Who Should I Start? Tyler Allgeier or Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Wednesday, December 10, 9:14 PM

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier tallied double-digit carries in Week 14's 37-9 loss to the Seahawks, rushing 11 times for 34 scoreless yards (3.1 YPC), but managed to salvage his fantasy day by recording two catches for 33 yards. His work in the passing game, albeit small, is an interesting revelation, as the BYU product recorded just one game out of nine played with Michael Penix Jr. (knee) in which he tallied two receptions, however, he's done so in three of four games with Kirk Cousins at the helm. If nothing else, it increases his fantasy floor and could make him a more viable flex option going forward. The 25-year-old, with eight touchdowns already this year, will take on a Buccaneers defense that has yielded the 13th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. Although he's firmly behind Bijan Robinson in the backfield pecking order, he continues to get red zone opportunities (four each last week) and should be a priority handcuff for Robinson managers. The fourth-year pro projects as an RB4/Flex play for Thursday Night Football, and could even see a small uptick in usage given the short turnaround from Sunday, as Robinson had less time than normal to recover.

Monday, December 15, 10:42 AM

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (groin) was a late scratch before his team's Week 15 win over the New York Giants due to a groin injury. In his absence, Commanders back Jacory Croskey-Merritt led the way with 18 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown. However, Rodriguez Jr. had emerged as the lead rusher in Washington before getting hurt. Across three games leading into Week 15, the 25-year-old racked up 172 rushing yards and a touchdown on 36 carries. Croskey-Merritt's stellar performance against the Giants may lead to more of a split backfield in Washington going forward. Still, in fantasy leagues where Rodriguez Jr. is available on the waiver wire, he should be targeted heading into his team's Week 16 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.