Promising Seattle Seahawks rookie running back Rashaad Penny is set to undergo finger surgery and is looking at a 3-4 week timetable according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
This news puts Penny in jeopardy to miss week one and perhaps more importantly to gain valuable reps as he continued to make the case that he was ready to start over Chris Carson.
This is a big blow to a Seahawks offense that seemed to have finally found a new feature back in the first round pick following years of subpar performance from their backfield after the departure of Marshawn Lynch.
There is however a short timetable on this injury so this news does not affect the fantasy value of Russell Wilson or any of the Seahawks wide receivers.
Fantasy Context:
Rashaad Penny – This injury is certainly a detriment for Penny as he will miss valuable time familiarizing himself with the Seahawks offense and the chance to officially pass Chris Carson on the depth chart. For fantasy owners however this injury may be a blessing as Penny’s ADP is destined to drop over the coming days and weeks providing potential sleeper value. Penny is expected to be ready at least in time for week two or three and should be a locked and loaded RB2 as soon as he inevitably wrestles the starting gig from Carson. Select Penny with confidence as a value pick on draft day.
Chris Carson – Carson is the big winner with this news as it was only a matter of time before the Seahawks named Penny the starter and handed him feature back touches. While this move will undoubtedly slightly raise Carson’s 2018 fantasy value, Penny is only expected to miss one regular season game at most at which point Carson will likely start to cede heavy snaps to the rookie. Carson is still more of a deep league or best ball pick as opposed to someone you want to target in the wake of this news, especially with his ADP set to rise. Those in leagues that have already drafted should look to make the add if you are in need of a potential week one starter. With that said if Rashaad Penny were to miss significant regular season time with this or another injury Carson would find himself as a RB3 with RB2 upside.
