Though Halloween is over a month away, if you play fantasy football and own some of the top running backs in the game, Week Two was a complete horror show for you. We saw not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but seven running backs went down. Yes, you read that right, seven running backs left games on Sunday due to injuries.
Many owners want to hit the panic button after this disastrous week, but the season is still young and you cannot fret. Remember, the best teams overcome adversity, both in real football and fantasy football. All it takes is a lucky waiver wire claim, a sneaky trade, or depth to stay the course against the injury bug and rise to fantasy glory. Below are the most prominent Week Two injuries running back and what you can handle them.
Replacing Injured Running Backs
Adrian Peterson – Torn Meniscus
Perhaps there was no Week Two injury more significant (for fantasy purposes) than Adrian Peterson’s torn meniscus. If you are like me and own Peterson, you used up a high end first-round pick for him, and when Teddy Bridgewater went down before the year you cringed knowing that defenses may stack the box against Peterson. Well, that fear became a reality and Peterson has been extremely ineffective, even with the acquisition of quarterback Sam Bradford. On 31 attempts, Peterson has only come up with 50 yards on the ground, which is good for just 1.6 YPC (Yards Per Carry).
To make matters worse, on a carry up the middle Peterson’s leg was bent awkwardly, and he couldn’t walk off of the field under his own power. When the news first broke about his injury, many analysts called it an ankle injury, but an MRI the next day showed that it was not an ankle injury, but instead a torn meniscus. Peterson is opting to have his meniscus fully repaired, and the recovery time for such a procedure is a minimum of three to four months, with a possibility of recovery lasting up to six months via ESPN. We must remember though, we are discussing Adrian Peterson who is a medical freak of nature. We may see Peterson again this season, we just don’t know at what point, so owners definitely have to make a move to replace their 2016 first round selection.
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If you need to replace Adrian Peterson, I would turn to his backups in Minnesota, in particular Jerick McKinnon. McKinnon, in the past, has done a stellar job filling in for Peterson. Throughout McKinnon’s career he has gained 817 rushing yards on 168 attempts, which is good for a staggering 4.9 YPC. He is a shifty back that isn’t afraid to run around you or over you given the circumstances. He is also a very good starting and flex option in PPR (Points Per Reception) leagues as he is a gifted receiver at the running back position.
Now, Matt Asiata will also be in the mix, but at best he will be the short yardage back and maybe vulture some touchdowns away from McKinnon. McKinnon is the back to own over Asiata, as reports coming out of Minnesota suggest it will be a 65-35 split in carries in favor of McKinnon. If you didn’t draft McKinnon as a handcuff to AP, go out and grab him immediately.
Doug Martin – Strained Hamstring
A MRI revealed a severe strain and possible tear on Doug Martin’s hamstring. This injury will at least cost Martin three weeks of action, and it comes at a bad time as the Buccaneers have a tough schedule on the horizon. We have seen Martin banged up in the past, and we have seen how hamstring injuries can linger all season long, so if you are a Martin owner this doesn’t rest well with you. Martin, much like Peterson, hasn’t been setting the fantasy world on fire. He is only averaging 3.4 yards on the ground in 2016 and has yet to find the end zone. However, he is most likely the top back on many fantasy rosters so a replacement is needed.
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Again, I am turning in-house and going with Charles Sims as a replacement option for Martin. Sims is relevant with Martin on the field, especially in PPR leagues, and now Sims gets to run loose in a bell-cow back role. Throughout Sims’ three-year career in the NFL, he has proved to be a back that can run the ball, catch, and block. He has also added a career average of 4.0 YPC, which is impressive. If Sims is available in your league I would grab him immediately as he could fit into the Bucs’s plans the rest of the season, even when Martin returns to action.
Jonathan Stewart – Hamstring
Jonathan Stewart injured his right hamstring in the first quarter of his Panthers’ Week Two matchup with San Francisco. This comes as no surprise to anyone, as Stewart has battled injuries his entire career, hence the reason I avoid him like the bubonic plague in fantasy drafts every summer. When on the field, Stewart puts up numbers, but the key word here ladies and gents is “when”. The Panthers have proven to be effective with or without their top play-makers, but fantasy teams are not built with 53-man rosters, so it’s time to hit the waiver wire in wake of another Stewart injury that could sideline him for a week or two.
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Fozzy Whittaker had an impressive game running the rock for the Panthers in Week Two after Stewart went down. Whittaker gained 100 yards on just 16 attempts, which was good for an impressive 6.2 YPC. We have seen Whittaker in this position in the past, and he has constantly delivered when his name has been called. We know the Panthers love to run the ball, and this week it’s all about the Wizard of Fozz. Go out and grab the Carolina running back, and start him in all formats in Week Three.
