Who Should I Start? Carlos Washington Jr. or Demond Claiborne

BENCH

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
1.3 7.6 0.1 0.1 1.1 0.0

Carlos Washington Jr. News

Carlos Washington Jr. Finishes Preseason With Inefficient Performance Friday

Saturday, August 24, 12:25 AM

Atlanta Falcons running back Carlos Washington Jr. finished his preseason with an inefficient seven rushing yards on four attempts while pitching in one reception for seven yards in Friday night's 31-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Washington finished the preseason the way he began it, and it can't bode well for his spot on the depth chart with the beginning of the season right around the corner. Although he did find the endzone one time, Washington finished the preseason with an abysmal 2.4 YPC on 29 attempts. Jase McClellan outperformed him in every way during camp, and it wouldn't be surprising to see McClellan jump Washington as the RB3 on the depth chart to begin the season.

START

Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
1.5 7.1 0.1 0.3 2.1 0.0

Demond Claiborne News

Demond Claiborne Drawing Rave Reviews from Vikings Camp

Saturday, July 25, 7:31 AM

Minnesota Vikings "executives, coaches, and teammates quietly raved" about rookie running back Demond Claiborne's movement skills this spring, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic. A sixth-round pick out of Wake Forest, Claiborne recorded 2,350 scrimmage yards and 23 touchdowns across his final 24 games for the Demon Deacons. He enters 2026 firmly behind veterans Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason on the team's running back depth chart and may even be behind Zavier Scott for Minnesota's RB3 job. However, neither Jones Sr. nor Mason is under contract with the Vikings beyond 2026. Claiborne profiles as the highest-upside athlete of the Minnesota running backs. If he can prove himself capable of handling the finer points of the running back position, Claiborne could carve out a role in the Vikings' backfield sooner rather than later.

Carlos Washington Jr. vs. Demond Claiborne

Still trying to decide between Washington Jr. and Claiborne? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Carlos Washington Jr. is projected to score 1.3 points this week while Demond Claiborne is projected to score 1.5 points.