Who Should I Start? Ty Chandler or Emari Demercado

Saturday, December 13, 5:11 PM

Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler (knee) won't come off Injured Reserve this week and has been ruled out for Sunday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys. Chandler hasn't played since injuring his knee back in Week 1's win over the Chicago Bears. The 27-year-old had his practice window opened ahead of Week 13 against the Seattle Seahawks, but the team has still determined that he is not ready to return for game action. Chandler was a full participant in practice this week, so it seems he is getting close. He will need to be activated by next week, or he will revert to Injured Reserve and miss the remainder of the season. If he can return, Chandler will contribute primarily on special teams while serving as the RB3 behind Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason.

Saturday, December 20, 4:26 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado is expected to handle an increased workload against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, but his fantasy outlook remains murky. He is on track to operate as the backup to Michael Carter this week after Zonovan Knight (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. While Demercado was viewed as Arizona's passing-down specialist at points earlier this season, it's unclear whether that remains his role given how well Carter has performed in the passing game lately. Carter has 19 catches over his last five games, whereas Demercado has just 10 catches through parts of 10 games this year. Rather than being a true passing-down specialist, it seems more likely that the 26-year-old will fall into a change-of-pace role, allowing the Cardinals to manage Carter's workload and keep him fresh. Demercado has shown impressive burst in the past, and his 8.3 yards per carry over the last two seasons indicates that he's capable of breaking off big plays. His fantasy value in Week 16 likely hinges on whether he's able to break off any big runs or catches against the Falcons. In other words, he'll need high efficiency to overcome a backup's workload. He currently ranks as the RB51 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 16.