Who Should I Start? Dameon Pierce or Emari Demercado

Saturday, December 20, 1:19 PM

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed running back Dameon Pierce to the 53-man roster ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Tennessee Titans, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. Pierce signed with Kansas City's practice squad on November 24 after being waived by the Houston Texans. The 2022 fourth-round pick had a promising rookie campaign, totalling 939 yards and four touchdowns on 220 carries with 30 catches (39 targets) for 165 yards and another score as a receiver, but has faded into a depth role since then. Pierce doesn't have a path to consistent playing time with the Chiefs, as Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco lead the backfield. He shouldn't be considered for fantasy purposes in Week 16 and is mainly a dynasty league stash for now.

Saturday, December 20, 4:26 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado is expected to handle an increased workload against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, but his fantasy outlook remains murky. He is on track to operate as the backup to Michael Carter this week after Zonovan Knight (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. While Demercado was viewed as Arizona's passing-down specialist at points earlier this season, it's unclear whether that remains his role given how well Carter has performed in the passing game lately. Carter has 19 catches over his last five games, whereas Demercado has just 10 catches through parts of 10 games this year. Rather than being a true passing-down specialist, it seems more likely that the 26-year-old will fall into a change-of-pace role, allowing the Cardinals to manage Carter's workload and keep him fresh. Demercado has shown impressive burst in the past, and his 8.3 yards per carry over the last two seasons indicates that he's capable of breaking off big plays. His fantasy value in Week 16 likely hinges on whether he's able to break off any big runs or catches against the Falcons. In other words, he'll need high efficiency to overcome a backup's workload. He currently ranks as the RB51 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16.