With Isiah Pacheco’s fibula injury sidelining him for at least another month, not only are the Kansas City Chiefs scrambling to fill the running back void, but so too are many fantasy football managers.
But fantasy managers may not need to search too far for help because, between Carson Steele, Kareem Hunt, and Samaje Perine, the Chiefs may be able to find a back to match Pacheco’s fantasy production.
Should You Start Carson Steele, Kareem Hunt, or Samaje Perine This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Steele is the player to start. His projected 9.7 points include 52 rushing yards, one reception, and eight receiving yards.
That stat line outperforms the consensus for both Hunt (5.0 points, 18 rushing yards, one reception, and seven receiving yards) and Perine (6.5 points, 16 rushing yards, two receptions, and 17 receiving yards).
My ranking of these three running backs aligns with the consensus. Steele should get the bulk of the attention at the running back position and could very well double the production of both Hunt and Perine combined.
Steele’s Week 4 Fantasy Outlook
Steele, the undrafted rookie out of UCLA, was the first of the trio to get significant time with Pacheco’s injury and responded well in Week 3. Although he finished with only 8.4 fantasy points last week, he did have 72 rushing yards and, perhaps most telling, 17 carries.
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The fact that Steele was given that many carries and that he averaged over four yards a carry is a good sign that he will be the Chiefs’ featured back going forward. And if he is, fantasy managers should expect a touchdown soon from him, which would obviously raise his fantasy profile even further.
Hunt’s Week 4 Fantasy Outlook
For fantasy managers, Hunt’s value comes from the fact that he not only is familiar with the Chiefs — he spent his first two seasons in Kansas City — but also his ability to find the end zone.
Last season with the Cleveland Browns, Hunt scored a career-high nine touchdowns, and in his seven-season NFL career, Hunt has scored 57 total touchdowns in 91 games.
While many out there probably figure it’s only a matter of time before Hunt returns to the starting lineup, the uncertainty over just how much the 29-year-old has left in the tank is too much for me to choose ahead of what I’ve seen from Steele.
Perine’s Week 4 Fantasy Outlook
Perine continues to be a valuable third-down back for the Chiefs, and his value will likely only increase with Pacheco out of the lineup. We already saw signs of this last week, as Perine had nine touches, after combining for only two touches in his first two games.
This backfield for the Chiefs still has a lot of uncertainty to it at the moment, so without a definitive player to take control of the snaps and touches at running back, Perine at the very least deserves a look — but probably not a start for fantasy managers.
