Who Should I Start? J.J. Taylor or Cody Schrader

Saturday, September 28, 6:52 PM

Houston Texans running back J.J. Taylor has been elevated from the practice squad ahead of the Week 4 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This is noteworthy because it probably means lead back Joe Mixon (ankle) is probably trending in the wrong direction ahead of Sunday's game. Taylor was elevated last week as well with Mixon on the sideline. He rushed the ball once for three yards on hauled in both his targets for two yards through the air. He should serve as the emergency back behind Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale, assuming Mixon is out. Fantasy managers who have Mixon rostered should go ahead and prepare a backup plan for Week 4.

Friday, January 3, 8:20 PM

Los Angeles Rams running back Cody Schrader hasn't gotten any NFL work yet, but coach Sean McVay said he wants to see what the rookie can bring by getting him some work in Week 18 against the Seahawks. Schrader was an undrafted rookie out of Missouri last season who signed with the 49ers last May. He was waived at the end of training camp and claimed by the Rams. Schrader was very productive for the Tigers last season, setting the single-season record with 1,627 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. However, he hasn't seen any NFL action and is mostly viewed as a depth option going forward. He could get double-digit touches this week, though, so he's a flier to keep an eye on for very deep formats going forward. He's RotoBaller's RB73 this week, so he doesn't make a good fantasy play at this point in his NFL journey.