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Terrance West, Javorius Allen’s Fantasy Outlook After Danny Woodhead’s Injury

Fantasy Football
September 10, 2017

Baltimore Ravens running back Danny Woodhead suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, and his return was listed as doubtful by the team.

That leaves a major question for fantasy owners: If Woodhead‘s injury causes him to miss any games going forward, how does that impact the fantasy value of Terrance West and Javorius Allen?

For West, the answer is pretty straightforward. Because he was expected to be the team’s leading ball-carrier coming and early-downs rusher heading into Week 1—Woodhead was set to serve as the team’s scatback, handling more of the passing-game duties out of the backfield—West’s fantasy value shouldn’t change much at all.

Coming into Week 1, it was safe to consider West nothing more than a flex option, with the potential to slide into the low-end RB2 category in the best matchups. While Woodhead‘s absence could mean a few more touches for West, he shouldn’t see any significant bump in fantasy value.

Allen’s projection is much harder to make. While he should absolutely see a bump in usage with Woodhead injured, he’s simply not as dynamic in the passing game as Woodhead. The Ravens have utilized him in the passing game in the past, however—he caught 45 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns in 2015, though in eight games last year he caught just three passes for 15 yards. 

But for his career, West averages just 7.7 yards per catch. Woodhead, on the other hand, posts a career average of 9.4 yards per reception and has posted seasons in his career with 76 and 80 catches. In 2015, he posted 755 receiving yards and six touchdowns, production West has shown no indication he can match. 

Another thing to keep in mind for both players: West averaged 2.4 yards per carry in the preseason and Allen managed just 2.9 yards per carry, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Granted, West averaged a much more solid 4.0 yards per carry last year, but it nonetheless serves as a reminder that the upside for either of these players is fairly low.

There is also the possibility that they will simply end up in a platoon situation and siphon value from one another. West is the player to own at the moment, as he has limited flex potential, while Allen is a worthy prospective add but should remain firmly planted on your bench until he produces with any level of consistency.

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