Who Should I Start? Jeremy McNichols or Emari Demercado

Thursday, December 18, 6:18 PM

Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols surprisingly drew the start last week against the New York Giants with Chris Rodriguez Jr. (groin) sidelined and handled all the snaps on the opening drive of the game. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt took over the bulk of the carries for the remainder of the game and proved to be the far more effective runner, producing 96 yards on 18 carries compared to McNichols with six yards on nine carries. The veteran handled a season-high 10 touches, but totalled only 22 yards and also lost a fumble with less than three minutes remaining in the game with Washington up 29-21, giving the Giants a shot to tie the game. With Rodriguez set to play on Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles, McNichols should return to his normal duties as the primary third-down back. He profiles only as a deep-league dart throw in PPR formats in Week 16.

Saturday, December 20, 4:26 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado is expected to handle an increased workload against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, but his fantasy outlook remains murky. He is on track to operate as the backup to Michael Carter this week after Zonovan Knight (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. While Demercado was viewed as Arizona's passing-down specialist at points earlier this season, it's unclear whether that remains his role given how well Carter has performed in the passing game lately. Carter has 19 catches over his last five games, whereas Demercado has just 10 catches through parts of 10 games this year. Rather than being a true passing-down specialist, it seems more likely that the 26-year-old will fall into a change-of-pace role, allowing the Cardinals to manage Carter's workload and keep him fresh. Demercado has shown impressive burst in the past, and his 8.3 yards per carry over the last two seasons indicates that he's capable of breaking off big plays. His fantasy value in Week 16 likely hinges on whether he's able to break off any big runs or catches against the Falcons. In other words, he'll need high efficiency to overcome a backup's workload. He currently ranks as the RB51 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16.