Fantasy Football: Chris Carson absence matters for you, Seahawks

With Chris Carson (foot) expected to miss another game Thursday night, fantasy owners are left to try to predict a running back committee.

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson (foot) has not played since Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals, but there was some optimism he’d return for the Week 11 rematch. He was listed as questionable, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported Carson is not expected to play Thursday night.

The Seahawks do have some good running back injury news. Carlos Hyde has also not played since Week 7 due to a hamstring injury, but he is not on this week’s injury report.

What will Seattle’s RB rotation look like without Chris Carson?

With Carson and Hyde out, rookie DeeJay Dallas was the Seahawks’ lead back  in Week 8 against the San Francisco 49ers (18 carries for 41 yards, 1 TD; five catches for 17 yards, 1 TD, 73 percent snap share). He scored a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9, among his seven carries for 31 yards.

Alex Collins was promoted from the practice squad ahead of Week 9, and he had two carries for five yards against Buffalo on 13 snaps. But in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Rams, he had 11 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown (48 percent snap share) along with one reception for four yards.

If Carson is out, as it looks like he will be, Hyde seems to be in line to start and get the majority of the carries for the Seahawks. Arizona is 17th in the league against the run (120.2 yards per game), and 21st in yards per carry allowed (4.5). In terms of fantasy versus running backs, they are allowing the 12th-fewest points per game to the position (Yahoo! 0.5-point PPR). So the Cardinals are middle of the road against the run, and in the top-half of the league in fantasy points allowed to running backs.

Apart from Hyde, Collins and Dallas possibly splitting the backfield workload in Carson’s stead, Seattle’s league-worst defense is sure to keep Russell Wilson throwing plenty on Thursday night. Wilson had 50 pass attempts in Week 7’s overtime game against Arizona, while Carson (before his injury), Hyde and Travis Homer combined for 23 rush attempts and four catches. T

Carson’s fantasy owners are set to do without him again in Week 11, and the nature of mid-foot sprains hardly guarantees he’ll play in Week 12. But outside of very deep leagues as a flier (unless you believe in Hyde), or maybe a DFS boom-or-bust play, good luck predicting which Seahawks’ running back will be the most usable fantasy back (or usable at all) on Thursday night with Carson out.