No one can escape the clutches of the injury bug. No player is immune to the bite of the injury bug. Fantasy Football The manager has the antidote to that poison.
That doesn't mean you can't heal a player's wounds, it just takes time and understanding of the player's role in the offense. Those who claim the truth of the zero running backs are once again lining up at the door, another casualty of the running back disease, lending credence to their drafting methods.
But you don't care about that – you want to know who got bitten and what you can do about it.
While many in the fantasy community continue to mourn the loss of Christian McCaffrey and are pushing Jordan Mason to be their league's favorite for 2024, many are also struggling to recover from Chiefs running back Isaiah Pacheco's early exit on Sunday.
Pacheco left the stadium in a walking boot with a fractured fibula and is expected to be placed on injured reserve. He will miss six to eight weeks. Given the investment on draft day, the need to find a replacement is critical.
A name that is rarely mentioned outside of the zero RB camp, Samaje Perine is a candidate to replace Pacheco. The 29-year-old Perine has plenty of overseas experience and struggled to secure a regular spot, but he will be the main back in Andy Reid's offense.
That's the good news — we've seen Reid transform many a back into a fantasy football hero — but the bad news is he's never dominated the backfield and it's not going to start now.
Perin will undoubtedly be valuable as a replacement back, but unlike Pacheco, Perin is expected to shoulder a larger share of the workload. He'll be a staple in the passing game, which he's long been good at, but rookie Carson Steele is expected to handle more of the short-yardage plays and goal-line carries. Perin will also be productive between the tackles, but his true value will come in catching passes.
Pacheco was targeted nearly 50 times last season, and Clyde Edwards-Haley, who is available if he comes off injured reserve in Week 5, had 22, leaving about 70 open targets for running backs. If we've learned anything from Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, it's that they like their running backs to be involved in the passing attack. It might not be a huge workload, but it would be enough to pad the roster.
Continue to monitor the injury report at the start of the week as there could be more value on waivers this week. Rachad White hurt his groin so Bucky Irving could see more touches. Blake Corum looked good after the Rams loss and Khalil Herbert is now encroaching on D'Andre Swift territory.
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The running back waiver wire will be most important early in the season, so don’t let your guard down.
Howard Bender is Fantasy AlarmFollow him on .X Translator Featuring the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show,” airing weekdays from 6-8pm on the SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Channel. Find all the information at FantasyAlarm.com. Fantasy Football News and Advice.
