Raiders running back Sincere McCormick was, very briefly, the hottest waiver add in the game. He put up solid numbers after taking over the starting job, and even looks like he may have a shot at keeping it next year. However, he suffered an ankle injury which knocked him out of Las Vegas’ Monday Night Football matchup in Week 15.
On Tuesday, he posted on his Instagram that he’ll “be back next season,” and as of Wednesday, the young RB has officially been placed on injured reserve and is out for the season.
With the starting job once again open, which remaining Raiders halfback should be in fantasy lineups?
Analysis
Who’s still standing in the backfield?
There’s a couple of veterans cuttin’ it up in the Las Vegas backfield, but which will get the start in McCormick’s absence?
Ameer Abdullah played 46% of snaps in Week 15, which he turned into an effective fantasy outing. While he only carried the ball three times for eight yards, he was particularly effective in the receiving game with seven catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. Abdullah scored 19.6 fantasy points, his best performance of the season.
On the other hand, Alexander Mattison presents another option. In Week 16, he tallied seven rushes for 21 yards and hauled in two-of-four targets for just three yards. It wasn’t a particularly impressive performance, but it is worth noting he was the starter before McCormick’s emergence over the last couple of weeks.
It’s tough to predict how this backfield will shake out if McCormick is indeed too hurt to suit up. Abdullah is more of a passing-down specialist as we saw when the Raiders were attempting to mount a comeback on Monday Night Football, but he did out-snap Mattison in the contest regardless. Mattison isn’t a great runner, but he’s more of a bruiser than Abdullah is.
Week 16 matchup
The 2-12 Raiders face the 3-11 Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. It’s an ugly matchup between two teams competing for draft picks at this point, but the players still know it could be their own job on the line.
The Jaguars allow a league-worst 396.4 yards per game, rank 28th in points allowed per game, and fall 24th in rushing yards allowed per contest. Their defensive EPA/rush also falls 28th in the NFL, so this is a very vulnerable defense.
With quarterback Desmond Ridder’s abysmal performance in Week 15 and usual starter Aidan O’Connell (knee) “trending upwards to playing,” per head coach Antonio Pierce, the Raiders may be in a favorable spot against Jacksonville after all.
Who to choose?
Starting either Abdullah or Mattison is a risky proposition for Week 16, especially in the midst of most leagues’ fantasy playoffs. Either one is likely a desperation start, but adding them from waivers could keep them out of the hands of other teams still in the title chase.
If you have to start one of them, Mattison is probably the safer bet due to his prior role as the Raiders’ lead back. He’s got a higher per-game scoring average (10.1 PPG) than Abdullah (6.4 PPG) and seems likely to see more rushing work than his counterpart. With that said, don’t count on either as a key part of your lineup, especially if you’re still competing for a championship.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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