Who Should I Start? Kareem Hunt or Michael Carter

Friday, December 19, 8:38 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt had his worst game of the season in Week 15, where he totaled 20 yards on seven attempts against the Los Angeles Chargers. Hunt was on a hot streak before last week, where he had a touchdown in five of his previous six games. The veteran running back played 49% of the snaps in Week 15, while Isiah Pacheco played 46%, which is his highest mark since injuring his knee in Week 8. While Hunt remains the lead back heading into Week 16, the injury to quarterback Patrick Mahomes may deteriorate his fantasy value moving forward. With Mahomes out, the Chiefs will likely struggle to move the ball, which will limit Hunt's goal-line attempts that have propelled his fantasy stock this season. Despite the easy matchup against the Tennessee Titans, Hunt is a risky FLEX at best in Week 16.

Monday, December 22, 9:19 AM

Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter filled in as the starter in Week 16 for the team's banged-up backfield, and he had a solid game against the Falcons. He took 11 carries for 65 yards but failed to catch either of his two targets or get into the end zone. Carter played well ahead of Emari Demercado and Corey Kiner and will likely lead the backfield committee again in Week 17 with James Conner, Trey Benson, and Bam Knight all on the shelf for the rest of the season. Carter and the Cards get a favorable matchup in Week 17 against the Bengals, so if you need some emergency help in the backfield, he's a solid streaming option with touchdown-dependent upside in Week 17.