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Kenyan Drake has let fantasy owners everywhere down, as he’s failed to be an impactful fantasy football player with the Arizona Cardinals this year. He gets a ton of touches, but can’t seem to be productive on the ground or through the air as the starter. There are plenty of other viable running back plays worth considering in Week 5.
Note: Roster percentages from ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues on Thursday, October 8
The Sit: Kenyan Drake
Drake will be up against the New York Jets in Week 5. New York has been below average defending against the run this season, but the Carolina Panthers managed to limit Drake to 35 rushing yards on 13 carries in Week 4. The Panthers gave given up the second-most fantasy points to running backs on DraftKings, so the outlook doesn’t look good for Drake, who saw Chase Edmonds get more work than usual on Sunday when he struggled.
The Starts: Joshua Kelley (73%), Damien Harris (39%), Jerick McKinnon (83%)
The Los Angeles Chargers’ one-two punch out of the backfield is no more, as Austin Ekeler is dealing with hamstring and knee injuries. Kelley will become the feature back with Ekeler out of commission. He’ll likely split work with Justin Jackson, but should get the bulk of the carries in his run-heavy team’s offense.
Harris shocked the world by rushing for 100 yards on 17 carries against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4. No team has run the ball more than the New England Patriot, but Harris will have to compete with the likes of Rex Burkhead and James White.
McKinnon could see his workload reduced by the return of Raheem Mostert in Week 5. He didn’t have a problem scoring in a backup in Weeks 1 and 2, so don’t expect him to fall off too much. Tevin Coleman is still on the IR and Mostert might not be at 100 percent come Sunday. Even if McKinnon doesn’t get as many carries, he’ll be involved in the passing game.