Who Should I Start? Julius Chestnut or Keaton Mitchell

Saturday, October 4, 12:57 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Julius Chestnut could be headed for a reduced workload in Week 5 despite a favorable matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Chestnut has operated as a backup to Tony Pollard through the first four weeks of the season. While his usage has been relatively modest given that Pollard leads all NFL running backs in snap share, Chestnut has still been his backup and did see the field in every game, logging five total carries. That marginal usage could drop to no usage as soon as Tyjae Spears (ankle) returns to game action. Spears is currently on injured reserve but has been designated to return and is questionable for Week 5. Chestnut's already limited opportunity share would surely disappear entirely as soon as another reliable, proven player like Spears is added to the backfield. If Spears plays Sunday, Chestnut, 24, might not touch the ball. Even if he remains on IR, though, the Sacred Heart product is due for just a couple of touches and remains off the fantasy radar.

Thursday, December 11, 12:12 AM

Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) was listed as a limited participant at Wednesday's practice. Mitchell left early during Baltimore's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14 due to a knee injury, but the injury is considered minor, and he isn't expected to miss any time. The 23-year-old running back had his best performance of the season last week with six rushes for 76 yards before tweaking his knee. He still hasn't seen a major uptick in snaps after Justice Hill (neck) was placed on Injured Reserve, however. Mitchell has played just 20 total snaps in the last two games, but he has been one of the most dynamic players in the league with the ball in his hands. He will remain just a handcuff behind Derrick Henry heading into the Week 15 divisional game against the Cincinnati Bengals while fighting for touches alongside Rasheen Ali.