Who Should I Start? Jonathon Brooks or Mike Washington Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.2 | 33.7 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 9.7 | 0.1 |
Jonathon Brooks News
Wednesday, August 26, 10:45 AM
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks had another encouraging moment during Wednesday's joint practice with Houston. According to Kyle Bailey, Brooks showed patience on a red-zone carry, waited for a lane to open, cut back and picked up roughly 10 to 12 yards. That kind of run stands out a little more with Brooks, who is coming back from two tears of the same right ACL. The second one cost him the entire 2025 season. Brooks has only 12 regular-season touches in the NFL, but he has looked comfortable cutting and accelerating this summer, worked with the first-team offense, and scored a 1-yard touchdown against Jacksonville last Friday. Chuba Hubbard has been working back from a hamstring injury, and Dave Canales has said Carolina plans to keep rotating its backs once Hubbard returns. Brooks isn't suddenly taking over the backfield, but he's giving the Panthers more reasons to trust him in a meaningful role.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 | 19.2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 6.1 | 0.0 |
Mike Washington Jr. News
Tuesday, August 25, 7:42 PM
Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Mike Washington has earned the praise of head coach Klint Kubiak ahead of the 2026 season. "He's done a great job of growing up real fast," Kubiak told Levi Edwards of the team's official website. "He's a guy that understands we're counting on him. He's maturing really fast." Washington is a fourth-round pick out of Arkansas, and while he was initially drafted to be a backup, he could step into a larger role right away if Ashton Jeanty (ankle) isn't ready to play in Week 1. Jeanty recently suffered a low-ankle sprain that could sideline him for a couple of weeks, so there's a real chance that we see Washington draw the start during the season opener against the Dolphins on Sept. 13. Washington may be a rookie, but Kubiak's comments suggest that he's ready for a big role. He currently ranks as the RB48 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for 2026.
Jonathon Brooks vs. Mike Washington Jr.
Still trying to decide between Brooks and Washington Jr.? 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 7.2 points this week while Mike Washington Jr. is projected to score 4.2 points.
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