Who Should I Start? Ty Johnson or Brashard Smith


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
3.7 13.8 0.1 0.6 6.1 0.0

Ty Johnson News

Ty Johnson Inactive for Divisional Round

Saturday, January 17, 3:15 PM

Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (ankle) will be inactive when the Bills face the Broncos to kick off the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs on Saturday. Johnson, who missed the team's Wild Card win over the Jaguars with an ankle injury, was able to return to practice on Thursday in a limited capacity, but he'll miss at least one more game. Johnson has seen most of his work this season in the passing game, totaling 263 yards and two scores on his 24 receptions, but without him, the Bills' already depleted receiving core may struggle to find space against Denver's top-three passing defense. The Bills are expected to have Curtis Samuel (elbow) back for the first time since Week 11, but in the win against the Jaguars, Khalil Shakir led the team with 12 receptions, while no other Bills player topped three catches.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.9 8.2 0.1 0.2 1.7 0.0

Brashard Smith News

Brashard Smith Has Path to a Larger Role

Monday, February 16, 5:28 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith could have the opportunity to take on an expanded role during the 2026 season. Smith was buried in a depth role for most of his rookie season in 2025, especially with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt leading the backfield. However, the Chiefs' running back dynamic could change in 2026. Both Pacheco and Hunt are free agents this offseason, and it's unclear whether either of them will re-sign. If only one or neither of them returns next season, Smith will have a path to a larger workload. He had a modest 323 scrimmage yards and one touchdown this past year, so he certainly hasn't proven himself ready for a lead-back role. However, he could share the backfield with someone like Pacheco or another mid-range, experienced back. Either way, Smith is absolutely trending upward ahead of the 2026 season. He's an intriguing buy in dynasty leagues, especially if his current fantasy manager has already grown impatient.


Ty Johnson vs. Brashard Smith

Still trying to decide between Johnson and Smith? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Ty Johnson is projected to score 3.7 points this week while Brashard Smith is projected to score 1.9 points.