Who Should I Start? Chris Rodriguez Jr. or Keaton Mitchell

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.

Saturday, December 6, 12:29 PM

Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell reached double-digit fantasy points for the first time this season against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13. He even finished as the RB27 in half-PPR formats, while getting a 13% snap share. Since Justice Hill (neck) remains sidelined, Mitchell has taken over the pass-catching work out of the backfield. He saw three targets and two carries in their previous game, but is still very far behind Derrick Henry. The Pittsburgh Steelers also present a very tough matchup against opposing run games, so Mitchell is projected as the RB42 on RotoBaller's rankings.