Who Should I Start? Kyle Monangai or Mike Washington Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.1 | 45.5 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 10.7 | 0.1 |
Kyle Monangai News
Monday, August 17, 2:30 PM
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (knee) suffered a hyperextended knee during training camp practice on Sunday and is expected to miss multiple weeks, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. However, the MRI outcome is considered positive, and the 24-year-old's knee is structurally sound. Monangai will most likely miss the team's final two preseason games as he tries to rehab and get ready to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Carolina Panthers. With Monangai sidelined for the next couple of weeks, Roschon Johnson, Salvon Ahmed, and Brittain Brown will get more opportunities to play behind starter D'Andre Swift in Chicago's backfield. After being selected in the seventh round from Rutgers in 2025, Monangai had 169 rushing attempts for 783 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games in his first NFL season, adding 18 receptions for 164 yards as a pass-catcher. He is still the handcuff option to Swift, but his lack of pass-catching upside makes him a better RB3/flex target in standard-scoring fantasy leagues in 2026.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 | 19.2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 6.1 | 0.0 |
Mike Washington Jr. News
Friday, August 21, 6:39 AM
With the Las Vegas Raiders giving a handful of their starters the night off, rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. drew the start and looked sharp in Thursday night's 22-20 preseason win over the Texans. Washington took his first carry of the game 33 yards through the middle of the Texans' defense before first overall pick Fernando Mendoza threw an interception on the next play that was returned 80 yards for a touchdown. Washington ended the night with a team-leading 56 yards on nine carries and looks to have positioned himself well as the primary backup to 2025 first-round pick Ashton Jeanty. As RotoBaller's RB67, Washington does not project to see enough of a standalone role to garner fantasy consideration in 2026, but as a handcuff to Jeanty, he offers valuable insurance after a promising showing on Thursday night.
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 9.1 points this week while Mike Washington Jr. is projected to score 4.2 points.
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