Who Should I Start? Patrick Ricard or Sione Vaki

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.

Sunday, August 17, 10:00 AM

Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki rushed for 30 yards on five carries in his 2025 preseason debut against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday. Vaki has been dealing with a lingering hamstring injury throughout training camp, but he returned to practice in full earlier this week. The second-year back is "showing good vision and wiggle," according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. A fourth-round pick out of Utah in 2024, Vaki is competing with veteran Craig Reynolds for the RB3 job in Detroit behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Vaki is still new to the running back position after playing mostly as a safety in college, so his development could take longer than the average young player. With Gibbs and Montgomery ahead of him on the depth chart, Vaki is highly unlikely to be fantasy-relevant in 2025.