Who Should I Start? Keaton Mitchell or Jawhar Jordan


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
4.7 23.6 0.1 0.8 6.3 0.0

Keaton Mitchell News

Keaton Mitchell's Preseason Absence Hints at Prominent Role?

Friday, August 14, 10:29 AM

Los Angeles Chargers running back Keaton Mitchell did not play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Houston Texans, joining Omarion Hampton, Justin Herbert and several other established starters on the sideline. That could be another clue that Mitchell has a real role waiting for him in Mike McDaniel's offense. The Chargers' current depth chart lists the 24-year-old second behind Hampton, and McDaniel has already said he plans to use all three of his top backs during the regular season. Mitchell gives the group something different with his speed. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry on 59 attempts for Baltimore last season and has averaged 6.3 yards per rush for his career. Nothing about sitting out one preseason game guarantees a major workload, but the Chargers apparently didn't need to see Mitchell in game action while evaluating the rest of the backfield. For a player who has never topped 59 carries in a season, that's an encouraging sign that his workload could grow in Los Angeles.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
2.6 12.2 0.1 0.6 4.0 0.0

Jawhar Jordan News

Jawhar Jordan "Playing Faster" as he Battles for RB3 Role

Wednesday, July 15, 9:20 AM

Houston Texans running backs coach Danny Barrett said that Jawhar Jordan is "playing faster than he was last year" as he battles for the RB3 role in 2026 behind newcomer David Montgomery and second-year back Woody Marks, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. After being selected in the sixth round (205th overall) in 2024 out of the University of Louisville, Jordan didn't play at all in his rookie season before carrying the ball 43 times for 193 yards and zero touchdowns in just four games in 2025. He rushed for 101 yards on 15 carries in his first regular-season game against the Arizona Cardinals, becoming the second player in franchise history to rush for 100 yards in their NFL debut. The 26-year-old is now trying to do enough in his third NFL season to stay ahead of undrafted rookies Noah Whittington and Joshua Pitsenberger, and veteran Evan Hull. Jordan's improvement and speed on the football field should be enough to land him the RB3 job if he can contribute on special teams as well, but he's going to need an injury to one of Montgomery or Marks to pop up on the fantasy radar as a waiver-wire pickup in single-year leagues in 2026.


Keaton Mitchell vs. Jawhar Jordan

Still trying to decide between Mitchell and Jordan? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Keaton Mitchell is projected to score 4.7 points this week while Jawhar Jordan is projected to score 2.6 points.