Who Should I Start? Ja'Marr Chase or Emari Demercado

Saturday, November 15, 12:32 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase had a relatively slow start in three of his first four games to begin the 2025 campaign. However, it's been a different story since the Week 5 loss to the Detroit Lions, with the wideout combining for 50 grabs (72 targets) for 567 yards and four touchdowns in his last five appearances. Most assumed Chase would lose his fantasy luster once Joe Burrow (toe) went on the Injured Reserve list. While that was mostly true when Jake Browning was under center, it didn't take him long to build strong on-field chemistry with Joe Flacco. The veteran signal-caller should continue to pepper Chase with targets moving ahead, including in Sunday's AFC North clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the former LSU Tiger looks to reclaim his spot as the top fantasy receiver.

Saturday, November 15, 11:11 AM

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado continues to operate out of a backfield committee, but he still has appeal as an RB3/flex in most fantasy leagues. Demercado and Bam Knight have been the primary options out of the backfield in Arizona, while Michael Carter also gets occasionally involved. While Knight has typically handled more volume, Demercado has looked better in most games, including last week when he had four carries, 64 rushing yards, three catches, and 40 receiving yards. He's averaging 10.8 fantasy points (PPR) in every game where he has played at least one-third of the offensive snaps. He also owns an impressive average of 8.96 YPC, which is similar to his 9.29 YPC from last year. Fantasy managers should deploy Demercado as an RB3/flex, but they should also be aware that he has a low floor if he handles a smaller workload than usual.