Who Should I Start? Jermar Jefferson or Evan Hull

Tuesday, December 31, 9:23 AM

Detroit Lions running back Jermar Jefferson was given just three attempts during their victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday evening. However, all three attempts were within the San Francisco ten-yard line. With David Montgomery (knee) sidelined, Jahmyr Gibbs has been deployed as the workhorse option in this backfield, but with the Lions having little to play for regarding their position in the standings, they opted to give Gibbs occasional rest on Monday evening. While Gibbs still finished the game with 18 attempts and four targets, he would have likely been given this goal line work in a must-win situation. Instead, Jefferson was given some high-value touches but could not punch in any of them as he finished with just nine total yards. In addition, Jefferson saw four fewer carries than the presumed No.2 option, Craig Reynolds. Fantasy managers should expect Gibbs to take on a three-down role during Week 18 and throughout the entire postseason, leaving just a handful of attempts for Jefferson and Reynolds.

Monday, December 15, 2:18 PM

New Orleans running back Evan Hull was a trending name heading into the Saints' Week 15 matchup with the Panthers, and with Devin Neal (hamstring) exiting the team's upset win with a hamstring issue, his name will likely pop up again this week. Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle) was ruled out before Sunday's divisional matchup, while Neal began the week limited by an abdomen issue, leaving Hull and second-year back Audric Estime as the presumptive next in line should Neal miss time. Ultimately, Neal played, and even though he left the game in the first half, Hull saw only a 32% snap share and finished with four total opportunities for 12 yards, leaving him behind Estime in the pecking order. Neal's status will need to be monitored throughout the week, but even if he's forced to miss what would be a favorable Week 16 matchup against the Jets, Hull's infrequent usage to this point makes him very difficult to trust heading into the fantasy semifinals.