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

Splitting RBs in Seattle? Examining Chris Carson & Rashaad Penny

Scott Engel takes an in-depth look at running backs Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny for the rest of the 2019 NFL season, and what that means for fantasy football.

For the second time this season, Chris Carson’s fantasy owners are concerned about his workload because of fumbling issues. This time, his outlook seems to be more uncertain than it was earlier in the season.

Prior to this season, losing the ball was never a major issue for Carson, as he lost fumbles five times in his first two seasons. But ball security suddenly became an issue for him at the beginning of the 2019 campaign, when he lost three fumbles in three games. Some fantasy players started to wonder if C.J. Prosise would cut into his reps while Rashaad Penny dealt with a hamstring injury.

But as he often does with his most important players, Pete Carroll maintained confidence in Carson, and he received 20 or more carries in the next five games. He did not fumble during that stretch. But over the past three games, the ball security problems have returned. Carson has fumbled four times over the past three games, fortunately only losing one. There have also been two botched exchanges this year that have been credited to Wilson, and he has assumed responsibility for. That doesn't change the fact that Carson is now worrying his owners all over again as former first-round RB Rashaad Penny may be ready to step up.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Carroll Backs Both RBs

Last week at Philadelphia, Carson hit new lows. One of those erroneous handoffs came as part of a back-to-back fumbling sequence late in the game on a day where Carson had season lows in attempts (eight) and yards (26). Meanwhile, Penny came through with the best performance of his career, rushing for 129 yards and scoring on a 58-yard run. The confluence of events led to wild speculation about Penny overtaking Carson as Seattle’s lead RB, and Penny was the third-most added position player in Fleaflicker leagues this week.

In the aftermath of Carson hitting the bottom and Penny soaring to the ceiling performance-wise, Carroll praised Penny and told the media he wanted to see more of the same from the second-year man. When the Seahawks drafted Penny 27th overall, they were hoping at the time that he could emerge as the long-sought-after replacement for Marshawn Lynch.

“Rashaad did great,” Carroll said of his performance at Philadelphia. “I’m really fired up for that. We need his explosiveness. He continues to show up. He has had the real home run type of style of play. We’ve got to give him chances to bring that to us. It wasn’t a surprise that he looked like that. Wish it would’ve shown up a little earlier, but that’s my fault for not getting him in there.”

At the same time, Carroll remained outwardly confident in Carson, much as he did earlier this year when the turnover issues first became a problem. He reiterated that Carson will remain a big part of the offense, and knowing Carroll’s track record of trying to keep faith in his premier players, he will likely to continue to stand behind Carson for now.

“That’s not the case in my mind,” Carroll said about Carson’s problems leading to more work for Penny. “The opportunity to play and to contribute is always there in that spot in particular. Our offensive lineman knocked the ball out of his hands on the first one. The other one, it was a communication problem. It’s a little different than the guy just dropping the ball all over the place.”

In fact, the errors of note came after Penny had already provided his highlights for the day. So it is not a clear-cut case of the turnover problems leading to additional playing time for Penny, as Carroll indicated.  Earlier in the game, though, it seemed that Penny’s speed and explosion were better suited to challenge the Philadelphia run defense. Also, it is conceivable that the Eagles had also not prepared much for Penny, as in the previous game before a bye, he appeared to be a complete afterthought.

In a major Monday night matchup with the 49ers, Penny carried just twice and lost a fumble. So it was somewhat surprising to see him resurface in the following game. But as previously noted, Carroll has an approach of trying to bolster the confidence of many of his players when it seems they might be enduring hard times. He customarily exhibits much patience with his proven or high potential players.

 

The Future May Be Shared

So while Penny may continue to see an increased workload for now, Carson is not going to be relegated to a heavily diminished role. In fact, when covering a Seahawks home game last November in Week 13 against San Francisco, I believed I was seeing the future of the backfield at the time. The two RBs complemented each other ideally. Carson rushed for 69 yards on 13 carries, and Penny rushed for 65 yards on just seven attempts, including a 20-yard TD run.

I would expect more carries per game from each player if this sort of scenario becomes the norm, as that was a 27-point Seattle victory that did not mirror typical game flow. But it displayed how Carroll and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer would have ideally liked to utilize the two RBs, and you have to believe the approach may still be in mind a year later.

