Who Should I Start? Chris Rodriguez Jr. or Kyle Monangai
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.4 | 35.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 3.4 | 0.0 |
Chris Rodriguez Jr. News
Wednesday, September 9, 6:39 AM
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. has emerged as a last-minute riser in fantasy football ahead of the start of the 2026 NFL season. The narrative for several months has been that Bhayshul Tuten would lead the Jags' backfield, and while that still might be the case, it's worth noting that the team's official depth chart lists Tuten and Rodriguez as sharing the No. 1 role. Perhaps we shouldn't be that surprised. After all, Tuten was the backup to Travis Etienne Jr. last year, so he hasn't handled a workhorse role yet. Additionally, there was plenty of buzz during the offseason that head coach Liam Coen expected big things from Rodriguez, whom he coached in college. The exact fantasy outlook for both of these backs remains a bit murky until we've seen how the backfield shakes out through the first game or two. For now, we'd view Tuten as a fringe RB2/RB3 and Rodriguez as a fringe RB3/RB4. That's still enough to get Rodriguez on the fantasy radar in 10+ team leagues, and he's a potential Week 1 flex for managers in 14+ team leagues, especially against a Browns defense that is trending down.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.7 | 40.8 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 11.1 | 0.1 |
Kyle Monangai News
Thursday, September 3, 4:20 PM
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (knee) missed another practice on Thursday, according to Zack Pearson of 247 Sports. Monangai suffered a hyperextended right knee in training camp practice on Aug. 16 and was deemed week-to-week earlier this week, but the good news is that the 24-year-old "looked good" while running on a side field on Wednesday, per starting RB D'Andre Swift. Monangai's status for Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 13, is firmly up in the air, and with Swift suffering an undisclosed injury of his own in Thursday's practice, Chicago's backfield is banged up with the regular-season opener closing in. With the statuses of both Monangai and Swift now in question, Roschon Johnson is becoming a bit more popular for some potential short-term value in Chicago's offense against Carolina in Week 1. Monangai produced an impressive 783 rushing yards and five rushing scores on 169 carries as a rookie after being taken in the seventh round out of Rutgers, but when Swift is healthy, he will continue to be the clear RB2 with little pass-catching upside. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 42 fantasy RB for the 2026 campaign.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. vs. Kyle Monangai
Still trying to decide between Rodriguez Jr. and Monangai? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Chris Rodriguez Jr. is projected to score 6.4 points this week while Kyle Monangai is projected to score 8.7 points.
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