Who Should I Start? Raheem Mostert or Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Sunday, September 7, 12:00 PM

Las Vegas Raiders running back Raheem Mostert is inactive for Week 1 of the 2025 regular season on Sunday against the New England Patriots. Mostert is healthy heading into the regular-season opener, so this is a bad sign for his potential involvement in the Raiders' backfield this year in his first year with the team. The Raiders drafted rookie Ashton Jeanty in the first round in April, and he's fully expected to lead Vegas' backfield in his first year in the NFL. The oft-injured Mostert has now been bumped down the depth chart and will open the year as the RB4 behind Jeanty, Zamir White and Dylan Laube. The 33-year-old veteran can be dumped if you were rostering him as a handcuff for Jeanty in redraft leagues. Mostert led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns in 2023 in Miami but played in 13 games last year and fell to just two TDs.

Thursday, September 11, 7:06 PM

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. is a healthy inactive for the second straight week to open the season in 2025 on Thursday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers. There were rumblings at the end of training camp that Rodriguez could have a significant early-down role alongside rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt after the team traded Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers, but that has not been the case. The 24-year-old RB has opened the year as the No. 4 behind Croskey-Merritt, veteran Austin Ekeler, and Jeremy McNichols. JCR has the most upside of any back in Washington's offense as the favorite for most of the early down work, while Ekeler has flex appeal in point-per-reception leagues. At least for another week, Rodriguez belongs on the waiver wire in 12-team fantasy formats.