It’s quite amazing to see the Seahawks, who are about to embark on a Divisional Round matchup against the Packers, feature a depth chart at running back that features Marshawn Lynch ($4,800) and Travis Homer ($5,100). After injuries decimated the running back position, this is what the Seahawks have to work with. Nonetheless, they’re in a great matchup against a very poor Packers run defense. So the biggest question is, who is the superior option to choose?

Fantasy football analysis: Seahawks RBs Travis Homer, Marshawn Lynch

Over the past two weeks, which includes Wild Card weekend, Homer has operated as the lead back. Homer has carried the ball 21 times compared to Lynch at 18. Just because Homer has taken the majority of the carries, however, doesn’t mean he’s been the most efficient. Homer totaled 74 yards on those carries, good for just 3.5 YPC. Homer has been the preferred option in the passing game, seeing six targets in those games in which he caught all of them for 35 yards. Looking at the spread, the Seahawks are +4.5 underdogs, which could lead to more passing down plays for the Seahawks, which would benefit Homer. The Packers didn’t allow a receiving touchdown to an opposing back but did give up an average of 40.4 receiving yards and a 72% catch rate. If you’re making a pick based on the potential game script, Homer makes sense here.

With that being said, we cannot ignore what coach Peter Carroll has said about Lynch. He’s come out and said that he wants to see Lynch do more and increase his role. Reading between the lines, Lynch could operate as the RB1 in this game and take the bulk of the carries while Homer’s role scales back and could be reduced to a handful of carries while taking role in the passing game. Lynch would be in line for a fantastic matchup against a Packers team that allows an average of 109 rushing yards per game and 15 touchdowns. Lynch has scored in both games he’s been active, both of which have come from inside the red zone. Even with the game script potentially being an issue with the Seahawks as underdogs, it feels as if Lynch would be the one to have more upside over Homer.

DFS Recommendation

If you’re making Showdown lineups, I don’t think it’s out of the question to consider both options and potentially captain Lynch because of the likelihood he’ll score. However, in Classic lineups, Lynch not only gets you a $300 discount but should leapfrog Homer on the depth chart for this game. With the Packers being as poor as they are at defending against the run, Lynch should be in line for a potentially big game and this is the way I would go.