We're always looking for league-winning potential at running back on the waiver wire, but when we find it in the Fantasy playoffs, it hits differently. You've outlasted half (or more) of your league mates to get here, and you've probably already got a pretty good squad to have made it this far. So, adding a high-value running back could be exactly what puts you over the top, and the good news is, you'll have less competition for that player than usual.
Rashaad Penny looks like he could be that player this season. At least, he did on Sunday. Even with Alex Collins back from his injury, Penny was the lead back against the Texans, rushing 16 times for 137 yards and a pair of touchdowns, which went for 32 and 47 as he showcased his explosiveness. Penny had just one target in the game, which is a disappointment, but he played 58% of the snaps and even led the running backs with a 48% route share.
Which is all to say, Penny was the clear lead back for the Seahawks. No other running back played more than 23% of the snaps or had higher than a 28% route share Sunday. For a while, it seems like that's what the Seahawks wanted him to be once Chris Carson got hurt, but Penny's own trouble staying healthy continued to sabotage him, and there's a chance that will crop up as an issue for him again. But Penny is healthy right now and it looks like he's going to get the kind of work that should make him a viable starting option at running back down the stretch, with the chance for a breakout run.
It's also worth talking about Austin Ekeler's ankle injury and what it might mean for the stretch run. Ekeler went down in the third quarter and had to be helped off the field. He got the ankle taped up and tried to run on it on the sidelines but was ultimately unable to return to the game.
It's not clear exactly what happened, but the fact that Ekeler was unable to return has to at least raise questions about whether he'll be able to play with the injury in Week 15. Ekeler is one of the main engines of this offense, so his absence leaves a big hole -- for the Chargers and in your Fantasy lineups.
The problem is, the Chargers don't necessarily have a clear replacement in the wings. Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley largely split work in Ekeler's absence, with Jackson rushing for 35 yards on nine carries, while Kelley had 33 on 10. Each also had one target.
In their respective time in the NFL, Jackson has probably flashed a bit more upside overall, but he's also had a lot of trouble staying healthy. Of course, so has Kelley, and he's averaging just 3.2 yards per carry while Jackson is at 5.0 overall. In all likelihood, they'll split work, and whichever gets more passing game work or goal-line looks will end up being the better option for Fantasy. But I'm not sure we'll have a good sense of which one is likely to see those more valuable touches, creating a situation where I'm not sure you can really trust either for Week 15 against the Chiefs. At least, not as anything more than an RB3. Penny would be a priority over both, though I'm not sure there are any other running backs on waivers this week who will be better options.
Here's who else we'll be looking to add in Week 15:
Week 14 Early Waiver Targets
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