Who Should I Start? Emari Demercado or Trevor Etienne

Wednesday, December 3, 2:36 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado (ankle) returned to practice on Wednesday, according to Dani Sureck of AZCardinals.com. Demercado missed the past two games due to a high-ankle sprain, but he is trending in the right direction to suit up in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams. With Trey Benson (knee) still on Injured Reserve and seemingly not making much progress after missing Wednesday's practice, Demercado could have a key role if he his able to return on Sunday. Bam Knight and Michael Carter have split the backfield duties in his absence, but Demercado has been their most dynamic back, averaging 7.8 yards per tote on 31 carries this season. We should know more about Demercado's status for Sunday in the next two days.

Saturday, November 22, 12:31 AM

Carolina Panthers running back Trevor Etienne has essentially been a non-factor lately. He didn't log a snap in Week 10, and he played just four snaps with one carry last Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie has primarily played on special teams, logging either a kick or punt return in all but one game this year. In total, he has just 20 carries for 94 rushing yards in 2025, plus two catches for an additional nine yards. He also fumbled once. Most of his volume came during Weeks 4-6 when Chuba Hubbard was banged up. As long as Hubbard and Rico Dowdle are healthy, Etienne will be a non-factor on offense. Managers should continue to patiently stash him in dynasty leagues, but they can leave him on waivers in redraft formats. That remains true in Week 12 against the San Francisco 49ers.