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, February 19, 1:12 PM

Twenty-four-year-old Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell has shown explosiveness almost every time he's been given an opportunity, but through the first three seasons of his career, those opportunities have been limited to 130 total touches. At only 5-foot-8 and under 200 pounds, durability has already been an early-career concern, but with a lifetime average of 6.3 yards per carry, he still has too much game-breaking talent to move on from. A restricted free agent heading into 2026, he'll likely return to a Ravens running back room with the soon-to-be 32-year-old Derrick Henry and a dedicated pass catcher in Justice Hill, who averaged fewer than two carries per game in 2025. Currently priced outside the top 60 running backs in dynasty startups, Mitchell remains a stash, with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle coming from a Ben Johnson coaching tree that values explosives.