Who Should I Start? Jonathan Taylor or Kimani Vidal

Saturday, December 27, 1:00 PM

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has been excellent overall this season, recording 1,840 scrimmage yards and 19 touchdowns on 329 touches across 15 games. However, the 26-year-old's rushing efficiency has nose-dived in the second half of the season. Across his last seven games played, Taylor has averaged more than four yards per carry just once. In the two games since Philip Rivers took over as the starting quarterback in Indianapolis, Taylor is averaging 3.2 yards per rush attempt. In Week 17, Taylor faces a tough matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who enter the week ranked sixth in the NFL in yards per carry allowed (4.1). However, Jacksonville has allowed 19 rushing touchdowns on the season, which ranks tied for fourth-worst in the league. Additionally, Taylor remains a safe bet for a heavy workload, as he's seen at least 19 touches in six straight weeks. Despite the efficiency concerns, Taylor remains a must-start fantasy running back in Week 17.

Saturday, December 27, 3:28 PM

Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal (neck) is inactive for Saturday's contest against the Houston Texans. The second-year running back exited their victory over the Cowboys last weekend with this injury. During the week, Vidal was unable to practice on Tuesday and Wednesday but made progress on Thursday, logging a limited session, suggesting he could be in the mix to return. However, the Chargers will lean on the side of caution and keep him on the sidelines this afternoon. As a result, managers should expect rookie running back Omarion Hampton to operate as the clear RB1 in the offense while Hassan Haskins serves as the change-of-pace option. Hampton should be started in all formats as a low-end RB1 given his projected workload despite facing a formidable Houston defense.