Who Should I Start? Kareem Hunt or Austin Ekeler

Saturday, August 23, 4:29 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt had three carries for 15 yards in the 27-29 loss to the Chicago Bears. Hunt tied with Isiah Pacheco for the most running back carries with the starting offense, but the latter finished with more yards and a touchdown. Hunt is in line to be the RB2 for Kansas City, but the extent of his role is still undetermined. Pacheco took the field with the starters first, but Hunt had a goal-line carry on the first drive. Hunt also received one target compared to none for Pacheco. If Hunt is the passing downs back with goal line opportunities, he could end up being the best fantasy option out of the backfield. This is all just speculation based on preseason usage, but it is an important situation to track once the regular season begins.

Tuesday, September 2, 6:11 PM

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler is listed as the team's lead back on their first unofficial depth chart for the 2025 regular season. Jeremy McNichols is listed as the No. 2, with Chris Rodriguez Jr. as the third RB and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt as the RB4. This one is hard to pinpoint entering the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday against the division-rival New York Giants. Despite being third and fourth on the depth chart, both Rodriguez and Croskey-Merritt are expected to have big roles in this backfield. However, things are shaping up for a committee approach early on for offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, with Ekeler expected to handle the third-down role. Rodriguez and JCM could split the early downs, with Rodriguez also potentially having the leg up in short-yardage/goal-line situations. It's not an ideal situation for fantasy managers going into Week 1, with none of the RBs being any better than shaky RB3/flex plays.