Who Should I Start? Jeremy McNichols or Brashard Smith

Tuesday, March 11, 4:37 PM

The Washington Commanders are re-signing running back Jeremy McNichols to an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN's John Keim. Although McNichols wasn't on the fantasy radar at all last year in his first year in D.C., he was a valuable member of the team's RB room as a backup for his blitz pickups while also contributing a career-high 267 rushing yards and a career-high four rushing touchdowns on 55 carries over 17 regular-season games (one start). He also had nine catches for 27 yards and added nine yards and a touchdown on five carries in three playoff games. With both Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler returning to the Commanders' backfield in 2025, McNichols will open the year as the No. 3 RB and will have a bigger role on special teams as a return man. The 29-year-old has only 625 rushing yards and five rushing TDs on 145 carries over seven NFL seasons.

Wednesday, July 2, 6:32 PM

ESPN's Adam Teicher writes that judging from how rookie seventh-round running back Brashard Smith was used in offseason practices, the Kansas City Chiefs have plans for him. The 22-year-old ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine and could fit in nicely with other offensive skill players on the team, including receivers Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown and running back Elijah Mitchell. Smith was a receiver in college before moving to a RB at SMU in his final season, and the Chiefs got him the ball out of the backfield, from the slot and split out wide during spring workouts. Head coach Andy Reid knows a little something about finding ways to use speedy offensive weapons, so fantasy managers shouldn't complete turn away from Smith, even though it will be hard for him to secure a big role in his first year in the NFL.