Who Should I Start? Jonathon Brooks or Demond Claiborne

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Week 4 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Jonathon Brooks News

Jonathon Brooks Could Miss Eight Weeks After Undergoing Core Muscle Surge

Wednesday, September 23, 12:10 PM

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that the timeline for running back Jonathon Brooks (abdomen/groin) to return after undergoing core muscle surgery is six to eight weeks, per Steve Reed of The Associated Press. Per Reed, Canales said that the return timeline with or without the surgery "would have been about the same," prompting the team to take the surgical route. It's the latest in a long line of injury setbacks for Brooks, who has appeared in just five games since Carolina selected him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Across two games in 2026 before getting injured, the 23-year-old recorded nine carries for 30 yards and two catches for 43 yards on three targets. With Brooks sidelined, Panthers RB1 Chuba Hubbard could take on an even larger share of the team's backfield work. Carolina also hosted veteran running back Austin Ekeler for a workout on Wednesday, but no deal between the two parties has been announced yet.

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Week 4 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
2.2 11.0 0.1 0.3 2.2 0.0

Demond Claiborne News

Demond Claiborne a Short-Term Handcuff Option in Deep Leagues

Tuesday, September 29, 2:55 PM

Minnesota Vikings rookie running back Demond Claiborne was thrust into a bigger role when the team put Jordan Mason (thumb) on Injured Reserve last week. However, the Vikings have been hesitant to put too much on the sixth-rounder out of Wake Forest's plate early in his first season in the NFL, and that showed in the Vikings' Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 22-year-old only played three offensive snaps and had three rushing attempts for just one yard, while both Max Bredson and DeeJay Dallas out-snapped him behind starter Aaron Jones Sr. Claiborne's role could grow over the next couple of weeks, though, and Mason will miss at least three more games while on IR. In Claiborne's NFL debut in the Week 2 victory over the division-rival Chicago Bears, he had just one reception for a gain of two yards. At best, Claiborne is a short-term handcuff option for fantasy managers who have Jones rostered, but once Mason returns from his thumb injury, Claiborne will be buried on Minnesota's RB depth chart again. He is currently rostered in only 2% of Yahoo leagues.

Jonathon Brooks vs. Demond Claiborne

Still trying to decide between Brooks and Claiborne? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jonathon Brooks is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Demond Claiborne is projected to score 2.2 points.