Who Should I Start? Ty Johnson or Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Tuesday, March 11, 7:01 PM

The Buffalo Bills have re-signed running back Ty Johnson on a two-year deal. The amount of the contract is undisclosed. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the news. The Maryland product tied his career high with four total touchdowns last season and was a valuable asset on third downs for the team. Johnson played the second-most snaps of all Bills' RBs in 2024 and will likely again slot in as a change-of-pace option and third-down specialist behind incumbent starter James Cook. However, he'll still have second-year back Ray Davis to compete with for touches, and Davis out-carried Johnson 113-41 in just his rookie season. Despite what this means for the team on the field, it's unlikely to make an impact regarding fantasy. The 27-year-old presents as nothing more than a potential low-end handcuff.

Saturday, August 23, 11:19 PM

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed for 34 yards on five carries in the final preseason game against the Ravens. Rodriguez started the game and consistently picked up big chunks of yards. The 24-year-old finished the preseason averaging nearly seven yards per carry, with 17 rushes for 118 yards. Rodriguez fits the role of a hammer and short-yardage back that can get the tough yards, but also had gaudy production in the SEC at Kentucky. He averaged over 100 rushing yards per game in both of his last two seasons. Additionally, he's showing improved burst and explosiveness in camp this year, saying that he's already hit 20 MPH more times this year than all of last year, according to Hayley Salvatore of Commanders.com. Brian Robinson is now officially dealt to San Francisco, and Rodriguez is set to be in the mix for early down touches in the Washington backfield. Touchdowns will be the path to fantasy value for Rodriguez in what could be a murky backfield.