Who Should I Start? Zack Moss or Keaton Mitchell

Thursday, November 7, 10:34 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Zack Moss (neck) will meet with neck specialist Dr. Robert Watkins and is likely to avoid surgery. It's good news for Moss, but he's already been placed on Injured Reserve and will miss the rest of the 2024 season after injuring his next in the Week 9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He will be shut down for the next two months. In a best-case scenario, the 26-year-old might be able to return if the Bengals make the postseason and make a deep run. In his first year in Cincy, Moss finishes with 74 carries for 242 yards (career-low-tying 3.3 yards per carry) and two touchdowns while snagging 23 of his 27 targets for 187 more yards and a touchdown. The Bengals quickly replaced Moss by trading for Bears RB Khalil Herbert, who should immediately serve as the No. 2 behind Chase Brown, possibly as early as Thursday night against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens.

Tuesday, April 1, 11:00 PM

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said it was miraculous that running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) even returned to the field last year from a knee injury that cut short his rookie year in 2023. "I'm almost certain he's going to be on a whole other level coming back this spring," Harbaugh said. The 23-year-old missed the first nine games of the 2024 season and ended up seeing action in only five games, carrying the ball 15 times for 30 yards and catching his only target for 28 yards. Mitchell's path to fantasy relevance in his third year in 2025 will be difficult as long as both Derrick Henry and Justice Hill are healthy, but the upside is evident after a rookie season that saw him average 8.4 yards per carry on 47 rushing attempts before his knee injury. It remains to be seen if he'll be as explosive coming off his serious knee injury, but he could be a nice buy-low target in dynasty/keeper leagues.