Who Should I Start? Emari Demercado or Mike Washington Jr.
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 |
Mike Washington Jr. News
Tuesday, June 2, 12:28 PM
After recording 1,296 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns on 195 touches across 12 games at the University of Arkansas in 2025, running back Mike Washington Jr. was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Even after a relatively disappointing rookie season, 2025 number six overall pick Ashton Jeanty remains firmly atop the Raiders running back depth chart going into 2026. However, Washington Jr. could be the favorite for the RB2 role in a backfield that also contains Dylan Laube, Chris Collier, and Roman Hemby. Jeanty has the skill set of a three-down workhorse and logged 321 touches across 17 games in 2025, so there may not end up being much fantasy-relevant playing time behind him in Las Vegas. At the same time, Jeanty averaged a highly inefficient 3.7 yards per carry last season, and the Raiders could be looking to keep him fresher by spreading out their backfield touches a bit more. Washington Jr. could be a solid buy-low target for dynasty managers heading into 2026, given the opportunity available to him in Las Vegas.
Emari Demercado vs. Mike Washington Jr.
Still trying to decide between Demercado and Washington Jr.? 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 Mike Washington Jr. is projected to score 0.0 points.
Latest Fantasy News
