Who Should I Start? Nick Chubb or Julius Chestnut

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 4, 12:57 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Julius Chestnut could be headed for a reduced workload in Week 5 despite a favorable matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Chestnut has operated as a backup to Tony Pollard through the first four weeks of the season. While his usage has been relatively modest given that Pollard leads all NFL running backs in snap share, Chestnut has still been his backup and did see the field in every game, logging five total carries. That marginal usage could drop to no usage as soon as Tyjae Spears (ankle) returns to game action. Spears is currently on injured reserve but has been designated to return and is questionable for Week 5. Chestnut's already limited opportunity share would surely disappear entirely as soon as another reliable, proven player like Spears is added to the backfield. If Spears plays Sunday, Chestnut, 24, might not touch the ball. Even if he remains on IR, though, the Sacred Heart product is due for just a couple of touches and remains off the fantasy radar.