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, February 21, 10:31 AM

Across 13 games in 2025, Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado recorded 413 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 57 touches. Demercado opened the year as the RB3 in Arizona behind James Conner (ankle) and Trey Benson (knee). However, Conner suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 3, and Benson went down for the year with a knee ailment in Week 4. Despite the injuries ahead of him, Demercado was unable to carve out a lead role in Arizona and ended up splitting playing time with running backs Michael Carter and Bam Knight. Demercado is now set to hit restricted free agency, so there is no guarantee he will be back with the Cardinals in 2026. Even if he gets a new contract in Arizona, it seems clear that the team views him as a complementary piece. The Cardinals should also get Benson back in time for the start of next season, and could look to add more talent in either free agency or the draft. In dynasty formats, Demercado may no longer be worth rostering after his underwhelming 2025 showing.