FlurrySports discusses the Michael Carter fantasy outlook for the rest of the Fantasy Football Playoffs following the Bam Knight injury update. Go pick him up!
As we enter the semi-finals of the fantasy football playoffs, your lineup is pretty much set how you like it. At least the key positions are. You know what who your RBs and WRs are, but the one position that tends to bring up the most questions is the flex position. That rings especially true if you are in a deep league or are starting two flex players. Lucky for you, I have an option for you to fill that spot if you are searching for it.
The Michael Carter fantasy outlook is on the rise and he is more than likely available in your league. Following the Bam Knight injury, Carter is a top waiver wire add this week.
Bam Knight Injury Update
In Arizona’s matchup with the Houston Texans last week, Bam Knight played just one snap before being ruled out of the game. We later learned that he suffered a sprained left ankle and was subsequently put on IR. With the Cardinals out of contention for the playoffs, it makes sense to not run their young running back anymore than needed especially with the injury. The whole Cardinals backfield has experienced a number of season-ending injuries, as James Conner, Trey Benson, Kyler Murray and now Bam Knight have been ruled out for the season.
With Conner and Benson out, it has been Knight who has taken over the most work in the Cardinals’ backfield. Since the Cardinals’ bye in Week 8, Knight has totaled 53 carries, Emari Demercado has totaled 24 and Michael Carter has totaled 32. With the leading rusher in the offense out, that begs the question, is it Carter or Demercado who steps up to fill that role?
Michael Carter Fantasy Outlook
Luckily for us, we have an idea of how to answer that question. When Knight left the game last week, it was Carter who took on a majority of the work. Carter totaled 14 carries in relief of Knight, while Demercado totaled just one carry. Looking at the current healthy running backs for the Cardinals, Carter stands alone as the true runner. While Demercado has seen time on the field this season, he has been used as more of a change-of-pace back. The only other realistic option for the Cardinals is Corey Kiner, who steps on to the active roster as an undrafted rookie. That certainly points to the Michael Carter fantasy outlook being the highest in this backfield for the remainder of the season. On top of that, Jacoby Brissett does not offer much of anything in the run game, so when we are talking about who is going to get the carries that actually matter, it is Carter. If we are using last week as a benchmark, Carter was fairly efficient with his carries as he finished the game with 94 rushing yards.
Looking ahead to the future, Carter and the Cardinals have an incredible post season schedule when it comes to running the football. This week, the Cardinals take on the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have fairly soft against the run this season. They are giving up an average of 16.9 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. That includes giving up a total of 1,411 rushing yards this season. After that, in the fantasy championship, the Cardinals take on the Cincinnati Bengals, who are on pace to be one of the worst defenses in recent memory. This season, the Bengals are giving up an average of 24.5 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. That includes totals of 1,809 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.
That means that in 90.8% of fantasy leagues on ESPN there is a starting running back with two incredible matchups for the fantasy playoffs available. I do understand the hesitation for picking up and starting a running back on a bad team and relying on them to win you a championship, but we have seen that work in the past. Just last season, Tyjae Spears was that player who won a lot of people championships and the Titans finished as the worst team in the NFL. Why can’t Carter do that this year?
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Players to Drop For Michael Carter in Fantasy Football
As we get further into the fantasy playoffs, the idea that your bench players don’t matter as much grows. We are at a point where you need to build your bench in a way that can mitigate any potential catastrophes on your team. Whether that means picking up multiple defenses or kickers, grabbing handcuffs, or buying into the Michael Carter fantasy projection, there is not really a reason to keep those 50/50 players any more. With that being said, see the following list for some of those players that you may be holding on to that can be dropped.
Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
As the Chargers continue to march towards the playoffs, there is less and less reliance on Quentin Johnston. Given his recent injury, it is going to be hard to trust putting Johnston in your lineup. If that does not do it for you, Johnston has not finished higher than WR20 since week nine. That includes matchups against Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Las Vegas, three of the easier defenses to pass on in the NFL.
Tyjae Spears, Tennesse Titans
Throughout the season, Tyjae Spears has been at the top of many running back streamer articles and videos. That has certainly not worked out this year. Spears has just one game this season where scored in double digits. He has just one touchdown on the season. Given his multiple-touchdown performance last week, it is clear that Tony Pollard is still the guy in Tennessee and with the Chiefs and Saints coming up, you are never confidently starting Spears the rest of the way.
Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
This one hurts to write up, because I am as big of Xavier Worthy fan as you will find. The issue is that Patrick Mahomes is now out of the rest of the season, the Chiefs are out of playoff contention and, at best, Worthy is the fifth option in this offense. Worthy has just one finish higher than WR18 this season. He has scored one touchdown and his rushing skills have not been used as he has just two rushing attempts in the last five weeks.
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