Who Should I Start? Michael Carter or LeQuint Allen Jr.

Sunday, October 12, 11:52 AM

Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter is not expected to lead the team's backfield during Week 6 against the Indianapolis Colts, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Instead, Bam Knight will handle lead-back duties for Arizona. The Cardinals have been experimenting with personnel after losing James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee). Third-string running back Emari Demercado has remained in a third-down role, and it was Carter who led the unit with 18 carries last Sunday. However, he was relatively inefficient with just 2.8 yards per carry, which could be the reason why he's now in the backup role and Knight is getting an opportunity to lead the way. Knight, who had four rushes for 11 yards and a touchdown last week, hasn't started an NFL game since his rookie campaign with the New York Jets in 2022. The Colts represent a tough matchup, so Carter's reduced volume takes him off the fantasy radar in most formats.

Friday, September 12, 9:17 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back LeQuint Allen Jr. enters Week 2 as the team's RB3 on the updated depth chart. In the season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers, Allen logged one carry for seven yards and added one reception for four yards, while Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby dominated the backfield with 83% of the snaps and 21 of the team's 25 rushing attempts. With Bigsby now traded to Philadelphia, the door is open for Allen and fellow rookie Bhayshul Tuten to carve out roles behind Etienne. While Tuten came in with more hype as a prospect, Allen's receiving skills could earn him passing-down work. He'll draw a favorable matchup in Week 2 against the Bengals, who just allowed Browns running back Dylan Sampson to lead his team in receptions. Allen remains unstartable in fantasy for now, but his skill set makes him a name worth monitoring as the Jaguars' backfield evolves.