Who Should I Start? Emari Demercado or Mike Washington Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6 | 16.9 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 5.4 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 | 19.2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 6.1 | 0.0 |
Mike Washington Jr. News
Tuesday, August 25, 6:50 AM
Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. saw his most extensive action working with the first-team offense on Monday, filling in for Ashton Jeanty (ankle), who left Sunday's practice in dramatic fashion with an ankle injury. Following up his impressive performance in Thursday's preseason win over the Texans, Washington continued to make noise, hauling in a touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins during a red zone period and earning the praise of his offensive coordinator. "He works very hard every day," Andrew Janocko told the media. "He's on his craft all the time, and it's something that you see translate into the practice field. It's something that we keep pushing him [on] every single day." Washington's 7.9 yards per attempt across two preseason games leads all players with double-digit carries, and with Jeanty's unclear injury timeline providing the rookie with the potential to see starting work early in the year, he is a must-roster player coming out of 2026 drafts.
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 3.6 points this week while Mike Washington Jr. is projected to score 4.2 points.
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