The Kansas City Chiefs running game was working well in Week 6 against the Oakland Raiders, showing fans and fantasy owners what to expect for the rest of the season.
Here is a breakdown of what we learned about Spencer Ware, Jamaal Charles and Charcandrick West after Sunday’s 26-10 win:
Spencer Ware
The thought coming into the year was that Ware would handle most of the workload in the backfield only until Charles was able to return from his knee injury. It’s now clear the third-year player isn’t going away anytime soon.
Even with Charles back in action, Ware got the majority of the touches and was effective both on the ground and through the air Sunday. According to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus, he was on the field for 39 snaps, compared to 15 for Charles.
Although the Raiders defense has struggled with tackling all season, Ware has continued to prove himself as a runner every week. Only once in five games has he failed to average more than 5.5 yards per carry.
If he is on your roster, plug him into your lineup until something changes. He is a solid RB2 with high upside every week.
Jamaal Charles
As good as Ware was in Week 6, Charles was more than a regular backup. He picked up tough yards and got into the end zone for the first time this season.
Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports noted the game plan for the Chiefs going forward:
Even if Charles is still coming along slowly, he has plenty of talent and plays in an offense that will run the ball often. The coaching staff did its best to get the former All-Pro the ball when he was on the field Sunday, making him a worthwhile player in most fantasy leagues.
With a dream upcoming schedule against the New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars, owners in deep leagues can use Charles even as a backup. If he reaches full strength or Ware goes down, he could again become the star runner he was in past seasons.
Charcandrick West
Although West has made some big plays for the Chiefs over the past two seasons, they are too few and far between to trust on any given week.
With Charles back in the lineup, West doesn’t even qualify as a handcuff. He would need both players ahead of him on the depth chart to miss time before moving into fantasy relevance.
As much as running backs are at a premium in fantasy football, West isn’t worth a roster spot at this point.
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