Who Should I Start? Jarquez Hunter or Brashard Smith

Saturday, May 2, 5:25 AM

Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter did not take an offensive snap as a rookie, seeing the field in only five games, exclusively on special teams. The 2025 fourth-round pick was a popular sleeper pick to immediately usurp primary backup duties from Blake Corum following a similarly quiet rookie season from the 2024 third-rounder. Instead, it was Corum who enjoyed a second-year breakout, finishing as the fantasy RB17 over the final six weeks of the season, leading to calls from some that he could see closer to a 50/50 split with Kyren Williams in 2026. The Rams did not add a running back in the NFL Draft, so Hunter's role as the third back on the depth chart seems locked in, but without an injury ahead of him to either Williams or Corum, expectations remain low heading into year two. For dynasty managers with the luxury, he should still be held at the end of benches, as his skillset matches Sean McVay's offense, and he may have the most natural athleticism of any back on the roster. That said, at RotoBaller's RB85, he's a prime cut candidate for contending managers needing to free up roster space for incoming rookies.