Who Should I Start? Emari Demercado or Jordan James
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Emari Demercado News
Thursday, March 12, 5:58 PM
The Kansas City Chiefs signed former Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Demercado had over 1,100 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns (three rushing) in his three years with the team, and he'll now join Kenneth Walker III in KC's new-look backfield going into the 2026 season. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of TCU had a career-high 312 rushing yards on 44 carries in 13 games in Arizona in 2025, but he didn't find the end zone on the ground. Demercado added 13 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown in an expanded role after both James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee) suffered season-ending injuries. He never held a big role in Arizona's backfield, but he was productive when he touched the ball, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt on 126 carries. Demercado should have more upside as a stash candidate in deeper fantasy leagues while competing for backup duties with Brashard Smith.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Jordan James News
Tuesday, March 31, 10:38 AM
San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James, a fifth-round pick last year out of Oregon, appears to be the "front-runner" to be the top backup behind star Christian McCaffrey in 2026, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Brian Robinson Jr., who was CMC's primary backup in 2025, signed a one-year deal to join the Atlanta Falcons, leaving James, Isaac Guerendo, and Patrick Taylor Jr. as San Fran's options behind McCaffrey with the 2026 NFL draft looming next month. Head coach Kyle Shanahan noted that James was injured last summer and fell down the RB depth chart as a result, but his strong finish to the season makes him a candidate to back up McCaffrey to begin next season. The 22-year-old didn't have a single carry in three regular-season games in his rookie season, but he saw six rushing attempts for 28 yards in the playoff loss to the Seahawks. Given McCaffrey's lengthy injury history, if James sticks as San Fran's RB2 following the draft, he'll have plenty of fantasy value as a handcuff in single-year fantasy formats.
Emari Demercado vs. Jordan James
Still trying to decide between Demercado and James? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Emari Demercado is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Jordan James is projected to score 0.0 points.
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