Who Should I Start? Patrick Ricard or Emari Demercado

Friday, August 22, 2:17 PM

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that fullback Patrick Ricard (soft tissue) is dealing with a "soft tissue thing" but should be able to return to practice before Week 1. Ricard has played in all 17 games for Baltimore in each of the last three regular seasons. While he's not a fantasy-relevant player himself, Ricard is a five-time Pro Bowler who plays an important role as a blocker in Baltimore's jumbo packages. If Ricard were to miss any time, it could negatively impact the rushing efficiency for Ravens running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Monday, December 15, 10:27 AM

After missing three games with an ankle injury, Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado returned to the lineup in Week 15 against the Houston Texans. The 26-year-old played a minimal role against Houston, recording one scrimmage yard on three touches. However, Cardinals running back Bam Knight (ankle) suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of the game and required him to be carted off the field. If Knight misses further time, Demercado could step into a more prominent role in the Arizona backfield alongside Michael Carter, who led the team with 18 touches in Week 15. Across 10 games this season, Demercado has racked up 306 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 42 touches. Before suffering the ankle injury, he had out-snapped Carter in two consecutive games. The Cardinals' backfield remains one of the league's more difficult lineup situations to parse. Still, Demercado could be a player to target on the waiver wire heading into his Week 16 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.