In the postgame locker room that day, Carson told me he embraced the idea of a dual rushing attack.

“You can’t prepare for just one back,” Carson. “When one guy gets tired, the next guy goes in and you don’t lose a beat.”

Carson’s physical, banging approach works well in tune with Penny’s more explosive and open field style, Penny added.

“I feed off of him. He’ll get the defense tired and then all I have to do is run by them,” Penny said. “It’s just about getting me on the perimeter and in space to make plays.”

Having two effective RBs that can attack the defense with distinctive skill sets would give the Seahawks advantages from pure football perspectives. Defenses have to constantly adjust to the two styles of runners, and Seattle could keep both guys fresh if the approach works out.

That would appear to be where this RB situation may be headed, but it’s also hard to have too much fantasy faith in Penny after just one impressive outing. There are also still lingering concerns about his pass blocking and durability. He should be treated as a fantasy RB4 for now, and should not be started yet at such an important time of year until he builds more on his Week 13 performance.

Plus, Carson has shown too much in the past two seasons to lose a heavy amount of reps. You should still treat him as a fantasy RB2 type, and it would not be surprising to see him bounce back quickly to his better form, either.

This situation will continue to play out on the field on Monday night against Minnesota. Carroll and Schottenheimer probably want a timeshare scenario to continue to evolve. If it does not, Carson could conceivably regain the bulk of the workload in short order. It’s on Penny to force a split workload, and we’ll have to wait and see if he is capable of earning more consistent touches.

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

Travis Etienne Jr.

Needs to Bounce Back in 2025
Wan'Dale Robinson

Wants More Downfield Opportunities this Season
Quinshon Judkins

Arrested on Saturday for Battery and Domestic Violence
Terry McLaurin

Could be a Holdout at Training Camp
Roger McCreary

a Candidate for a Contract Extension?
Max Fried

Exits Start With Blister
Mike Evans

Buccaneers Could Have Difficult Time Retaining Mike Evans
Charles Cross

Could Sign Extension Before Training Camp
Xavier Restrepo

One to Watch Going into Training Camp
Calvin Ridley

Appears Re-Energized
Mark Andrews

Still a Key Piece in Ravens Offense
Ndamukong Suh

Officially Announces his Retirement
Jaylen Waddle

Motivated After Disappointing Season
Tre Harris

Still Unsigned
Hunter Dobbins

to Miss Rest of Season With Torn ACL
Nolan Arenado

Held Out of Lineup on Saturday
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Carlos Correa

Sitting on Saturday
Austin Riley

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Nolan Arenado

Exits Friday's Contest With Sprained Finger
Jake Burger

Expects to Play on Saturday
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Wyatt Langford

Records Four-Hit Night
Cal Raleigh

Homers Twice, Drives in Five
Cody Bellinger

Swats Three Homers in Victory
Jake Burger

Leaves With Quad Discomfort on Friday
Carlos Correa

Exits Game With Mild Ankle Sprain
Edward Cabrera

Dealing with Posterior Elbow Discomfort
Austin Riley

Leaves Game Early on Friday With Abdominal Tightness
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Rafael Devers

Dealing With Back Inflammation
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Returning on Friday
Sauce Gardner

Wants to be Highest-Paid Cornerback
Rhamondre Stevenson

Heading into an Important Season
Minnesota Vikings

Josh Metellus, Vikings Have Mutual Interest in Extension
Tua Tagovailoa

2025 Could be Tua Tagovailoa's Last Season in Miami
Rashawn Slater

has "Full Confidence" a Deal Will Get Done
Byron Buxton

Returns on Friday
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Jake Meyers

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Calf Strain
Brandon Lowe

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Tightness
Kodai Senga

Reinstated to Start on Friday
Alex Bregman

Officially Activated and Starting on Friday
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Chicago Bears

Bears Extend General Manager Ryan Poles
Dalton Knecht

Avoids Serious Injury
MarShawn Lloyd

in a "Much Better Spot" Heading Into Training Camp
Javon Small

Signs Two-Way Deal
Dustin Hopkins

Browns Still Counting on Dustin Hopkins
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF