Who Should I Start? Kendre Miller or Brashard Smith

Sunday, October 19, 5:09 PM

New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore acknowledged that "there's concern" surrounding running back Kendre Miller (knee), who left during the first quarter of Sunday's Week 7 loss. Moore did not elaborate on the injury, but it sounds like the backup running back could be at risk of missing extended time. Miller had previously carved out a decent workload in his backup role behind Alvin Kamara, so his absence will presumably clear the way for Kamara to reclaim the workhorse role in New Orleans. Devin Neal, who had one carry for one yard on Sunday, could also see a slight uptick in snaps if Miller misses any games. Fantasy managers invested in his status should monitor the Saints' injury reports ahead of Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Saturday, October 18, 1:36 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith will face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7. The rookie did not handle a single carry in the 30-17 victory over the Detroit Lions last week, but he did handle his normal allotment of receptions. Smith has three receptions in each of the last three games and he's averaging 8.9 yards per catch. The 22-year-old was a wide receiver at the University of Miami, but proved his ability to run between the tackles at SMU. That said, the Chiefs have not allowed him to handle many carries, likely due to his small stature. The smaller back is a speedster with 4.39 speed, and Kansas City is likely trying to maximize his efficiency by getting him in space. There is a chance that his role grows as the season goes on, but it's not likely to happen this week against the Raiders. The Raiders have been middle-of-the-pack against running backs, but with Kansas City being massive home favorites, Isiah Pacheco should be the favorite for more carries to run out the clock. Smith is ranked RB49 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him nothing more than a bench stash until he gets a larger workload.