Who Should I Start? Kareem Hunt or Keaton Mitchell

Saturday, October 4, 8:55 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt will face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night in Week 5. Hunt rushed 13 times for 34 yards (2.62 yards per carry) and caught one pass for 13 yards in last week's win over the Baltimore Ravens. The 30-year-old veteran back continues to get valuable touches out of the Kansas City backfield despite his inefficiency, but that could change in the near future. Isiah Pacheco and Brashard Smith handled seven carries and four carries, respectively, in Week 4. The rookie Smith has seen his snap rate increase each week this season, and there's been a lot of buzz about getting him more involved in the offense. That said, Hunt will presumedly still be the lead back this week against the Jaguars, who allow the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. Hunt is ranked RB32 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him the highest-ranked running back for the Chiefs and an RB3/Flex option this week.

Saturday, October 4, 11:23 AM

Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell is expected to be active for the first time this season against the Houston Texans. The third-year back has been a healthy scratch through the first four weeks, but he's finally set to make his season debut in Week 5. With Lamar Jackson (hamstring) sidelined, the Ravens are expected to lean heavily on the run game, especially with four running backs now on the active roster. The Texans have allowed the 15th-most fantasy points to running backs, and while Mitchell isn't projected to see a major workload right away, his activation adds excitement to Baltimore's backfield rotation. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on how he's utilized in this new-look offense, as his explosiveness could earn him a more significant role moving forward.