X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Fantasy Football Disaster Recovery: Chris Carson

Chris Carson is fumbling the football at a historic rate and has Rashaad Penny breathing down his neck. How concerned should we be heading into the home-stretch of the fantasy season?

Welcome to Disaster Recovery, where each week I'll examine why your studs played like duds. This isn't a place to find out why you should have sat a player for somebody else on your bench. Disaster Recovery is here to examine the guys who you didn't think twice about starting and to help you decide if you should be panicking at all about their value moving forward.

This season we'll be focusing on one dud a week. There will be two major qualifiers for this player: the player must have performed well below expectations without an injury, and the player needs to be considered a must-start in most formats.

Chris Carson has developed a fumbling problem this year, but Pete Carroll has stuck by him regardless. That all changed in Week 12.

Editor's Note: Steer clear of costly draft mistakes with RotoBaller’s expert Fantasy Football Bust analysis. We break down overvalued players, potential letdowns, and risky ADPs to avoid, so you can build a smarter, safer roster.

 

Not Today, Carson

Chris Carson's Week 12 stat-line: eight rushes for 26 yards, four receptions for 31 yards, one fumble

Though Carson was only credited with one fumble, a second fumble was entirely his fault, but was credited to Russell Wilson due to the fact that Carson never fully possessed the football. 

It's been a complicated season for Chris Carson to say the least. The third-year back entered the season as Seattle's starting running back, but had 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny breathing down his neck to steal touches. However, the job did feel secure enough for Carson, due to his stellar play in 2018 and how highly Pete Carroll viewed him.

Carson didn't impress through the first three weeks of the season. He failed to rush for over 60 yards and didn't total over 100 yards combined rushing and receiving in any of the three games. Most significantly, he fumbled in each of these games after fumbling just three times in his career previously. Luckily for Carson, Penny was dealing with an injury after Week 2, and Carroll didn't have the option to replace Carson.

Carson rolled to 346 rushing yards over the following three games and didn't have a fumble during this stretch. Carroll had no reason to go back to Penny. Carson was his guy and he was producing...

...until Week 9, where Carson coughed up another two fumbles despite a solid game otherwise. Carson followed that up with a decent performance against San Francisco, but again coughed up another fumble.

Week 12 was a Carson owner's worst nightmare. It was Penny's breakout game. Penny ran the football 14 times for 129 yards and a touchdown and played a season-high 46% of the offensive snaps.

The most crucial moment of this game for both guys came on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter. On the first drive, Penny took a handoff 21 yards, Wilson threw an incomplete pass, and Carroll went to Penny yet again, this time resulting in a 58 yard touchdown. The following drive, Carson fumbled the football but was able to recover it. The following play, he bobbled and lost a handoff from Wilson, which resulted in a visibly infuriated Russell Wilson.

Do you know how hard it is for a teammate to make Russell Wilson visibly infuriated? Penny out-touched Carson five to one for the remainder of the football game.

Carson's seven credited fumbles this season are the most by a non quarterback and it isn't even close. No other non-quarterback has more than four fumbles. Carson is on a historic pace, as no non-quarterback has had more than eight fumbles in a single season this decade.

Pete Carroll has a decision to make. Penny has a ton of upside and seems to be factoring into the offense more now and probably moving forward after a huge breakout game, but it isn't a sure thing that he's going to enter a timeshare with Carson, let alone become the feature back. Penny literally just fumbled one of his two touches against San Francisco in his previous game. Neither running back is perfect.

It's the worst possible time for fantasy owners to have to predict Carroll's behavior. Heading into a crucial Week 13, are you really going to bench Chris Carson? It's hard to imagine their are more appealing options sitting on your bench or on the waiver wire. You're not benching him for Penny, yet. Even though Penny put up the better numbers last week, Carson still out-snapped him. If you own Penny, it's best to take a wait-and-see approach. It's not unrealistic that he'll have another two carry game.

At the same time, it's also not likely. Carroll has to let Penny get a few touches against Minnesota on Monday Night Football. Don't expect him to put a heavy dent into Carson's workload, but expect him to cut into his snaps and touches a little bit. Carson is going to have to have a big day against Minnesota to keep a hold on his job. Fantasy owners need to hope that he steps up to the plate. I'm cautiously optimistic about putting Carson in my lineup this week, but I'm certainly sweating a bit while I'm locking him in.

Panic Meter: 3.5/5

 

Other Players to Monitor

Let's take a look at some other notable busts from Week 11:

Don't Panic: RB Aaron Jones

I've covered Jones previously, and most of what I said then still stands. Jamaal Williams isn't going anywhere and Jones will still get his. Gameflow was not on his side in a blowout loss to San Francisco. Luckily for Jones, he gets the Giants and the Redskins over the next two weeks. Continue to roll out Jones without hesitation.

Last Stand: WR Cooper Kupp

Cooper Kupp recorded seven catches for 220 yards and a touchdown in the team's final game before the bye week. In the three games since, Kupp has totaled nine catches for 88 yards, has fumbled twice, and dropped a pass late in the Rams' blowout loss to the Ravens that resulted in an interception.

