LeSean McCoy wasn’t out of a job for long. Just hours after being released by the Buffalo Bills, the longtime veteran signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. This move obviously has huge fantasy football implications for Damien Williams and Darwin Thompson, so let’s break down exactly how Kansas City will use their running backs.
How LeSean McCoy Affects Damien Williams, Darwin Thompson
LeSean McCoy
LeSean McCoy is not the player he once was, and he isn’t going to challenge for the starting job. Last year in Buffalo, the running back recorded 514 rushing yards and three touchdowns for an underwhelming 3.2 yards-per-carry. This was McCoy’s lowest rushing total of his career and, at age 31, may signify the end is near.
McCoy’s advanced age and deteriorating skillset ensure he won’t start, but he’ll probably be the top backup. Andy Reid loves experienced veterans, and McCoy is a proven NFL commodity. The fact that he’s not very good anymore doesn’t matter all that much, simply because anyone could succeed in this offense. Reid is one of the most create playcallers in the league and opposing defenses aren’t going to worry about the run game when Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce are destroying defenses through the air. Damien Williams didn’t have any NFL success prior to last season yet was the RB2 over the final three weeks of 2018.
LeSean McCoy could be an RB2 in this offense if given the workload, but he’s not going to get the workload. Damien Williams is still the starting running back, but McCoy is the next man up. McCoy’s going to see some time on the field, but Williams is still the guy to own. Unless something happens to Williams, McCoy won’t be anything more than a flex play in deeper leagues.
Damien Williams
Signing LeSean McCoy doesn’t mean the Chiefs don’t believe in Damien Williams. The Chiefs kicked off the offseason by signing Carlos Hyde, but Kansas City traded him away before the start of the season. Kansas City signed McCoy to play the Carlos Hyde role, which means that Damien Williams is still going to see the majority of the workload.
Being Kansas City’s starting running back is always great for fantasy football, but it might not be as great as usual in 2019. Andy Reid typically employs one workhorse running back, but that might not be the plan this year. Reid already came out and said that he plans on using more of a committee approach this season, which obviously cuts into Williams’ value. Darwin Thompson looked good throughout the preseason and Kansas City believes LeSean McCoy can still play, so Williams isn’t going to get a 70% snap count or anything like that.
The biggest impact McCoy has on Williams is in the passing game. Back when Carlos Hyde was the top backup, everyone knew Damien Williams would still get all of the passing work. Hyde is not a good pass-catcher, while Williams succeeded in that role last year. McCoy is a capable receiver and could easily steal some targets away from Damien Williams. Williams was a low-end RB1 before this signing, now he’s probably a high-end RB2.
Darwin Thompson
Stop drafting Darwin Thompson. The sixth-round rookie has a bright NFL future, but he’s not going to be fantasy relevant for a little while. Thompson lit up the preseason and looked significantly better than Carlos Hyde when on the field. However, if the team truly felt comfortable giving Thompson the backup job, then they wouldn’t have given McCoy $3 million in guaranteed money.
Darwin Thompson could steal the backup job before the end of the season, but he’s not worth rostering right now. If Thompson’s snap count increases as the season goes on, make sure to pick him up then. However, rostering him out of the gate means you’re burning a bench spot on a player buried on the depth chart.
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