Who Should I Start? Kyren Williams or Emari Demercado

Thursday, December 18, 1:36 AM

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams has been terrific lately, and he'll look to extend his bout of success (as well as his three-game touchdown streak) during Thursday's Week 16 contest against the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams have made a significant effort to reduce Williams' workload so that he stays fresh for the playoffs, but even so, he has continued to operate as a mid-to-low RB1 in fantasy football. Over his last three games, he has 234 rushing yards, 23 receiving yards, and four total touchdowns. He owns a phenomenal average of 5.7 yards per carry during that span, and he's the overall RB9 in PPR leagues through 14 games this season. If Williams keeps up this pace, he'll be a top-10 fantasy running back for the third consecutive year. The 25-year-old's ability to produce on a slightly reduced workload has been terrific for fantasy managers, and that trend should continue in Week 16. While the Seahawks have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to running backs in 2025, Williams has shown that he is matchup-proof. In fact, when he faced the Seahawks just five weeks ago, he had 91 rushing yards and a touchdown. He ranks as the overall RB16 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy rankings, but there's no doubt that he has top-12 upside. He should be started in all leagues ahead of Thursday Night Football in Week 16.

Saturday, December 20, 4:26 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado is expected to handle an increased workload against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, but his fantasy outlook remains murky. He is on track to operate as the backup to Michael Carter this week after Zonovan Knight (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. While Demercado was viewed as Arizona's passing-down specialist at points earlier this season, it's unclear whether that remains his role given how well Carter has performed in the passing game lately. Carter has 19 catches over his last five games, whereas Demercado has just 10 catches through parts of 10 games this year. Rather than being a true passing-down specialist, it seems more likely that the 26-year-old will fall into a change-of-pace role, allowing the Cardinals to manage Carter's workload and keep him fresh. Demercado has shown impressive burst in the past, and his 8.3 yards per carry over the last two seasons indicates that he's capable of breaking off big plays. His fantasy value in Week 16 likely hinges on whether he's able to break off any big runs or catches against the Falcons. In other words, he'll need high efficiency to overcome a backup's workload. He currently ranks as the RB51 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16.