Who Should I Start? Michael Carter or Gary Brightwell

Monday, December 29, 6:09 PM

Although Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter doesn't have a high fantasy ceiling, he's still the team's lead back for the final week of the regular season for a divisional matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. In the Week 17 loss on the road to the Cincinnati Bengals, Carter was held in check, picking up only 29 yards on the ground on seven rushing attempts. The 26-year-old added two receptions on four targets for 14 yards. He was outsnapped by backfield mate Emari Demercado, but Carter had two more touches. It was a disappointing performance for Carter in a plus matchup against a bad Bengals defense, but with the Cardinals falling behind by multiple scores early, they weren't really able to keep using Carter as a runner. On the bright side, Carter has 208 rushing yards and 4.6 yards per carry in the last six games, and he's had double-digit carries in two of the last three games. He'll be in play as an RB3/flex in deeper fantasy leagues this weekend against L.A.

Tuesday, October 29, 2:51 PM

The Cleveland Browns are releasing running back Gary Brightwell from the practice squad on Tuesday, according to NFL.com. The 2021 sixth-round pick out of Arizona spent the first three seasons of his career with the New York Giants before joining Cleveland's roster this year. He played in two games in 2024 but did not log a carry or reception. Overall, the 26-year-old has rushed 41 times for 164 yards and one touchdown in 37 career games.