Who Should I Start? Nick Chubb or Jaleel McLaughlin

Wednesday, November 19, 5:39 PM

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb has played a reduced role in the last few weeks, and it's hard to trust him this Thursday night, even in a favorable matchup against the Bills. Chubb played only 18 snaps (26%) in Week 11 against the Titans and had just three carries for 17 yards. It was his lowest number of carries in any game this season, and his third time in the last five weeks with five carries or fewer. The Bills allow the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs in the NFL, but it will likely be Woody Marks that gets most of the work in Week 12. Chubb has dropped to RB42 in RotoBaller's rankings and is not much more than an injury handcuff for Marks at this point in the season.

Thursday, November 20, 12:54 AM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin is ascending into a deep-league fantasy option as he heads into a Week 12 bye. After J.K. Dobbins (foot) was placed on IR, the 25-year-old went from being a healthy scratch to the backup in Denver, where he handled six carries and a reception last week. He was relatively inefficient (3.2 YPC), but he did score a touchdown and averaged more yards per carry than R.J. Harvey. As a result of the touchdown, he salvaged his fantasy performance and had low-end value in deeper leagues. He should build on this momentum with a larger role in Week 13, assuming he earns more snaps in the Broncos' backfield timeshare. Harvey remains the primary ball-carrier, but McLaughlin is suddenly on the fantasy radar as a mid-range RB4 and potential deep-league streamer going forward.