Who Should I Start? Dylan Sampson or Brashard Smith

Saturday, October 4, 10:15 AM

Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson has seen his role shrink since a solid debut in Week 1. The rookie will now head to London to take on the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. In theory, Sampson draws a decent matchup against a Minnesota defense that is allowing the 14th-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, but Cleveland has been giving almost all of the running-back work to Quinshon Judkins over the past two games, which has crushed the fantasy value of Sampson and Jerome Ford. Sampson is hard to trust in fantasy until the Browns show more of a commitment to getting him the ball, so managers should leave him on the bench in Week 5.

Saturday, October 4, 10:29 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. Smith saw his snap rate and touches reach season-highs in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens. The rookie running back handled four carries for nine yards (2.3 yards per carry) and three catches for 27 receiving yards. Smith converted to running back from wide receiver in college, making receiving a huge part of his game. The 22-year-old also ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, making him a speedy option to get the ball to in space. There has been a lot of buzz about getting Smith more involved in the offense each week, and that should be the case against the Jaguars, who allow the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. If fellow backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt struggle to find success on the ground, Smith could make things happen through the air. Smith is ranked RB46 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, putting him in desperation flex territory. It would be advisable to take a wait-and-see approach with Smith this week.