Who Should I Start? Isaac Guerendo or Will Shipley

Monday, January 6, 10:31 PM

An MRI exam on Monday morning revealed that San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo (ankle, knee) suffered an MCL sprain and an ankle sprain in the loss to the division-rival Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in the Week 18 regular-season finale, according to a source. Guerendo will have plenty of time to heal up in the offseason, and the best news is that he didn't suffer any damage to his ACL. Both of the injuries are to his left leg. The 24-year-old fourth-round pick didn't see much of an opportunity in 2024 until late in the season when both Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) were ruled out for the year, but when he did get his chances, he was pretty effective out of the Niners' backfield. Guerendo finished with 5.0 yards per carry for 420 yards and four TDs on 84 carries through 16 games. He should serve as valuable insurance for McCaffrey in 2025.

Sunday, January 5, 11:40 AM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley (concussion) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New York Giants. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction after he logged a full practice on Friday. Shipley has taken a backseat to Saquon Barkley and Kenneth Gainwell this season, but with Barkley inactive for Week 18, the rookie out of Clemson has a chance to earn increased opportunities. The 22-year-old has been mostly used as a ball carrier this season, rushing 20 times while failing to command a single target. He's likely headed for a change-of-pace role in Week 18, but with his exact involvement unknown, Shipley is tough to trust in fantasy football. He ranks as a low-end RB4 and should be avoided in most leagues.