Who Should I Start? Tyler Goodson or Dameon Pierce

Sunday, September 7, 11:47 AM

Indianapolis Colts running back Tyler Goodson (elbow) is officially inactive for the Week 1 season opener on Sunday versus the Miami Dolphin. Goodson was limited all week during practices with his elbow injury and was listed as questionable on the final injury report on Friday. It doesn't appear to be a serious ailment for Goodson, but the Colts will keep him out for the first game of the season. His next chance to make his 2025 debut will be in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos next Sunday. With Goodson sitting in Week 1, it will give rookie DJ Giddens the opportunity to serve as the direct backup to starter Jonathan Taylor. Ulysses Bentley will be the RB3. The 24-year-old Goodson is off the fantasy radar for now and won't be worth a look on the waiver wire unless Taylor misses time with an injury this year.

Friday, September 5, 10:33 PM

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce should have an opportunity to contribute early in the season for his team, since Joe Mixon (ankle) is on the reserve/non-football injury list and will miss at least the first four weeks and possibly longer. Pierce is expected to share the workload in the backfield with veteran Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks. Chubb will likely take the lead on early-down work, with Marks playing on receiving downs and Pierce mixing in as well. Exactly how the timeshare is divided out will go a long way to determining the fantasy value of all three running backs at the start of the season. Chubb has been inefficient since returning from injury, but Pierce has also struggled since producing 939 rushing yards on 220 carries as a rookie back in 2022. He had just 40 carries last year but racked up 293 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. If Pierce stays healthy and Chubb struggles, the younger, more explosive back could play his way up the depth chart for new Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley if he comes out strong against the Rams in Week 1, so keep an eye on how the timeshare plays out. Pierce is extremely high-risk in the unclear situation, though, so he's only RB63 in RotoBaller's Week 1 rankings, and he shouldn't be started until his playing time is more certain.