Who Should I Start? Jeremy McNichols or Ray Davis

Monday, April 1, 2:02 PM

The Washington Commanders signed free-agent running back Jeremy McNichols to an undisclosed deal on Monday. McNichols spent most of last year on the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad but did play a special teams role in three regular-season games. The former fifth-round pick (162nd overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017 out of Boise State will serve as running back depth in Washington behind Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson Jr. and Chris Rodriguez Jr. There's a good chance the 28-year-old will be on the team's practice squad to begin the 2024 regular season if he isn't cut after training camp and the preseason. In his six NFL seasons with four different teams, McNichols has only 90 carries for 364 yards and one rushing touchdown, adding 40 receptions for 295 yards and an additional score in 37 games (zero starts).

Friday, September 6, 10:55 AM

When Josh Allen wasn't poaching touchdowns from James Cook in 2023, it was 33-year-old Latavius Murray. The veteran logged 17 carries inside the 10 and 11 inside the five-yard line. That role is now projected to be filled by rookie Ray Davis, a fourth-round pick out of Kentucky. The 24-year-old scored 14 touchdowns in his senior season and has the size to finish runs in the red zone. He'll open the season behind James Cook and Ty Johnson on the depth chart. The backups will split a limited amount of touches in Week 1, depending on the situation. Without a healthy amount of opportunities, Davis will need to find paydirt to turn a respectable fantasy football debut. He's a bench stash until proven otherwise.