Kenneth Farrow’s Fantasy Value After Melvin Gordon’s Injury

Melvin Gordon injured his hip early in the first quarter of the Chargers-Panthers Week 14 contest and has been ruled out for the rest of the game. With Ronnie Hillman a healthy inactive, Farrow steps into the the Chargers lead running back role.

The question fantasy owners want to know is whether Farrow is worth adding during the playoff stretch. The short answer is yes, but his impact is a bit of an unknown. He is a rookie running back out of Houston with limited NFL touches.

Farrow’s senior season at Houston he rushed for 958 yards and 12 touchdowns. Farrow averaged 5.2 yards per carry. Farrow had his best season his junior year. He rushed for 1,042 yards and 14 touchdowns.

There are slim pickings right now on most waiver wires. I would rather have a guy like Farrow who is an unknown with potential rather than an average player who has limited upside. Farrow only has value if Gordon is forced to miss time.

Farrow is a different style runner than Gordon. He has a thicker frame than Gordon and offers the Chargers a more physical style. He is a step down when it comes to speed and quickness.

Farrow had just 20 carries entering Week 14. Hillman is also a running back to monitor, but seems unlikely he would become the starter if he was not active this past week.

Fantasy owners need to monitor Farrow’s performance in extended action against the Panthers. If Farrow shows potential and Gordon is forced to miss time, Farrow becomes a must-add player.