Who Should I Start? Christian Harris or Malcolm Rodriguez

Sunday, July 21, 1:52 PM

Houston Texans third-year linebacker Christian Harris (leg) currently isn't practicing with the team for the start of training camp as he recovers from a soft-tissue injury that isn't considered long-term, according to a league source. Harris, who broke out in his second year in the league in 2023, is expected to make a full recovery before the regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts. He has missed three practices but is expected to return soon. The 23-year-old had a career-high 101 tackles (65 solo), two sacks, seven tackles for loss, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble in 16 regular-season games (12 starts) and also returned a pick for a touchdown in a playoff win over Cleveland. While he probably isn't going to be drafted in standard IDP fantasy leagues this fall, he should be on the radar as a streaming option as long as he stays healthy.

Friday, November 29, 1:08 PM

Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (knee) suffered a torn right ACL in Thursday's Thanksgiving Day win over the division-rival Chicago Bears and will miss the rest of the season. It's a tough blow for Rodriguez, who had started six games this year while picking up 43 tackles and two sacks. The 25-year-old's season-ending injury came in the fourth quarter of the eventual 23-20 victory over Chicago on Turkey Day. He had five tackles and one pass breakup in the game before departing. Rodriguez will certainly need surgery and could be in danger of missing the start of the 2025 season, depending on how his rehab goes in the offseason. The Lions defense also lost a key piece of their linebacking corps recently when Alex Anzalone broke his forearm. The 30-year-old is expected to miss six to eight weeks and was placed on Injured Reserve.