Rawls to miss multiple weeks; opportunity knocks for Christine Michael

With reports saying Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls’ injury is worse than previously thought, the time is now for Christine Michael.

The Seahawks’ Thomas Rawls is having a really, really tough 2016. He fought all offseason to come back from a broken ankle and is now expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a hairline fracture in his fibula:

Rawls was averaging an insanely low 1.3 yards per carry even before the injury, so the time has never been better for Christine Michael. Michael oozes potential from both a fantasy football and real-football perspective. In yesterday’s game against the 49ers, Michael turned 22 touches into 111 total yards and and two rushing scores.

Michael now finds himself in a similar situation to the one Rawls was in last season. Near the end of 2015, Marshawn Lynch went down with an injury and Rawls shined brightly. Michael did his best 2015 Rawls impression yesterday by taking his first carry 41 yards for a touchdown.

Even when Rawls comes back from the injury, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they end up splitting carries. The writing has been on the wall for a Michael breakout, and he is just now getting his opportunity

Michael fits the Seattle offense perfectly as he runs a lot like the Seahawks legend, Beastmode. He’s a strong, bowling-ball runner who has powerful legs and surprisingly above-average speed in the open field. Take, for example, the 41-yard run from yesterday:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/780140483741790208

Even with the horrendous offensive line the Seahawks currently possess, Michael has a real opportunity to provide the jolt Rawls couldn’t. He also has an opportunity to be the fantasy football Cinderella of 2016 given that he was being drafted in the late rounds.

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Michael hopes to try and replicate what Rawls was able to do last year, but over a longer period of time. Given his current track record, he’s got a good shot.