Who Should I Start? MarShawn Lloyd or Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Tuesday, December 16, 3:42 PM

After having another injury setback recently with his hamstring, Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring, calf) is unlikely to come off Injured Reserve and play this year, according to Ryan Wood of USA Today Sports. "I'm not going to say no, but I think you can use deductive reasoning on that one," head coach Matt LaFleur said when asked if Lloyd can return this year. "It's very, very, very unfortunate, because this guy has worked his ass off." The 24-year-old second-year RB suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason and then injured his calf while rehabbing, forcing him to IR before the start of the 2025 campaign. The Packers opened Lloyd's 21-day practice window at the beginning of December, but a recent setback with his balky hamstring has put an end to hopes that he'd be an asset for the Packers late in the year. He has played in just one career game for the Packers in two seasons, and his future in the league is in doubt going into Year 3.

Monday, December 29, 3:00 PM

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (illness) was a late inactive for the team's Week 17 Christmas loss to the Cowboys, clearing the path for rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt to put up 105 yards and two scores on the ground. With roster crunches ratcheting up during the fantasy playoffs, there's a real chance that Rodriguez may be available on some waiver wires this week, making him a must-add in any league with a Week 18 championship game. While Croskey-Merritt has looked brilliant at times this year, Washington has repeatedly shown that, when healthy, they prefer Rodriguez to handle the majority of their groundwork. Rodriguez has cracked double-digit points in Half-PPR formats in three of his last six games played, and should slot in as a low-end RB2/flex in a plus matchup with the Eagles in Week 18.