Who Should I Start? Kareem Hunt or Kenneth Gainwell

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.

Sunday, August 3, 10:13 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin praised running back Kenneth Gainwell's versatility as both a rusher and a receiver, saying that Gainwell has a "well-rounded game." Mike DeFabo of The Athletic writes that Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has been deploying Gainwell "in a variety of roles, including outside at receiver." Gainwell signed a one-year contract with Pittsburgh this offseason after spending the first four years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 17 games last year with Philadelphia, he recorded 406 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 91 total touches. Gainwell figures to be part of a Steelers' backfield committee that also features Jaylen Warren and rookie third-rounder Kaleb Johnson. Arthur Smith has shown a preference for utilizing multiple running backs in the past, and it sounds like Gainwell's usage could cut into the fantasy production for both Warren and Johnson.