Zack Moss entered Week 15 having accounted for over 90% of the RB rushing yards and playing over 90% of the snaps for the Indianapolis Colts in two games without Jonathan Taylor (thumb injury), but he injured his arm after being dragged down on a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He never returned to the game, paving the way for Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson to split the touches in this backfield. While Jonathan Taylor is reportedly trending in a positive direction for Week 16, the lack of clarity there means savvy fantasy football managers will chase whatever volume they can — who is the proper player in this backfield to go after on your waiver wire?
Should Trey Sermon Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 16?
Sermon entered Week 15 with just 11 carries in his 11 appearances this season, picking up 37 yards in the process. The former third-round pick out of Ohio State has yet to really be given the opportunity to succeed at a high level in the pros.
That said, he looked the part against the Steelers, averaging 5.2 yards per carry on 17 rush attempts, and that performance likely earned him the first crack at leading this backfield next week should both Taylor and Moss remain sidelined.
Should Tyler Goodson Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 16?
The rookie out of Iowa didn’t have a carry through 14 weeks this season, but he was the first Colts RB with a rush attempt following the Moss injury. His production against the Steelers was just as impressive as that of Sermon, as he totaled 69 rushing yards on 11 rush attempts. He would have held the edge over Sermon if not for a touchdown that was overturned, with the refs ruling he was down just shy of the goal line.
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In his final season at Iowa, Goodson ran for 1,151 yards and six scores on 256 carries. He showed some versatility with 31 catches for 247 yards as well, giving him the potential to carve out a bit of a niche alongside a player in Sermon who has yet to show much acumen in the passing game.
Both of these RBs should be added if for no other reason than that it is difficult to find a path to an opportunity like this on the waiver wire. That said, you’re drawing thin. If Taylor and Moss were to sit next week, we would likely be looking at a hot-hand committee situation where both Sermon and Goodson are given chances to produce.
I prefer Sermon, given his touch edge over Goddson in Week 15, but it’s a mistake to pencil him in for the role that previous RB1s have held for Indianapolis this season. The matchup with the Falcons isn’t as advantageous as you might assume — top 10 in yards per play, yards per carry, and red zone touchdown rate. Both RBs are process adds more than players that carry significant expectations for Week 16.
With that in mind, they’re both minimum FAAB bids going into this next week on the waiver wire, as there’s very little certainty as to what their role will be as we head into the next round of the fantasy football playoffs.
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