Who Should I Start? Kareem Hunt or Austin Ekeler

Saturday, December 6, 4:57 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt should once again lead the backfield as the Chiefs face the Houston Texans on Sunday night. Hunt led the way with 14 carries for 58 yards and one catch for 22 yards in the 28-31 loss to Dallas on Thanksgiving. Last week's contest was Isiah Pacheco's first game back from injury, so his workload was light, but Hunt should continue getting the majority of work even with Pacheco healthy. The Chiefs have leaned on Hunt as their most trusted runner, and he will need to prove worthy of the role if Kansas City wants to beat the tough Houston defense. The Texans defense has allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs this season, making them one of the toughest matchups at the position. Hunt is ranked RB21 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a viable RB2 option this week.

Monday, September 22, 12:34 PM

Although Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. wasn't all that efficient (3.5 yards per carry) in his 2025 debut in the team's 41-24 blowout win over the visiting Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, he did lead the team with 11 carries. Rodriguez was a healthy scratch the first two weeks, but he was elevated to the active roster for Week 3 after Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles in Week 2. The 24-year-old ran for 39 yards on his 11 carries and was not utilized in the passing game. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt was second on the team with eight carries, and he, too, was inefficient with just 26 yards on the ground. Jeremy McNichols and quarterback Marcus Mariota combined for 10 rushing attempts and two touchdowns against the Raiders. Croskey-Merritt has the most upside in the Commanders' backfield moving forward with Ekeler done for the year, but Rodriguez is worth a waiver-wire pickup if you have JCM rostered or are looking for RB depth. Rodriguez is currently rostered in only 5% of Yahoo leagues.