Who Should I Start? Emari Demercado or DJ Giddens

Saturday, July 4, 5:37 AM

As a rookie in 2025, Indianapolis Colts running back DJ Giddens was frequently held out of games as a healthy scratch, and across his nine appearances, he carried the ball only 26 times, failing to reach 100 yards on the season. Any significant additions to the Colts' running back room in the 2026 offseason could have theoretically left last year's fifth-round pick fighting for a roster spot, but with Indianapolis allowing both Ameer Abdullah and Tyler Goodson to depart in free agency and spending only a seventh-round pick on Kentucky's Seth McGowan in the 2026 NFL Draft, Giddens is right back in line to serve as Jonathan Taylor's primary backup. With Taylor handling an astronomical 86.6% of the team's running back carries in 2025, it's unlikely that the backup role provides any significant work barring a major philosophical shift or injury, neither of which can be ruled out following Taylor's 369-touch campaign. In a worst-case scenario where the three-time Pro Bowler is forced to miss significant time, Giddens and McGowan would likely split work, giving both a potential avenue to see their value rise and making them both worthwhile end-of-bench stashes in deep dynasty leagues.