Who Should I Start? MarShawn Lloyd or Dameon Pierce

Tuesday, August 26, 5:11 PM

Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) was placed on Injured Reserve on Tuesday and has been designated to return, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. It means that Lloyd can return after missing the first four games of the 2025 campaign. Head coach Matt LaFleur had already said that the oft-injured second-year RB would miss time to start the year due to a hamstring injury that he suffered in the preseason finale last weekend. The 24-year-old cannot seem to shake his hamstring injuries, as he also dealt with the same issue in his rookie season, among other things, and ended up suiting up in just one game. Green Bay has a bye in Week 5, so the earliest Lloyd can return will be in Week 6 on Oct. 12 versus the Cincinnati Bengals. Fantasy managers can avoid him for now in 12-team leagues, while Emanuel Wilson becomes the primary handcuff option for those that draft Josh Jacobs.

Monday, September 1, 12:27 AM

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (quad) told KPRC's Aaron Wilson that his recovery is ahead of schedule and he feels ready for the regular season. "It's really a couple weeks ahead of schedule, which is a blessing," Pierce said. "I feel ready to go." The Florida product missed six games last season and didn't mak a single start. In order to get him some game reps before the regular season, the Texans' coaching staff put him on the field for a portion of their preseason finale earlier this month. In that contest, he rushed seven times for 17 yards on the ground. Houston may be forced to call on the 25-year-old early this season as the timetable for Joe Mixon (ankle) remains very unclear. At a minimum, he'll miss four games, leaving Nick Chubb to lead the backfield while Pierce and Woody Marks occupy supplementary roles. There's a chance Pierce could earn some meaningful touches, which would justify drafting him in the final rounds of your fantasy draft. However, it's just as likely that Chubb and Marks both play quite well, leaving Pierce without much of a role. At worst, you can draft him with your final pick and then just drop him if it doesn't work out.