Who Should I Start? Ezekiel Elliott or Jaleel McLaughlin

Thursday, September 5, 3:51 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is a risky fantasy play in Week 1 despite having a strong on paper matchup against the Cleveland Browns. The Cowboys backfield is currently one of the murkier ones in the NFL, as Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Dalvin Cook, and even Deuce Vaughn are expected to see the ball. Elliott is a clear Jerry Jones favorite, but out of 49 qualified ball carriers last season, Elliott was 45th in missed tackles and 43rd in yards after contact. He's definitely not the guy he was when he used to play for the Cowboys, leaving him as an RB3 who is likely more of a floor play than anything close to a ceiling.

Saturday, September 7, 3:22 PM

Denver Broncos second-year running back Jaleel McLaughlin did some great things for the Broncos in his first year in the NFL in 2023 despite going undrafted out of Youngstown State. McLaughlin battled for touches with lead back Javonte Williams and third-down specialist Samaje Perine and finished with 410 rushing yards and a touchdown on 76 carries for an impressive 5.4 yards per carry. He also added 31 catches on 36 targets for 160 yards and two more scores in 17 games. McLaughlin enters his second year as the clear backup to Williams, and he's also going to have to fend off rookie Audric Estime. The Broncos have a matchup in Week 1 against a Seattle Seahawks run defense that allowed the third-most half-PPR points to RBs a year ago, but as long as Williams stays healthy, it will be hard to recommend McLaughlin as anything more than an RB4/flex. He belongs on the bench in standard 12-team leagues.