most efficient backs in his limited usage with the Cardinals. Likely sitting somewhere close to fourth on a depth chart topped by a player with true bell cow abilities, Smith is not a player who needs to be held in dynasty leagues, and he has fallen to RotoBaller's RB75.
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
Thursday, July 9, 5:24 AM
After not even receiving an invite to the NFL Combine, the San Francisco 49ers selected running back Kaelon Black in the third round of the 2026 Draft, making him the third running back off the board, after only first-rounders Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. While head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have gotten uninspired returns from the running backs they've drafted in recent years, particularly those viewed as reaches by the draft community, as was Black, there is no denying the favorable situation the rookie finds himself in. Four-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey recently turned 30 and is coming off a season in which he touched the ball a career-high 450 times, and with Brian Robinson Jr. departing in free agency, Black's biggest competition for primary backup duties comes from 2025 fifth-rounder Jordan James. As a rookie, James did not register a single offensive stat until taking over late in the team's Divisional Round blowout loss to the Seahawks, but a year in the system could give him an early edge heading into 2026. While RotoBaller currently has neither ranked as a top 50 fantasy back for redraft leagues, the training camp battle between Black and James will be one to monitor, and should either gain a demonstrative edge, they will force their way into the late-round discussion for 2026 drafts.
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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