Who Should I Start? Chris Rodriguez Jr. or Ray Davis

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.

Thursday, February 19, 1:50 PM

Buffalo Bills second-year running back Ray Davis saw his workload reduced drastically from year one to two, as the team finally gave James Cook the workhorse duties fantasy managers have been clamoring for for years. Cook saw the highest snap count of his career and obliterated his previous-high usage total, seeing a total of 348 opportunities on the way to his first career rushing title. Meanwhile, Davis saw his opportunities drop from 131 as a rookie to only 71 in year two. With Buffalo's offense still among the highest scoring in the league, Davis' value purely as a handcuff is enough to keep him rostered in deeper dynasty leagues. However, with Ty Johnson still working ahead of him in the passing game, he is by no means a must-hold for managers facing a roster crunch.