With injuries mounting and bye weeks in full swing, finding useful running backs is more challenging than ever. In Week 6, Kenyan Drake had his best game since he was a Cardinal. How much of a priority is Drake for fantasy football managers to add off the waiver wire ahead of Week 7?
Kenyan Drake Was the Ravens’ Lead Back in Week 6
The Ravens used Drake as their primary back against the Giants. He played 57% of the offensive snaps, the most for a Ravens’ back since Drake back in Week 1. More importantly, Drake ran incredibly well. He legitimately looked explosive.
Drake carried the ball just 10 times, but he ripped off 119 yards. He wasn’t involved much as a receiver, catching just one of his two targets for eight yards. However, he did run 18 routes. That at least gives him a chance to buttress his fantasy outings with a reception or two.
The Ravens rarely use a single back more than 50% of the time anyway. Since returning, J.K. Dobbins played 45%, 50%, and 45% of the snaps. He was always going to be in some sort of timeshare, but he was the main back.
This week, Dobbins played just 27% of the snaps, all of which came in the first half. After the game, head coach John Harbaugh said Dobbins’ knee tightened up on him. While this doesn’t sound like anything serious, it’s noteworthy that Dobbins is still experiencing issues with his surgically repaired knee.
MORE: Week 7 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
Given how well Drake looked, I would expect him to see more than just a backup role going forward. Dobbins may very well still be the lead back next week, but Drake has proven he can be useful if needed. As a result, he’s at least a worthwhile handcuff.
Even if Drake continues to play well, Gus Edwards is going to have a role upon his return. Edwards will probably utilize the entirety of his 21-day return-to-play window, but he’s coming.
Edwards is already practicing. Once he’s activated from IR, I would expect him to quickly leap Drake on the depth chart. At best, he and Drake would form a committee. At worst, this would devolve into a three-man fantasy nightmare.
How Aggressively Should Fantasy Managers Pursue Drake off the Waiver Wire?
Drake is available in pretty much every league. 96% of them, to be exact. This is not a situation where you are burning a ton of FAAB on him. Drake remains more of a speculative add than a guy you’re confidently inserting into your lineup.
With that said, fantasy managers dealing with bye weeks and injuries could very well use Drake this week. I was just forced to start Phillip Lindsay and Joshua Kelley in a deep league because of injuries and bye weeks. Drake would’ve been a major upgrade on either of them.
This is a relatively light week on the waiver wire. We don’t have a Kenneth Walker-type pickup. I imagine there will be teams out there that don’t claim anyone of note on the Week 7 waiver wire.
Drake is worth a 5-10% FAAB bid, depending on need. If you don’t have someone to drop, or just don’t really see a scenario where Drake could be useful, feel free to pass on Drake.
In leagues that still use the continual rolling list waiver system, I would not put a claim in for Drake unless the situation is extremely dire.