San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon had to be carted off the field during Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers and was unable to return with a hip injury. That left Kenneth Farrow in the starting role for the Chargers and left fantasy owners with some interesting questions for the remainder of the season.
While Gordon has been one of the most consistent fantasy producers at running back this year, Farrow, a 23-year-old rookie, came into Sunday with 20 rushes for 70 yards. He is the handcuff you’ll want for Gordon, as Ronnie Hillman wasn’t even active Sunday.
But with many folks either in the fantasy playoffs or headed to them next week, the question is whether Farrow is a viable starter.
Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune thinks he has some upside:
Farrow also has fantastic matchups in the next two weeks if he remains the starter.
Next week, he’ll face an Oakland Raiders defense that came into Week 14 giving up 19.6 fantasy points to opposing running backs per week, 28th in the NFL according to ESPN.com. In two weeks, he’ll get a Cleveland Browns defense that allows 21.4 fantasy points to opposing backs per week, 31st in the league.
So at the worst, Farrow should be considered a high-risk, high-reward RB2 given the matchups alone. While the Chargers haven’t been great running the ball—their 101.3 rushing yards per game was 21st in the NFL coming into Week 14—all 10 of Gordon’s rushing touchdowns this season came from within the 6-yard line.
In other words, Farrow’s chances of securing a short-yardage plunge into the end zone in San Diego’s offense are pretty high. While betting on touchdowns is always a risky proposition, the fact that Gordon has 10 touchdowns from within the red zone is an excellent indication Farrow will have opportunities for short-yardage scores himself if he’s forced into starting duty.
He should be owned in all formats and is a worthy starter in each of the next two weeks.
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