Who Should I Start? Miles Sanders or Brashard Smith

Friday, October 10, 5:02 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Miles Sanders (ankle, knee) has been moved to season-ending injured reserve, according to Patrick Walker of the Dallas Cowboys. Sanders was limited in practice on Wednesday before missing Thursday's practice, but now his season is over as he deals with multiple injuries to his ankle and knee. The 28-year-old served as the primary backup running back to Javonte Williams over the first four games of the season before missing Week 5. Rookie Jaydon Blue was active in his place and should step into a larger role now with Sanders out. Blue shouldn't be in lineups for Week 6, but he is an interesting speculative pickup ahead of Sunday's game against the Panthers.

Monday, February 16, 5:28 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith could have the opportunity to take on an expanded role during the 2026 season. Smith was buried in a depth role for most of his rookie season in 2025, especially with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt leading the backfield. However, the Chiefs' running back dynamic could change in 2026. Both Pacheco and Hunt are free agents this offseason, and it's unclear whether either of them will re-sign. If only one or neither of them returns next season, Smith will have a path to a larger workload. He had a modest 323 scrimmage yards and one touchdown this past year, so he certainly hasn't proven himself ready for a lead-back role. However, he could share the backfield with someone like Pacheco or another mid-range, experienced back. Either way, Smith is absolutely trending upward ahead of the 2026 season. He's an intriguing buy in dynasty leagues, especially if his current fantasy manager has already grown impatient.