There were positive signs to start the week for Seattle Seahawks RB Chris Carson, who has been battling a neck injury. After a five-week absence, Carson returned to practice and began the 21-day window for the Seahawks to activate him from the IR. However, what does that mean for Carson’s availability in Week 10, and what is the knock-on effect for Alex Collins’ fantasy football ceiling?
Chris Carson will miss Week 10 with his injury
This neck injury for Carson is troublesome. Any neck injury is an issue, but chronic injuries are a major concern. The problem with an injury labeled as chronic is that they can flare up at any time, making it tough to predict his availability. We do not know the specifics of the injury, and therefore, fantasy managers are left in limbo.
Carson reportedly is past the discomfort that has led to him being on the IR. However, he did not progress enough in practice to be able to return this week. Even when he does return, fantasy managers will have a hard time trusting Carson. We do not know what his week-to-week workload will be like (or even his availability). For now, Carson does not even appear on the Seahawks’ injury report on a daily basis, as he is technically still on the IR.
Alex Collins will be active for the Seahawks in Week 10
Collins was present on the Seahawks’ injury report this week with a groin injury. However, the RB does not carry any injury designation into the weekend. That means Collins will likely start for the fifth game in a row. Through his last four starts, he has averaged 15.25 rush attempts per game with 56.75 yards per game and 1 touchdown in total.
Collins has also seen 5 targets in those four games. While he has caught 4 of them, he has just 31 receiving yards across those four games. When Collins is the starter, he is fantasy-relevant, but his ceiling appears to be capped based on what we have seen so far since Carson was ruled out.
Who else could receive carries with Carson missing?
The Seahawks have shared the extra carries around behind Collins with Carson out. DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer split the duties in Weeks 5 and 6, with Dallas seeing the majority of opportunities out of the two. However, the return of Rashaad Penny has very much changed the situation.
In the last two games, Penny has been the clear second option behind Collins. The former first-round selection has had 13 carries, compared to a total of 6 combined for Dallas and Homer. However, Penny has done little with his opportunities, totaling just 16 yards on those 13 rushing attempts. With Carson absent, Collins is the only Seattle running back fantasy managers should consider relying on.