Who Should I Start? Chris Rodriguez Jr. or Ollie Gordon II

Friday, September 26, 9:40 PM

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. led the backfield in carries last week against the Raiders and ran well overall, gaining 39 yards on 11 rushes. His role for Week 4 against Atlanta could look similar. In the team's first game without Austin Ekeler, Rodriguez surprisingly started at running back and began with four straight carries to begin the game. The rotation afterwards was a bit sporadic, with Rodriguez and Jacory Croskey-Merritt both splitting most of the work, and then Jeremy McNichols subbed in on pass downs and handled a few touches. The situation remains very fluid in Washington's backfield, and it could remain unclear for the coming weeks. Rodriguez is set up as the hammer back who can grind out tough yardage, and he tied Croskey-Merritt with two goal-line carries last week. There is upside for a touchdown plunge for Rodriguez in Week 4.

Tuesday, September 23, 4:20 PM

Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II had a big preseason and got good sleeper buzz as a result. However, once the regular season started, he played just 12 snaps in Week 1 and five snaps in Week 2. In those two contests, he had three carries for just 12 yards. Even with Jaylen Wright (knee) off the injury report, Gordon was much more active in Week 3. While he still only played 25% of snaps, he did get nine carries and totaled 38 yards and a touchdown. His score came on the first possession of the game, when he took over for starter De'Von Achane in the red zone. Gordon is much more suited for tough running between the tackles than Achane, while Achane is excellent in space. The two could develop into a nice specialized tandem going forward, and the Dolphins need them to carry the offense while Tua Tagovailoa continues to struggle. Gordon gets good matchups against the Jets and Panthers the next two weeks and is a solid name to consider off the waiver wire in deep leagues.