Who Should I Start? Rashaad Penny or Tony Pollard

Tuesday, July 30, 11:14 AM

The Carolina Panthers have placed running back Rashaad Penny on the reserve/retired list. Penny, who joined the Panthers this offseason, was set to reunite with head coach Dave Canales, the passing game coordinator during Penny's standout 2021 season with the Seattle Seahawks, and Brad Idzik, now the Panthers' offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, a series of injuries including multiple strains, a torn ACL, and a fibula fracture have hindered Penny's once-explosive performance. Despite rigorous rehab, he struggled to regain the speed that made him a dynamic force in college. Penny's 5.6 yards per carry would be the highest in NFL history if he had sustained it. He also recorded 2,248 rushing yards at San Diego State in 2017, ranking fifth for a single season in NCAA history. The former first-round pick had stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles before signing with the Panthers in May. Penny retires with 1,931 career rushing yards, 13 touchdowns on 348 carries, and 28 receptions for 227 yards.

Saturday, December 13, 10:33 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard had been an underwhelming fantasy contributor ever since Tyjae Spears returned from injured reserve, but that all changed last week as Pollard exploded for 161 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Titans' Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns. The 28-year-old will look to carry the momentum from last weekend into this Sunday's Week 15 contest against the San Francisco 49ers. Tennessee seems to be riding the hot hand at running back, so Pollard will likely get the first crack at handling the every-down role this week. If he starts strong, he could have a shot at replicating last week's huge game. If Pollard can excel against a strong Browns run defense, he's capable of finding similar success against the Niners, who rank near the middle of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this year. With that being said, we can't guarantee that Pollard will explode just because of one big, unexpected performance. There's still some risk here, making Pollard a low-floor, high-ceiling option for Week 15. He ranks as the overall RB34 in this week's RotoBaller fantasy rankings and can be deployed as a flex in most formats.