Who Should I Start? Trayveon Williams or Patrick Taylor

Thursday, August 22, 11:34 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Trayveon Williams led the way in the preseason loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He didn't do much in Cincinnati's first two exhibitions. However, the 26-year-old finished Thursday's contest by totaling a game-high 66 rushing yards off 11 carries, adding five catches for 11 yards. Williams, the No. 182 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has spent his entire career with the Bengals. Yet, he's been limited to only 62 touches in 40 career games. With Williams behind Zack Moss and Chase Brown on the depth chart, his workload isn't expected to increase this season. As a result, managers won't look in his direction in most fantasy drafts, although there is streaming potential if Moss or Brown get hurt. The Bengals will begin the 2024-25 campaign with a Week 1 visit from the New England Patriots.

Friday, December 20, 10:01 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. is expected to draw his first career start filling in for the ruled-out rookie Isaac Guerendo (foot, hamstring) in Miami on Sunday. With Guerendo healthy enough to play, the undrafted 26-year-old Taylor Jr. received neither touch nor target in last week's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The last time Taylor was involved was in Week 14 versus Chicago when he took seven carries for 25 yards, one touchdown, and one unfulfilled target. On the surface, Taylor Jr. may seem like a must-start since head coach Kyle Shanahan always rides his lead back heavily, but it's appropriate to temper expectations. If one includes Elijah Mitchell -- who was ruled out for the year in the preseason -- San Francisco is down to their fifth-string running back whose career YPC (3.9) is significantly below all four backs ahead of him. As a result, Shanahan may be compelled to use some combination of Taylor Jr., Israel Abanikanda, and Ke'Shawn Vaughn. Taylor Jr. is also less likely than his injured teammates to produce as a receiver. Miami's D is ranked 14th in running back half-PPR points against. The talent and usage questions place Taylor Jr. firmly in RB3/FLEX territory, even in a decent matchup.