Who Should I Start? Brashard Smith or Tahj Brooks

Thursday, August 7, 8:16 PM

Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Brashard Smith (finger) suffered a finger injury in training camp practice on Thursday and left early, according to Chiefs beat writer Matt McMullen. It is unknown if Smith's injury is serious, but it could keep him from taking part in the preseason opener on Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals. If the 22-year-old is healthy going into his first NFL season, he figures to be the RB4, at best, for the Chiefs, behind Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt and Elijah Mitchell. The SMU product is a converted receiver that can be ignored in all redraft fantasy formats this fall. In his first year in the NFL, the speedy pass-catching back will most likely make his biggest impact on special teams, potentially as a kick returner.

Friday, August 8, 10:53 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks ran for 26 yards off 10 attempts in Thursday's preseason loss to the Eagles. He added one catch (two targets) for three yards. Chase Brown began the contest with the rest of the starters. While Brooks handled the bulk of the touches, he only averaged 2.6 yards per carry. Despite the subpar showing on Thursday night, the 2025 No. 193 overall pick has looked good throughout training camp and appears to have earned the trust of the coaching staff. However, with Brown expected to get the majority of the snaps out of the backfield in 2025, there could be little room for Brooks to remain consistently involved, even if the rookie manages to secure the No. 2 spot on the depth chart over Samaje Perine. With the Bengals dropping their first game of the preseason, the team will look to get on track versus the Commanders on August 18.