Who Should I Start? Emari Demercado or Riley Nowakowski


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.5 7.3 0.0 0.3 2.2 0.0

Emari Demercado News

Emari Demercado Moves Onto the Waiver Radar

Friday, September 11, 11:14 AM

Dallas Cowboys running back Emari Demercado is basically unrostered on Yahoo, but that could change after Malik Davis was injured during Friday's practice. Davis had clearly won the No. 2 job behind Javonte Williams, with Demercado sitting directly behind him after Dallas claimed the veteran off waivers at the end of August. If Davis is forced to miss time, Demercado suddenly has a much cleaner path to backup work. He has been efficient when called on, averaging 6.5 yards per carry on 126 career attempts. Last season with Arizona, Demercado ran 44 times for 312 yards and caught 13 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. None of that makes him a Week 1 starter against the Giants. Williams is still the lead back here. But with Demercado at 0% rostered on Yahoo, deeper-league managers now have a reason to take a shot before there is more clarity on Davis. If Davis misses time, Demercado's handcuff value rises quickly.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.4 0.4 0.0 0.6 4.7 0.0

Riley Nowakowski News

Steelers Select Riley Nowakowski at No. 169 Overall

Saturday, April 25, 11:23 AM

The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Indiana tight end prospect Riley Nowakowski with the 169th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Nowakowski caught 32 passes for 387 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the Hoosiers' national championship-winning offense last year. He also got involved as a fullback, scoring two rushing touchdowns. We could see him take on a similar hybrid fullback/tight end role in Pittsburgh, serving as the team's replacement for Connor Heyward, who signed with the Raiders this offseason. Assuming that's the case, Nowakowski doesn't have a clear path to fantasy relevance. He can be avoided in most fantasy football drafts.


Emari Demercado vs. Riley Nowakowski

Still trying to decide between Demercado and Nowakowski? 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 1.5 points this week while Riley Nowakowski is projected to score 1.4 points.