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.

Saturday, December 13, 11:50 AM

Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell briefly popped up on the injury report after registering a limited practice on Wednesday due to knee issues. Since then, he's been a full participant and was cleared from the injury report. Despite seeing 15% or less of the snap share in the last two weeks, Mitchell has finished as a high-end RB3 in half-PPR leagues. The last time against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13, Mitchell found the end zone with two carries for 19 yards and two receptions for 12 yards. While he could have a similar game against the 32nd ranked defense against opposing backfields, he's a very risky flex play. He's currently projected as the RB55 in RotoBaller's rankings.