Who Should I Start? Jeremy McNichols or Kimani Vidal

Monday, September 22, 9:41 AM

Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols carried the ball four times for 78 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 41-24 win over the Raiders. McNichols had a statement run in the second quarter, where he evaded multiple tackles and ran for a 60-yard touchdown. The touchdown was his first of the season. With Austin Ekeler (Achilles) out for the season, the Commanders went with a running-back-by-committee approach on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. Jacory Croskey-Merritt rushed eight times, while Chris Rodriguez led the backfield in attempts with 11 rushes, and McNichols rushed four times. While the committee approach is less than ideal for fantasy managers, it does mean that every player in the backfield is worth a look on the waiver wire in Week 4, specifically Rodriguez and McNichols, with Croskey-Merritt likely already rostered. Given the offense's success in their Week 3 win, McNichols' role and volume will likely stay the same in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons.

Tuesday, September 23, 5:27 PM

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said that running back Kimani Vidal will be the "next man up" after Najee Harris suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in the Week 3 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, according to Alex Insdorf. Harbaugh also said that general manager Joe Hortiz will be "scouring the market" to see what else is available at the RB position. The Chargers are expected to lean on rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton as their lead back moving forward, with Harris done for the year, with Vidal and Hassan Haskins mixing in behind him in change-of-pace duties. Vidal, a former sixth-rounder in 2024, did not make the active 53-man roster out of training camp and was sent to the practice squad. The 24-year-old averaged 3.6 yards per carry for 155 rushing yards on 43 attempts in his rookie season. Vidal can probably remain on the waiver wire for now in most single-year fantasy leagues.