Fantasy Football Week 3: Jamaal Charles Can’t Be Confidently Started
By Brad Berreman
@bradberreman24
Doug Pensinger-Getty Images
Jamaal Charles followed up a disappointing Week 1 (seven carries for 19 yards and four catches for 15 yards) with an injury-shortened performance in Week 2 (two carries for four yards and one catch for eight yards). That’s certainly not what fantasy football owners that invested an early draft pick or a lot of auction money on the Kansas City Chiefs’ running back expected, and Charles looked to be facing an extended absence after being diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.
Charles made a fairly surprising return to practice on Thursday and Friday, getting in a limited session on both days, and he has been officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. He is looking like a true game-time decision, and with a 4:25 Eastern time start Charles’ fantasy owners are left with a potentially very difficult decision at this point.
Knile Davis filled in very capably for Charles last week against the Denver Broncos, with 22 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns along with six receptions (on a team-high nine targets) for 26 yards. That made him a top waiver wire addition this week, and a virtual must-start going forward as well, but the prospect of Charles being active this week has diminished that some.
Full disclosure: I own Charles in both of my leagues. With my last draft pick, or final auction dollar in the league where that was applicable, I also drafted Davis. I’m normally hesitant to handcuff a top running back, when I have owned one that qualifies, but in this case the investment I made in Charles made securing Davis the only reasonable move. Call it shrewd, or a complete waste, but no one in either of my leagues was able to get Davis off the waiver wire this week.
But the question here is whether I’d recommend starting Charles. His questionable status, the nature of his injury and a late afternoon start makes it an easy choice for me, and frankly any other Charles owner. I’m starting Davis in both of my leagues, while leaving Charles on the bench, and I’ll accept the risk inherent in that decision if Charles winds up suiting up.
Brad Berreman is a Columnist at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter or connect on Google +.
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