Chris Carson Fantasy Outlook Leaves Him Undervalued as Potential Workhorse

Chris Carson has earned the reputation of being a bruiser type of running back over his NFL career, but he's also earned a reputation for injuries and inconsistent play. Just like last year, that reputation has Carson being underrated in fantasy football.

Carson has proven himself to be a workhorse in the Seattle backfield, surpassing 1,100 rushing yards each of the past two seasons while averaging 9 total touchdowns. The Seahawks prioritize the run, having ranked No. 6 in the NFL by running on 45.7 percent of their offensive plays in 2019, and that gives Carson plenty of opportunities to touch the ball.

The injury concerns with Carson are also likely overblown. He's played 29 games in the past two seasons (the same number as Alvin Kamara and more than Saquon Barkley), and the RB position is simply one that carries an inherent injury risk.

Seattle's backfield this year consists of Carson, Carlos Hyde, Rashaad Penny, and rookie Deejay Dallas. Penny is recovering from an ACL tear and won't be ready until midseason, Dallas is an unproven rookie, and Hyde isn't much of a receiving threat, meaning he's more likely to be a No. 2 behind Carson than a complementary lpayer.

When it comes down to it, only two running backs have averaged 1,100 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns for the past two years: Carson and Ezekiel Elliott. This statistic only shows how much the Seattle coaching staff believes in Carson and see him as the workhorse the team needs to succeed out on the field.

Carson checks in at No. 20 in our 2020 fantasy football rankings. As long as he stays healthy, however, he has a chance to eclipse that mark with another season as a workhorse rusher in Seattle.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.