Who Should I Start? Emari Demercado or Kimani Vidal

Friday, November 28, 4:00 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado (ankle) has been ruled out for his team's Week 13 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per Darren Urban of azcardinals.com. Week 13 will mark Demercado's second straight missed game due to an ankle injury. With Demercado and Trey Benson (knee) remaining out in Week 13, the Cardinals' backfield remains wide open. Bam Knight (knee) has been the team's lead back in recent weeks, but he's listed as questionable to play himself due to a knee injury. If Knight is out or limited, Michael Carter could take over the lead role in the Arizona backfield. Jermar Jefferson could also see some work in Arizona after being active for the first time in 2025 in Week 12.

Friday, November 28, 4:54 PM

Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal is expected to see significant usage in Week 13 after rushing for only 13 yards on five carries against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11. Teammate Hassan Haskins (hamstring) remains on IR, and rookie Omarion Hampton (ankle) has been ruled out, even though the team opened his 21-day practice window earlier this week. Vidal has been inconsistent lately, but is likely to handle most of the carries against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders have a surprisingly strong run defense, allowing just 3.7 yards per carry (second-best in the league), which could challenge Vidal's efficiency. However, the Raiders' defense is also the league's worst at stopping goal-line touchdowns, boosting Vidal's scoring upside in a game where the Chargers' coaching staff might lean on the run if the team gets an early lead. Given the opportunity and Hampton's injury status, Vidal should be upgraded to a mid-range RB2 for this week.