Who Should I Start? Craig Reynolds or D'Ernest Johnson

Saturday, August 24, 6:42 PM

Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (leg) is expected to be available for the regular season opener, according to head coach Dan Campbell. Reynolds suffered a leg injury during Thursday's practice. It's not believed to be serious, but Reynolds was held out of the preseason finale for precautionary reasons. He's currently competing with Sione Vaki for the No. 3 role in Detroit. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are the two primary options in this backfield. It's unlikely that Reynolds or Vaki have a significant role in the backfield while Gibbs and Montgomery are healthy. Whether he's healthy or not, Reynolds can probably be avoided in most fantasy formats.

Saturday, November 16, 12:00 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back D'Ernest Johnson could get some opportunities to produce this week against the Detroit Lions. With Tank Bigsby out with an ankle injury, Johnson should serve as the clear backup to Travis Etienne Jr. While the Jaguars have used multiple backs for most of the season, that is mostly due to Etienne Jr.'s previous season performances and Bigsby's emergence this season. In the weeks when Etienne Jr. missed due to injury, Johnson didn't produce much. He did do decent against the Patriots in Week 6, producing 70 total yards on 12 touches. However, the Patriots have been one of the worst run defenses this season, while the Lions have been one of the better run defenses this season. Unless Johnson gets involved in the passing game, he is nothing more than a desperate fantasy option in Week 11 against the Lions.