Who Should I Start? Chris Rodriguez Jr. or Jaleel McLaughlin

Wednesday, December 3, 10:50 AM

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. has taken over the RB1 duties in Washington. Despite the preseason hype that surrounded seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rodriguez has been the RB1 as of late, totaling 201 rushing yards and three touchdowns in his last four games. Rodriguez played 44% of the snaps in their past two games, with receiving back Jeremy McNichols playing 35%, while Croskey-Merritt played just 20%. With the return of Jayden Daniels imminent, the Commanders' offense could be explosive down the stretch, which means good things are coming for the third-year back from Kentucky. In 2024, Daniels led the Commanders to the fifth-ranked scoring offense and an NFC Championship appearance. If Daniels returns, Rodriguez should have more scoring opportunities and can make an impact in the fantasy playoffs.

Tuesday, December 2, 12:49 PM

For the second straight game in Sunday night's overtime win over the Washington Commanders, Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin served as the team's No. 2 RB with J.K. Dobbins (foot) out for the year. McLaughlin played only 19% of the offensive snaps and had seven total touches for the second straight game. His six rushing attempts (24 yards) were second on the team behind rookie RJ Harvey's 13 carries (35 yards). Harvey wasn't efficient (2.7 yards per tote), but he found the end zone twice. Although McLaughlin's snap count was his highest of the year, he was outsnapped by Harvey, Tyler Badie, and Adam Prentice. Before Denver's Week 12 bye, McLaughlin had six carries for 19 yards and his first touchdown of the year in the Week 11 win over the Chiefs. The 25-year-old's limited usage is likely to continue going into a Week 14 divisional clash with the Raiders, making him only a deep-league stash for RB depth. McLaughlin is currently rostered in only 2% of Yahoo leagues.