Who Should I Start? Kareem Hunt or Brashard Smith


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
5.9 25.0 0.3 0.8 5.4 0.0

Kareem Hunt News

Kareem Hunt Continues to Score Touchdowns Late in his Career

Thursday, February 12, 8:56 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt has enjoyed a career resurgence over his last two years with the team. In 2025, he appeared in all 17 games, rushing for 611 yards and eight touchdowns while sharing the backfield with Isiah Pacheco. The veteran running back also added 143 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown, and he finished the year as the overall RB31 in full-PPR leagues. Hunt now has 1,658 scrimmage yards over his last two seasons, as well as a whopping 25 touchdowns over his last three seasons. Hunt, an impending free agent, will be 31 years old when the 2026 season gets underway. His efficiency has tailed off, and he's no longer a workhorse back. However, he has shown that he can continue to be a scoring threat while contributing as both a ball-carrier and a pass-catcher. We wouldn't be surprised to see Hunt re-sign with the Chiefs, but no matter where he ends up, he could sneak into the top 36 running backs for fantasy football drafts. His dynasty outlook isn't quite as favorable, though, as he's definitely in the final stages of his career.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.9 8.2 0.1 0.2 1.7 0.0

Brashard Smith News

Brashard Smith Has Path to a Larger Role

Monday, February 16, 5:28 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith could have the opportunity to take on an expanded role during the 2026 season. Smith was buried in a depth role for most of his rookie season in 2025, especially with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt leading the backfield. However, the Chiefs' running back dynamic could change in 2026. Both Pacheco and Hunt are free agents this offseason, and it's unclear whether either of them will re-sign. If only one or neither of them returns next season, Smith will have a path to a larger workload. He had a modest 323 scrimmage yards and one touchdown this past year, so he certainly hasn't proven himself ready for a lead-back role. However, he could share the backfield with someone like Pacheco or another mid-range, experienced back. Either way, Smith is absolutely trending upward ahead of the 2026 season. He's an intriguing buy in dynasty leagues, especially if his current fantasy manager has already grown impatient.


Kareem Hunt vs. Brashard Smith

Still trying to decide between Hunt and Smith? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kareem Hunt is projected to score 5.9 points this week while Brashard Smith is projected to score 1.9 points.