Who Should I Start? Emari Demercado or Kyle Monangai

Sunday, March 15, 12:12 PM

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai took on a significant workload during his rookie campaign in 2025, but he remains the No. 2 option behind D'Andre Swift ahead of the 2026 season. Monangai finished his first year in the NFL with 783 rushing yards, 164 receiving yards, and five touchdowns, ranking as the overall RB30 in full-PPR leagues. He produced double-digit fantasy points on six different occasions, and he averaged 12.7 carries per game over the final 10 weeks of the season. However, the presence of Swift -- who remained productive in his first year back with head coach Ben Johnson -- continues to be a thorn in Monangai's side. Swift will remain the lead back as long as he's effective, giving Monangai a low floor and high ceiling weekly. As a result, dynasty managers must exercise patience when assessing the Rutgers product's role on their roster. He has top-18 running back upside long-term, but that might not take effect until Swift's contract expires after the 2026 season. Monangai should be held in all leagues this offseason. He's valued too high to buy low, but his long-term potential is far too encouraging to sell after just one season in the league. The only scenario where managers might want to consider buying Monangai at his current cost is if they already have Swift on their roster and want his handcuff.