Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Zach Charbonnet

Wednesday, September 24, 6:15 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Wednesday that they placed running back Najee Harris (Achilles) on Injured Reserve, according to Fernando Ramirez of the Sporting Tribune. Harris' season is over after he tore his Achilles in the Week 3 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. It's a disappointing end to his first year with the Bolts after signing with them in free agency in the offseason. The 27-year-old will end his streak of four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to begin his career. In his three games this year, Harris carried the ball 15 times for 61 yards and no touchdowns, adding three receptions for 25 yards through the air. The Chargers will be forced to lean more on rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton as their lead back going forward, making him a must-start each week. Hassan Haskins will be elevated to the RB2 role, with Kimani Vidal the next man up at No. 2 in the backfield.

Friday, October 3, 7:53 PM

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet is a flex option in Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Charbonnet continues to split backfield duties with Kenneth Walker III. However, Charbonnet's lack of participation in the passing game is hurting his fantasy value. Charbonnet has scored double-digit fantasy points each time he has found the end zone this season. However, he scored one fantasy point in Week 2 when he did not score. The Seahawks trust Charbonnet as their short-yardage back. Given that this offense has demonstrated its ability to get into scoring position, Charbonnet is always a threat to score. However, he is too inconsistent to be considered for your RB2 spot. Additionally, the Buccaneers boast one of the better defensive fronts in the NFL. They have been middle-of-the-road against opposing running backs in fantasy, but opposing running backs are averaging less than three yards per carry. Charbonnet is a fine flex play, especially given that bye weeks have begun, but his upside is capped in Week 5.