Regardless of his health status, we knew running back Marlon Mack’s fantasy football value heading into the 2021 season was minimal at best. It was quite surprising to see him re-sign with the Indianapolis Colts on a one-year, $2 million contract.
What is not surprising is Mack’s lack of playing time given the presence of Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines on the Colts’ roster. When Mack was inactive last week in favor of Jordan Wilkins, a few eyebrows were raised. Top Colts beat reporter Zak Keefer subsequently reported that Mack is seeking a trade out of Indianapolis, hoping to land on a team that will award him more playing time.
Potential Marlon Mack landing spots and their fantasy impact
Of course, predicting landing spots for players in free agency or via trade is difficult. All too often, NFL teams do things that seem illogical — but we’ll give it our best shot.
Today, we’re going to look at a few places Mack could realistically land if the Colts are able to secure a trade partner and discuss Mack’s fantasy outlook if he’s moved.
New England Patriots
With James White out indefinitely due to a serious hip injury and Rhamondre Stevenson firmly in the doghouse, the Patriots have scant RB depth behind Damien Harris. Specifically, they need a back that can play on passing downs.
Mack was excellent in pass protection in college but has struggled with that task since reaching the NFL. He’s a competent receiver, but he hasn’t been asked to catch many passes, either. Ultimately, Mack going to New England feels like a long shot. But if he ends up there, he could have RB3/flex value in a timeshare with Harris.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have had multiple opportunities to bring in a back behind Austin Ekeler, but they’ve elected to stick with Justin Jackson and Larry Rountree. Nevertheless, Los Angeles remains a team that could use a between-the-tackles runner like Mack.
The Chargers like to keep Ekeler’s snap share at around 60%, but that’s difficult given the current alternatives. If Mack finds his way to L.A., he could assume short-yardage and goal-line duties. But with Ekeler such a force in the passing game, it’s unlikely Mack would be more than a touchdown-dependent RB4. He would have tremendous upside in the event of an Ekeler injury, though.
Possible fits for trade candidate Marlon Mack
Let’s take a look at a couple more potential landing spots for Mack.
Baltimore Ravens
I’ll keep this one short because I don’t actually think the Ravens will try their hand with another running back. I’m putting them on the list simply because they seem to be in the market for every veteran running back, and Mack is vastly superior to any of their current options (except maybe Ty’Son Williams).
If Mack goes to Baltimore, his fantasy value would be as a speculative RB3, similar to Latavius Murray. In fact, Mack would likely take over Murray’s role for the Ravens –, but it’s not a move I see happening.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints cut Murray in favor of Tony Jones, but Jones has not performed anywhere near the level Murray did over the past two seasons. That’s resulted in Alvin Kamara trending toward career highs in snap share and carries.
Maybe the Saints are okay with this. Maybe not. If it’s the latter, they could look to replace the ineffective Jones with a more experienced and trustworthy veteran in Mack. Out of the four teams on this list, the Saints represent the best landing spot for Mack’s fantasy value. He would likely have immediate RB3/flex value, with high RB2 upside if Kamara were to get hurt.