Unfortunately, the Rams' matchup against Arizona is just too juicy to pass up. The Cardinals Defense stinks. They literally haven't held an opponent under 20 points this season. Meanwhile, the Rams haven't scored over 20 points since their bye week. If there was ever a time for a bounce-back game for Sean McVay's offense, it's this match. Kupp isn't a must-start for owners with deep benches, but I'd recommend giving him one last shot to produce against the Cardinals. The same can be said for Todd Gurley.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Josh Naylor

Returning to Diamondbacks Lineup
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Oronde Gadsden

an Active Pass-Catcher This Offseason
Brashard Smith

Speed Could be Put to Use
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Pat Bryant

Off to a Good Start
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs With Islanders for Two Years
Cody Barton

Quickly Becoming a Leader With his New Team
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal With Mammoth
Montaric Brown

has Worked With Starters
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
NJ

Evgenii Dadonov Joins Devils on One-Year Deal
BUF

Sabres Snap Up Alex Lyon on Two-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Ryan McLeod

Inks Four-Year Extension with Sabres
NAS

Predators Bring in Nick Perbix on Two-Year Deal
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
LA

Cody Ceci Moves to Los Angeles
DET

James van Riemsdyk Joins Red Wings on One-Year Contract
Viktor Arvidsson

Traded to Boston
Charlotte Hornets

Spencer Dinwiddie Lands With Charlotte
Josh Jung

Sent to Triple-A
Jurickson Profar

Officially Reinstated and Hitting in Five-Hole on Wednesday
Spencer Schwellenbach

Going on Injured List With Fractured Elbow
Maxwell Hairston

Facing Sexual-Assault Lawsuit
Tai Felton

Rookie Season Likely to be Spent on Special Teams
LeQuint Allen Jr.

to Have Receiving Role for Jaguars?
Justin Walley

Turning Heads Going into Rookie Season
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
Jamari Thrash

Establishing Himself as Reliable Option
Grayson Murphy

Could Provide Rotational Pass-Rush Depth
Joe Andreessen

in a Good Position to Compete for Backup Job
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Bhayshul Tuten

Needs to Improve Pass Protection
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Brandon Woodruff

Likely to Pitch on Sunday in Miami
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
PHI

Dan Vladar Links Up With Flyers on Two-Year Deal
EDM

Andrew Mangiapane Signs Two-Year Pact With Oilers
SEA

Ryan Lindgren Joins Kraken on Four-Year Contract
PHI

Christian Dvorak Heads to Philadelphia
Logan Stankoven

Signs Long-Term Extension with Hurricanes
NYI

Jonathan Drouin Joins Islanders on Two-Year Contract
NJ

Devils Hand Connor Brown a Four-Year Contract
SJ

John Klingberg Lands in San Jose
William Eklund

Signs Three-Year Extension with Sharks
Will Cuylle

Agrees to Two-Year Contract with Rangers
Zac Gallen

Fans 10 in Tuesday's Win
Hunter Goodman

Hits Two More Homers Tuesday
Josh Hader

Stays Perfect In Save Conversion On Tuesday
Milwaukee Bucks

Taurean Prince Staying in Milwaukee
Shane Baz

Fans 11 Against Athletics
Grant Holmes

Strikes Out 10 in Scoreless Outing
Jeff Green

Signs One-Year Deal to Remain in Houston
T.J. Watt

Trying to Become Highest-Paid Non-QB?
Willson Contreras

Doubtful for Wednesday
George Springer

Clubs Two Homers in Seven-RBI Day
Joshua Palmer

Could be a Sleeper
Los Angeles Lakers

Jake LaRavia Lands with Lakers
Laviska Shenault Jr.

on the Bubble
Orlando Magic

Tyus Jones Signs One-Year Deal With Magic
Raheem Blackshear

to Work Mostly As Special-Teamer
Golden State Warriors

Kevon Looney Heads to New Orleans
Rico Dowdle

Trevor Etienne to Split Carries?
Chuba Hubbard

Should See Majority of Touches in 2025
Milwaukee Bucks

Jericho Sims Staying in Milwaukee
Denver Nuggets

Tim Hardaway Jr. Joins Nuggets
Willson Contreras

Avoids Structural Damage on Hand After HBP
Detroit Pistons

Duncan Robinson Lands With Detroit
Charlotte Hornets

Tre Mann Remaining in Charlotte
Josh Naylor

Scratched From Tuesday's Lineup Against Giants
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
San Francisco Giants

Giants Exercise Bob Melvin's 2026 Option
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Josh Naylor

Back in Action on Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Suffers Setback
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Nolan Arenado

Dealing with Finger Sprain
Jacob Wilson

Scratched With Hamstring Soreness
Brandon Woodruff

Ready for Season Debut
Garrett Mitchell

Out for the Rest of the Season
Milwaukee Bucks

Gary Harris Inks Deal With Bucks
Charlotte Hornets

Mason Plumlee Heading Back to Charlotte
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Jakob Poeltl

Agrees to a Contract Extension With Raptors
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Vasilije Micić

Vasilije Micic Dealt to Bucks on Tuesday
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
Pat Connaughton

Traded to Hornets
Atlanta Hawks

Luke Kennard Lands in Atlanta
Breece Hall

Aiming to Prove He is "Still One of the Best in the League"
T.J. Watt

Steelers Not Planning to Trade T.J. Watt
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF