Getty Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch
The ship just can’t seem to get turned in the right direction for the Oakland Raiders this season it seems. After falling to 1-5 with a tough 27-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, various drama began around the team. Trade rumors involving Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Karl Joseph were just the start.
And now, it seems the Raiders could be without starting running back Marshawn Lynch for some time. As The Athletic’s Vic Tafur revealed, Lynch is dealing with a groin strain that could be a long-term deal.
Gruden says he is concerned about Marshawn Lynch’s groin strain. Could be long term. He is getting checked out this week. #Raiders
Update
As ESPN’s Field Yates revealed, Lynch has been placed on injured reserve.
The Raiders have placed RB Marshawn Lynch on injured reserve.
Following the news, it’s led to some questions specifically from fantasy football owners. If Lynch does miss extended time, it’ll be between Doug Martin or Jalen Richard to hold down the fort. Both players bring in two different styles of play, but either could be considered waiver wire pickups on the surface.
Let’s take a look at which of the two players make the most sense for fantasy owners to target.
Should Fantasy Owners Pick up Jalen Richard or Doug Martin?
The numbers breakdown certainly gives the edge to Richard over Martin in a fairly big way. While Richard has just 11 carries for 32 yards, he’s been a force as a pass-catcher. Through six games, Richard has 31 catches for 253 yards while Martin has only 99 rushing yards on 27 carries. The 29-year-old Martin hasn’t been a factor in the passing game, either, catching just four passes for five yards all year.
As far as playing time goes, that’s what really jumps off the page. In Week 5, Richard played 51 percent of the snaps compared to 40 and 11 percent for Lynch and Martin, per Football Outsiders. Richard’s workload once again stayed high in Week 6, as he saw 40 percent of the offensive work compared to Martin’s 10 percent.
It seems not only does Richard have the higher upside of the two, but he’s also getting the extended playing time from Gruden and company. If you’re in a 12 or 14-team point-per-reception league, I’d jump at the chance to pick up Richard. On the other hand, Martin should see an increase if Lynch is out, so adding him in larger leagues is fine as well if you have a roster spot.
Overall, Richard should be the primary fantasy target if Lynch misses time.
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Marshawn Lynch Fantasy: Which Raiders RB to Target After Injury Update