Who Should I Start? Kyle Monangai or Mike Washington Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.7 | 40.8 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 11.1 | 0.1 |
Kyle Monangai News
Thursday, September 3, 4:20 PM
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (knee) missed another practice on Thursday, according to Zack Pearson of 247 Sports. Monangai suffered a hyperextended right knee in training camp practice on Aug. 16 and was deemed week-to-week earlier this week, but the good news is that the 24-year-old "looked good" while running on a side field on Wednesday, per starting RB D'Andre Swift. Monangai's status for Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 13, is firmly up in the air, and with Swift suffering an undisclosed injury of his own in Thursday's practice, Chicago's backfield is banged up with the regular-season opener closing in. With the statuses of both Monangai and Swift now in question, Roschon Johnson is becoming a bit more popular for some potential short-term value in Chicago's offense against Carolina in Week 1. Monangai produced an impressive 783 rushing yards and five rushing scores on 169 carries as a rookie after being taken in the seventh round out of Rutgers, but when Swift is healthy, he will continue to be the clear RB2 with little pass-catching upside. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 42 fantasy RB for the 2026 campaign.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 26.1 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 8.9 | 0.1 |
Mike Washington Jr. News
Wednesday, September 9, 8:37 AM
Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. led all qualified runners with a 7.3 yards-per-carry average during the 2026 preseason. Following a dominant effort across all three games, he has positioned himself as not just an important insurance back, but as a player who could see a standalone role as early as Week 1. 2025 sixth overall pick Ashton Jeanty (ankle) handled 334 opportunities as a rookie, but upon his arrival from Seattle, head coach Klint Kubiak immediately espoused the value of a committee running back approach. In Washington, he may have found a player to help lighten Jeanty's workload, particularly with the former first-rounder already dealing with an ankle injury. With the Raiders still holding one of the league's lowest projected win totals, it may be difficult for the team to support two usable fantasy backs, but Washington's preseason push makes him an intriguing end-of-bench stash who would see his value catapult if ever forced into a larger role by injury.
Kyle Monangai vs. Mike Washington Jr.
Still trying to decide between Monangai and Washington Jr.? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kyle Monangai is projected to score 8.7 points this week while Mike Washington Jr. is projected to score 6.0 points.
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