Who Should I Start? Cam Akers or Emari Demercado

Wednesday, November 26, 1:47 PM

The Seattle Seahawks are signing free-agent running back Cam Akers to their active 53-man roster on Wednesday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Akers, 26, spent time with the Minnesota Vikings this season and will now join the 8-3 Seahawks for RB depth. The Seahawks are facing the Vikings in Week 13 this Sunday. Akers appeared in only three games for Minnesota this year, carrying the ball five times for 19 yards while also completing a 32-yard pass on a trick play. The six-year NFL veteran will give Seattle some more backfield depth, with George Holani (hamstring) a candidate to land on Injured Reserve. Akers probably won't have any fantasy value as long as both Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet stay healthy.

Saturday, December 20, 4:26 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado is expected to handle an increased workload against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, but his fantasy outlook remains murky. He is on track to operate as the backup to Michael Carter this week after Zonovan Knight (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. While Demercado was viewed as Arizona's passing-down specialist at points earlier this season, it's unclear whether that remains his role given how well Carter has performed in the passing game lately. Carter has 19 catches over his last five games, whereas Demercado has just 10 catches through parts of 10 games this year. Rather than being a true passing-down specialist, it seems more likely that the 26-year-old will fall into a change-of-pace role, allowing the Cardinals to manage Carter's workload and keep him fresh. Demercado has shown impressive burst in the past, and his 8.3 yards per carry over the last two seasons indicates that he's capable of breaking off big plays. His fantasy value in Week 16 likely hinges on whether he's able to break off any big runs or catches against the Falcons. In other words, he'll need high efficiency to overcome a backup's workload. He currently ranks as the RB51 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16.