Who Should I Start? Kendre Miller or Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Monday, October 20, 1:21 PM

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (knee) suffered a torn ACL in the Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday and will miss the rest of the year, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. It's a tough blow for Miller and for the Saints' backfield depth behind starter Alvin Kamara. The 23-year-old had ascended into the biggest role of his career in his third year in the league as the direct backup to Kamara, carrying the ball 47 times for 193 yards (career-best 4.1 yards per tote) and a touchdown while adding five catches on five targets for 30 yards as a pass-catcher through seven games. Miller has been plagued by the injury bug since entering the NFL as a third-rounder in 2023, as he missed 20 of a possible 34 games in his first two seasons. With Miller now sidelined until next year, rookie Devin Neal becomes the primary handcuff option for Kamara's fantasy managers.

Wednesday, December 10, 5:47 PM

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (groin) was unable to practice on Wednesday due to a groin injury, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. This is a notable one, since Rodriguez has taken over as the team's lead back in the last five games with rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt struggling. The 25-year-old has played over 40% of the snaps in the last three games and has seen double-digit carries in four of the last five contests. In the last five games, C-Rod has 55 touches for 259 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. If Rodriguez cannot return to practice this week and is out for a divisional matchup on Sunday against the New York Giants, Croskey-Merritt and pass-catching back Jeremy McNichols would both see increased playing time in D.C. It's a situation worth watching closely for fantasy managers.