Kareem Hunt and Charcandrick West have been vaulted to the top of fantasy football wish lists after Spencer Ware suffered LCL and PCL damage Friday night against the Seattle Seahawks, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Ware was thrust into a starting role for the Kansas City Chiefs last season due to lingering knee problems for Jamaal Charles. He set career highs in starts (14), rushing attempts (214), rushing yards (921), receptions (33) and receiving yards (447) in 2016.
Losing Ware leaves a heavy burden for the Chiefs offense to fill, though West has shown some potential when he’s been given a chance. The 26-year-old ran for 634 yards and four touchdowns on 160 carries in 2015.
Becoming the primary backup last season, West didn’t fare as well. His yards per carry dipped from 4.0 in 2015 to 3.3 in 2016, and he only carried the ball 88 times.
With that underwhelming showing still fresh in the mind of Chiefs coaches, it appears Hunt will have every opportunity to thrive after Andy Reid told reporters Saturday that the rookie will be “the next man up” with Ware down, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher.
Pro Football Focus graded Hunt’s 2016 season as the best among all college running backs with an overall grade of 94.9. The Toledo product ran for 1,475 yards and 10 touchdowns on 262 carries as a senior.
PFF’s draft analysis team offered this scouting report for Hunt prior to the draft:
“Hunt is a well-rounded player who was highly productive in college. He’s one of the most elusive running backs in the draft class. Hunt’s balance stands out from the pack and is at his best when in the open field. His skill set fits best in a zone-heavy offense, but can run any concepts. Toledo got him more involved in the passing game in his final year and showed significant improvement.”
Since Alex Smith’s key to success is limiting turnovers and routinely checking down on his passes, Hunt should see plenty of throws come his way in addition to the featured rushing load.
If he can adjust to the speed of the NFL as a runner, fantasy owners could have a dynamic option on their hands.
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