Chris Carson has a sketchy “long-term” neck injury that is flaring up at an inopportune time. As a result of this injury, Carson missed portions of last week’s game and did not practice this week. This is bad news for Carson owners because the Seahawks have a short week, they get a tasty Rams’ run defense, and Alex Collins has proven to be more than a serviceable backup in this league. Thus, Collins would be an optimal Week 5 fantasy football streamer if Carson is unable to go.
Following Week 1 where Carson racked up 91 yards on the ground, he’s only totaled 141 rushing yards and three catches over his last three games combined.
“He has had kind of a long-term, I guess it would be kind of a condition, that he’s dealt with,” Pete Carroll said Wednesday. “And sometimes it flares up, and sometimes it doesn’t.
“We’ve tested him and MRI’d him and all that kind of stuff, and it’s no different than it’s been. It’s just, obviously, inflamed right now. And so we’ve got to see if it quiets down.”
Chris Carson! He’s basically dealing with the neck version of sciatica, and it’s AWFUL. I discussed the #Seahawks RB here, and we really don’t know if/when he’s going to return.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he went to IR.https://t.co/tZ0XY2nQeK
— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) October 7, 2021
If Carson’s neck is still an issue tonight, then Collins would be the next man up.
The journeyman running back sparked the Seahawks’ offense on Sunday, totaling 80 yards and a score on 12 touches. While the Rams have Aaron Donald and a strong front-seven on paper, they were just thoroughly dominated by Chase Edmonds and James Conner in Week 4. The Cardinals’ duo gashed the Rams for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
Collins should also benefit from being the team’s fourth-best offensive weapon, at best, behind Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett.
Collins has not been an effective fantasy option since 2018 when he scored seven touchdowns with the Ravens, but he appears to be a fit in Shane Waldron’s offensive scheme.
According to Waldron’s former boss, Sean McVay, Waldron installed McVay’s West Coast-styled offense and added a few wrinkles to it, such as a new outside-zone blocking concept.
Although Wilson leads the league in passer rating, the team has struggled to run the ball — which could get a boost from a healthy Collins.
“It’s always going to come back to how efficiently we can play on some of those early downs,” Waldron said.
My understanding is Chris Carson’s status tonight is a true game time decision and nothing has been determined one way or the other. But obviously Alex Collins is the next man up if Carson can’t go.
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) October 7, 2021
Heading into Thursday’s matchup against the Rams, Carson currently sits at RB22 on The Wolf’s Week 5 Fantasy Rankings. If he were to sit out, expect Collins to move up into that area. Either way, Collins is a must-add and is currently rostered in only 26 percent of leagues — especially if the injury lands Carson on IR.
Travis Homer is also a solid stash off the waiver wire if Carson is out for an extended period of time. Homer would operate as the team’s pass-catching back and caught three balls for 48 yards in Week 3.
