Who Should I Start? Keaton Mitchell or Brashard Smith

Monday, September 22, 7:06 PM

Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (healthy scratch) has been ruled out for Monday night's matchup against the Detroit Lions. Mitchell has yet to appear in a regular-season game this year, sitting as a healthy scratch each week. The second-year back flashed explosiveness as a rookie before tearing his ACL late in the 2023 season, and he has yet to carve out a role in Baltimore's crowded backfield. With Mitchell sidelined, Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali will continue to operate as the primary backups behind starter Derrick Henry. Hill has logged over 40% of the snaps in the first two games and should maintain a steady role, though the matchup against Detroit's stout run defense remains difficult. Mitchell's next chance to be active will come in Week 4, when the Ravens travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs.

Thursday, September 18, 11:29 AM

ESPN's Dan Graziano notes that with the Kansas City Chiefs' lack of production regarding their rushing attack, it wouldn't be surprising to see running back Brashard Smith see more opportunities. According to Graziano, the Chiefs view the SMU product more in a pass-catching role, and he could begin to see work there. Teammates Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have handled all but one of the backfield carries through two weeks, and have been nearly as inefficient in the receiving game as they've been on the ground. Graziano speculates that once Kansas City trusts Smith to handle the full extent of his responsibilities, he'll become a factor in the offense. Until then, he's difficult to trust for fantasy, but the rookie boasts the highest ceiling of the trio, and the Chiefs were "very impressed" with him in camp.