The status of Josh Jacobs will be something to follow for the rest of the week. While Zamir White proved to be a worthy replacement last week vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, Jacobs had a huge game the last time the Las Vegas Raiders faced the Kansas City Chiefs.
We’ll give you the fantasy football outlook for each player entering Week 16.
Should You Start Josh Jacobs in Fantasy This Week?
Jacobs, who missed last week’s demolition of the Chargers because of a quad injury, did not practice Thursday, so his prospects for playing Christmas Day are questionable at this point.
The Raiders have not been eliminated from the playoff chase yet, so there is still a season to play for in Vegas. And, given his performance in the first meeting vs. the Chiefs in Week 12, there is ample reason to monitor Jacobs’ status for the rest of this week.
Jacobs had one of his best games of the season against the Chiefs, rushing for 110 yards — on a season-high 5.5 yards per carry — and a touchdown.
Another reason to keep following Jacobs’ health this week is his history playing at Kansas City. In four career road games vs. the Chiefs in KC, Jacobs has two 100-yard rushing games and has averaged 89.8 rush yards per game and 6.0 yards per carry.
In last year’s game at Kansas City, Jacobs rushed for 154 yards, his highest rushing total in nine career games vs. the Chiefs.
So, while his status is definitely uncertain, it is still worth paying attention to this week.
Should You Start Zamir White in Fantasy This Week?
White had provided very little reason to consider using him in fantasy lineups prior to Week 15. Before the Chargers’ game, White had amassed just 54 rushing yards on 20 carries (2.7 yards per carry) and zero touchdowns for the season.
Then, stepping in for the injured Jacobs, White exploded — by his standards — for 69 rushing yards on 17 carries and a touchdown in the blowout win over the Chargers. White added 16 receiving yards on three receptions.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
It may have been an unexpected outburst by White, but it certainly gave fantasy football managers something to think about this week when figuring out options at the running back position.
The Chiefs are 13th in the NFL in rush defense, allowing 110.4 yards per game on the ground. And in last week’s win over the New England Patriots, the Chiefs allowed a season-low 52 rushing yards.
Using the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Jacobs is the player to start. His projected 10.0 points include 45 rushing yards and two receptions for 15 receiving yards. His projected stat line outperforms White’s 6.2 points.
White is projected to finish with 62 rushing yards but no receptions. However, when you isolate my rankings, I see White outperforming Jacobs, given Jacobs’ uncertain health status.
White should be the choice to start.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
