Who Should I Start? Emari Demercado or RJ Harvey

Saturday, December 20, 4:26 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado is expected to handle an increased workload against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, but his fantasy outlook remains murky. He is on track to operate as the backup to Michael Carter this week after Zonovan Knight (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. While Demercado was viewed as Arizona's passing-down specialist at points earlier this season, it's unclear whether that remains his role given how well Carter has performed in the passing game lately. Carter has 19 catches over his last five games, whereas Demercado has just 10 catches through parts of 10 games this year. Rather than being a true passing-down specialist, it seems more likely that the 26-year-old will fall into a change-of-pace role, allowing the Cardinals to manage Carter's workload and keep him fresh. Demercado has shown impressive burst in the past, and his 8.3 yards per carry over the last two seasons indicates that he's capable of breaking off big plays. His fantasy value in Week 16 likely hinges on whether he's able to break off any big runs or catches against the Falcons. In other words, he'll need high efficiency to overcome a backup's workload. He currently ranks as the RB51 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16.

Saturday, December 20, 2:18 PM

Denver Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey is set to dominate backfield touches again against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16, but faces another difficult test. The Jaguars currently rank first in the NFL in average rushing yards allowed per game, at just 86.3. With the Broncos having success in Week 15 through the air while facing the Green Bay Packers, it's possible that they could lean more towards the passing game as a focal point to keep the win streak alive. While Harvey has scored at least one touchdown on the ground in three consecutive games and averages 75.7 total yards per game in that stretch, RotoBaller ranks him as the RB14 overall for Week 16.