Who Should I Start? Jonathon Brooks or Demond Claiborne


Week 7 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 "Trending in the Right Direction"

Friday, October 23, 8:53 AM

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said on Friday that running back Jonathon Brooks (abdomen), who is on Injured Reserve, is "trending in the right direction," according to Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer. Brooks was seen jogging during the team's practice on Thursday and is making progress after having core-muscle surgery early in the 2026 season. Continued injury issues for Brooks have made Chuba Hubbard one of the biggest fantasy football values so far this year. Brooks is a stash candidate off the waiver wire for fantasy managers who need more depth at the position, but he probably will not be a realistic candidate to come off IR to play in the Week 8 contest on Thursday against the Green Bay Packers. The 23-year-old former second-rounder from Texas has played in just five of a possible 38 regular-season games since he entered the league. In two games this year before his core-muscle injury, Brooks handled nine carries for only 30 yards and caught two of his three targets for 43 yards through the air. Right now, he is being stashed in 41% of Yahoo leagues.


Week 7 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.5 2.3 0.0 0.1 0.5 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 0.5 points.