10 RB sleepers to target for fantasy football week 7
By Alex Wolfe
7. Jamaal Charles, Denver
Ownership % — ESPN: 29%; Yahoo!: 30%
Role: Bye week filler
I feel like I should lead with this: I am a hopeless Jamaal Charles stan. He and Adrian Peterson won me a league in 2012 when they were both coming off of their ACL injuries, and it was awesome.
All that aside, however, Charles has some newfound appeal. He’s spent most of the year as CJ Anderson’s clear-cut backup, and actually seemed to be losing a little steam last week when Devontae Booker returned to cut into some of Charles’ duties as a pass-catcher. But then Broncos coach Vance Joseph said this on Thursday:
"“That’s always the plan with Jamaal as we go forward in the season,” Joseph said of Charles. “He’ll get more and more touches. So, yes.”"
The Broncos’ plan has always been to keep the dynamic Charles healthy, presumably so that he can make it to the postseason for the first time in a few years. Now that we’re almost to the halfway point of the season, it would seem that it’s now or never to start getting Charles more involved.
He’s been healthy so far, and carving him a bigger role not only gives him more touches, but also preserves the also-injury-prone Anderson for the postseason as well. Don’t expect the world out of Charles, but if he starts getting more touches, the NFL’s career leader in yards per carry could make you a happy fantasy owner.