Las Vegas Raiders RB Zamir White filled in nicely in place of the injured Josh Jacobs in Week 15. Should managers pick up the second-year RB for their fantasy football playoff matchup in Week 16?
Should Zamir White Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 16?
The Raiders went into their Week 15 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers after an embarrassing zero-point performance in Week 14 without their star RB Josh Jacobs. Jacobs missed his first game of the season due to a quad injury, allowing White to make his first NFL start on Thursday Night.
White put up decent numbers filling in as the Raiders’ lead RB, as he took most of the carries, rushing 17 times for 69 yards and a goal-line touchdown to open up the scoring for the Raiders’ 63-point night.
Zamir White with his first career TD to cap a 12 play, 68-yard drive for the #Raiders❕#RaiderNationpic.twitter.com/C7x7y6eDab
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 15, 2023
He was also targeted in the passing game four times, catching three targets for only 16 yards. Ameer Abdullah followed with six carries and Brandon Bolden with only two. However, one of those carries from Bolden turned into a 26-yard touchdown.
Before the game, there was skepticism about how the backfield would play out between White and Abdullah. White is the better overall RB at 215 pounds, running with decent speed and power, while Abdullah is more of a pass-catching specialist.
White, a fourth-round pick last year, only logged 17 carries to Jacobs’ 340 in 2022. White generated preseason sleeper buzz before this season for his strong preseason play and Jacobs holding out.
However, the backfield has been all Jacobs for the 2023 season, as White had just 20 carries before Thursday night’s matchup against the Chargers.
This effort could finally bring more opportunity for White on the field should Jacobs return, which could be as early as this week. However, if Jacobs were to miss another week, White would be in line to start against the Kansas City Chiefs, which saw Jacobs run for over 100 yards and a touchdown in their first meeting this season.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
With the Raiders putting up 63 points vs. the Chargers, it was surprising to see that White did not have more fantasy points, as he ended with 17.5 in full-PPR scoring.
Being up in a 42-0 blowout at the half, the Raiders could have figured out exactly what they have in White by going “ground and pound” the rest of the second half, which perfectly fits White’s running style.
It’s worth noting that with Jacobs on a one-year extension and free to leave after this season to sign elsewhere, White could be the Raiders’ starter next season.
White is well worth a waiver pickup and should have been picked up by everyone when the news of Jacobs being inactive first came out last week. Managers with Jacobs in the playoffs would have been wise to stash White as a handcuff toward the end of the fantasy regular season.
I would happily stash White over any extra TE or WR, even if Jacobs returns this week, or block out other fantasy managers who may need RB help. Managers may shy away from picking up White if news comes out that Jacobs returns this week, which is a perfect opportunity to stash White.
What White did this week is another example of how a backup RB, who has done very little during the regular season, can be a league-winner for fantasy managers in the 2023 playoffs once given the opportunity.
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