Who Should I Start? Chris Rodriguez Jr. or Blake Corum

Friday, January 2, 10:50 AM

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. has been a productive player across 12 games this season, recording 435 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 96 carries. However, the 25-year-old has been in-and-out of his team's lineup in recent weeks, missing Week 15 with a groin injury and Week 17 with an illness. In his absence, Rodriguez Jr. may have had his role in the Washington backfield usurped by rookie back Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Over the last three weeks, Croskey-Merritt has racked up 224 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 37 carries. Rodriguez Jr. is expected to return for Washington's Week 18 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, and he'll likely still see some touches. However, the Commanders may opt to split touches between Rodriguez Jr. and Croskey-Merritt evenly, or ride the hot hand with the rookie.

Saturday, February 14, 6:33 AM

A third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum saw limited playing time in a reserve role behind Rams back Kyren Williams as a rookie. While Williams remained the team's RB1 in 2025, Corum saw a significant workload increase in his second NFL season. Across 17 games, Corum recorded 746 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 145 touches. He was highly efficient as a rusher when given an opportunity, averaging 5.1 yards per rush attempt. Still, Williams remains under contract with the Rams through the 2028 season, and he remained a standout performer by recording over 1,500 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. Additionally, Corum has not shown much of an ability to impact the passing game so far in his NFL career, recording just 15 total receptions across 34 career games played. Corum proved that he can be an impact rusher at the NFL level in 2025, which is a notable development after his quiet rookie season. However, barring injury, his fantasy upside remains limited as long as both he and Williams are in Los Angeles.