Danny Woodhead – Torn ACL
The Chargers cannot seem to catch a break. In back to back weeks they have lost two prominent playmakers on offense to torn ACLs. Last week it was star receiver Keenan Allen, and this week it was running back Danny Woodhead. Woodhead who is a huge contributor for the Chargers offense, suffered a right torn ACL on Sunday that will end his entire 2016 campaign.
In wake of his injury, Melvin Gordon let loose for his first 100-yard game of his career, and again found the end zone. However, Woodhead’s injury hurts the Chargers’ passing attack as Rivers loses a player a week it seems. This news coming out of San Diego stings not only Chargers fans, but also fantasy owners who relied on Woodhead as a great flex option. His production will be missed greatly this season. So, who do you replace him with?
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The Chargers just recently signed journeyman Dexter McCluster in the wake of the to be the new pass-catching back to compliment Melvin Gordon, in the wake of the Woodhead injury. However, I am not particularly crazy over McCluster. I think this backfield is now Melvin Gordon’s as he has channeled his college days, and looks unstoppable this season after a disappointing rookie campaign last year.
If you’re looking for a Woodhead type player who might out produce McCluster, I like Shane Vereen out of New York. The Giant’s seem to always be playing from behind and we all know they love to throw the ball. Vereen is by far the most gifted pass catcher out of the backfield that they have, and he should continue to get work on a weekly basis, which at least raises his value in PPR formats.
Arian Foster – Groin
Here’s another shocking headline: “Arian Foster is injured”. You really didn’t need a crystal ball to see this one coming. Look, Arian Foster has been one of the best backs in the entire league when he’s been on the field. Again, the big issue here is that he never is on the field. This is a player with all of the talent in the world, and he can’t ever seem to stay healthy.
When owners took on the daunting path of giving Foster a roster spot on fantasy teams this summer they knew injuries were going to occur. The good news with Foster’s injury this week though, is that it doesn’t appear to be too serious. He has a shot to play this week, but if I’m a Foster owner, I am not putting all of my eggs into one basket banking on him to suit up. You need to have a backup plan for Foster, as always.
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If Foster can’t go this weekend, it will be a running back by committee between Jay Ajayi and Kenyan Drake for the Dolphins. I like Ajayi a little more than Drake, just because before the Dolphins even signed Foster he was supposed to be “the guy” in the Miami backfield. So far this season Ajayi has been mediocre at best with a 2.8 YPC, but with an increased workload hopefully he can get into a rhythm and turn his rough start around. Drake is harder to trust this week, just because we don’t know if Foster will play or not, and there are better options out there than him. With tat said, if you’re in a really deep league you could do worse than Drake, who found the end zone with his limited Week Twp touches for the Dolphins.
Thomas Rawls – Leg Contusion
Thomas Rawls has been an absolute mess to start the season. Not only did he come into the year not fully recovered from last year’s ankle surgery, he has also looked pitiful in his chances as the Seahawks‘ top running back. Last week before Rawls left the game with a leg contusion, he put up the impressive stat-line of seven carries for minus-seven yards.
So far this season, Christine Michael has outplayed Rawls, and before the year is over I believe you will see Michael as the Seattle back to own. Rawls shouldn’t miss anytime with this injury, but his fantasy relevance continues to diminish each week with his poor play and inability to be 100 percent healthy.
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If Christine Michael is still available in your league, exit out of this article, pick him up, and dab. Okay, don’t dab; even Cam Newton put an end to that. But seriously grab Michael if he’s out there. He has been an absolute monster this season for Seattle in both the preseason and regular season, and aside from his fumble last week, he’s the clear Seattle back to own right now.
So far this season, he has posted an impressive 6.0 YPC and he figures to continue to be a big part of Seattle’s offense. I think he overtakes Rawls this week as the starter, and I think we will see him stay there all year long as the “awakening” Pete Carroll spoke of earlier this season is real.
Ameer Abdullah – Foot
The Lions have placed running back Ameer Abdullah on injured reserve with an apparent foot injury. The severity of the injury is not yet entirely known yet, but with the decision to put him on IR, Abdullah figures to miss significant time. This is possibly the most disheartening injury out of all the ones listed here because Abdullah was having a fantastic start to the season. He looked explosive with his touches, and hard to bring down. With the NFL changing the IR rules this season, Abdullah can be activated after eight weeks, but at this point we don’t know if that will happen or not. The Lions will turn to their other two backs to fill the hole left by Abdullah’s injury.
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Both Theo Riddick and Dwayne Washington are going to get a lot of work moving forward for the Lions offense. Riddick has proven to be a great receiver out of the backfield, and he is the same type of back Abdullah is. He will get a lot of balls thrown his way, as Stafford loves hitting him on drag routes and screens. Washington is a different kind of back than Abdullah and Riddick. He is big and powerful runner who will serve primarily as the short yardage and goal line back for Detroit as the season progresses. Both of these guys need to be owned in all formats.
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