Who Should I Start? Jaleel McLaughlin or Jarquez Hunter

Monday, January 13, 10:50 AM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin was a complete non-factor in the team's 31-7 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday on wild-card weekend. Like most of the season, Denver's backfield was stuck in the mud and couldn't get anything going to control the game, with rookie quarterback Bo Nix leading the team with 43 rushing yards on four carries. McLaughlin, who had been the leader of a committee backfield late in the season, had only two rushing attempts for minus-two yards while catching his only target for no gain. It was a dismal end to the 24-year-old's second season in the NFL. He finished with 113 carries for 496 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and only one rushing touchdown in 16 regular-season games while adding 24 catches for 76 yards and two more TDs through the air. Denver will surely look to upgrade their backfield in the offseason to give more help to Nix in 2025.

Sunday, August 10, 8:47 AM

Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter rushed for 41 yards on 11 carries during Saturday's preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys. He was not targeted in the passing game, but he did add a 21-yard kick return to his stat line. Although we would've liked to see him average more than 3.7 yards per carry, the rookie did turn heads by taking on a high-volume role in his preseason debut. Not only does Hunter's fourth-round draft capital give him a leg up over Blake Corum to be the Rams' backup running back, but he is also expected to push for some of Kyren Williams' snaps. As a likely handcuff with potential standalone value, Hunter is worth stashing in the final rounds of fantasy drafts with at least 14 teams.