Who Should I Start? Damien Martinez or Eli Heidenreich


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.3 1.6 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.0

Damien Martinez News

Damien Martinez Released from Seahawks' Practice Squad

Tuesday, September 2, 9:08 PM

The Seattle Seahawks have released rookie running back Damien Martinez from their practice squad, per John Boyle of Seahawks.com. Seattle selected Martinez in the seventh round of the 2025 draft, but he failed to make the team's 53-man roster and has now been bumped off the practice squad as well. Martinez averaged over six yards per carry in each of his three college seasons, so his track record of production could lead to him landing another practice squad deal with a different team. However, Martinez is highly unlikely to be fantasy-relevant in 2025 and does not hold much dynasty value at this point either.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.6 5.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Eli Heidenreich News

Eli Heidenreich Looking Like RB Heading into Year 1

Saturday, June 27, 7:19 AM

Former Navy star Eli Heidenreich is listed as an RB/WR with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he was assigned a RB number (No. 29) and has been working with the RBs during individual drills and "overwhelmingly lined up" in the backfield during team drills during offseason workouts, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. RBs coach Ramon Chinyoung Sr. called Heidenreich the "Swiss Navy Knife," but how much the Steelers open up their playbook in 2026 under new head coach Mike McCarthy might ultimately determine whether the 22-year-old will have a shot to make the 53-man roster for the regular season. How well he performs in pass protection, something Heidenreich wasn't asked to do much in college, could determine his fate early in his rookie season. DeFabo thinks Heidenreich will need to play his way onto Pittsburgh's roster during training camp, and it might take an injury for that to happen. Most likely, the former Midshipman will start his NFL career on the Steelers' practice squad.


Damien Martinez vs. Eli Heidenreich

Still trying to decide between Martinez and Heidenreich? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Damien Martinez is projected to score 0.3 points this week while Eli Heidenreich is projected to score 0.6 points.