Who Should I Start? Nick Chubb or Brashard Smith

Monday, October 6, 1:01 PM

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said that the usage of running backs Nick Chubb and Woody Marks is game-plan dependent and also depends on the flow of the game, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Running backs coach Danny Barrett also has a lot of input on the usage between the two backs. After playing a season-high 56% of the offensive snaps in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans, Marks dropped down to 39% in the blowout win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5. Marks' fantasy managers were probably hoping for a lot more against the Ravens' depleted defense, especially in a blowout. The rookie had seven carries for 24 yards, while Chubb finished with 11 carries for a team-high 61 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Chubb and Marks will continue to move forward in a timeshare and will be RB3/flex plays in fantasy, with Marks offering fantasy managers more upside and big-play ability.

Saturday, October 11, 1:49 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith will face the Detroit Lions on Sunday night in Week 6. Smith had one carry for four yards and caught three passes for 32 yards in last week's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. There was a lot of buzz around Smith getting more usage before Week 5, but that did not end up being the case. The Chiefs have used their rookie running back in more of a gadget role, but he has been efficient with his opportunities. Smith has touched the ball 14 times this season and gained 87 scrimmage yards for an average of 6.2 yards per touch. The converted wide receiver out of SMU figures to fit into the Kansas City passing attack this week against Detroit. The Lions are the highest-scoring team in the league, and the Chiefs have the highest neutral pass rate, so there should be plenty of passes to go around on Sunday night. Smith will likely not have many carries this week, but he should have a handful of designed pass plays go his way. Smith is ranked RB42 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a deeper league flex option this week. There is a lot of potential upside with Smith, but the usage hasn't come yet, so he should be viewed as more of a stash candidate than a playable fantasy starter this week.