Who Should I Start? Kareem Hunt or Brashard Smith

Saturday, September 13, 4:49 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt will take on the Philadelphia Eagles at home this Sunday. Hunt received an identical workload to Isiah Pacheco and produced similar results. The veteran back was less efficient with his carries but picked up more receiving yards in his three opportunities. It is also important to note that Hunt appeared to be the preferred back on passing downs and short yardage situations. If this usage continues, Hunt could end up being the more fantasy-relevant player in this backfield. The Chiefs deployed Hunt in goal-line situations last season, and he was successful in that role, so it's possible that he retains that job. That said, the backfield usage was split 50/50, and it will be a difficult situation to deal with unless one player starts commanding more touches. Hunt will have to face a stout Eagles defense this week, so even if he gets more work, it could be hard to get anything going. Hunt is ranked RB48 in our RotoBaller rankings this week, making him a deeper league flex option. It might be best to wait and see how this backfield shakes out.

Wednesday, September 17, 9:51 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith logged his first NFL carry on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles and turned that into two yards. He also saw a target in the pass game, although he didn't come down with it. Smith is currently listed as the No. 3 running back on the depth chart; however, with Isiah Pacheco (3.13 YPC) and Kareem Hunt (3.62 YPC) both struggling to break out, it stands to reason that the Chiefs may give the rookie out of SMU a chance for some more carries in the coming weeks. At this time, Smith remains a decent dynasty stash and someone to keep an eye on in leagues with deeper bench spots. Until then, Smith will likely serve primarily as a returner on special teams and try to make his impact that way.