Getty Kansas City Chiefs RB Charcandrick West
The Kansas City Chiefs apparently didn’t walk away from their Week 13 win over the Oakland Raiders feeling great about the running back position. Kareem Hunt’s release was expected to result in a decline at the position, but quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the team’s leading rusher Sunday. It was tough sledding against one of the NFL’s worst defenses and apparently led to the decision being made to bring in a new face.
Spencer Ware did the bulk of the heavy lifting on Sunday, and while that may still remain the case, he’ll now have another backfield mate. As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport revealed, the Chiefs are set to bring back one of their former players in Charcandrick West.
The #Chiefs are expected to sign former RB Charcandrick West, sources say. He knows the playbook and will fit right in, filling the void created on the roster by Kareem Hunt. My understanding is FA RB CJ Anderson had a really good workout and is ready if needed.
The 27-year-old running back played three seasons with the Chiefs previously. His most productive season came in 2015 when he tallied 634 rushing yards on 160 attempts with four touchdowns. There’s a chance he’ll see more work this time around, so let’s take a look at West’s fantasy football value in Kansas City.
Charcandrick West’s Fantasy Outlook
It’s not as though West hasn’t been a productive player at times throughout his career. After all, he averaged 4.0 yards per carry in two of his three NFL seasons. Over his three-year stretch with the Chiefs through last year, he totaled 266 attempts for 999 yards and seven touchdowns through 49 games. He’s also a solid pass-catcher, hauling in 75-of-102 targets for 552 yards and five additional scores.
The potential both as a pass-catcher and runner is there, but it’s unknown what role he’ll have next to Ware. Although the Chiefs current starter totaled just 47 yards on 14 carries last game, he’s had success as bother a runner and option in the passing game previously. With that said, one key reason why West was brought in had to do with his knowledge of the offense, so he should be able to hit the ground running.
Should You Add Charcandrick West in Fantasy Football?
There’s certainly a reason to believe the addition of West could wind up hurting Ware’s value more than it helps his own outlook. Even still, it’s up in the air as to how Andy Reid will utilize the familiar face at running back, so adding him on waivers if you have a roster spot makes sense. Due to his knowledge of the playbook, West has a very real chance to step in and play right away, which is beneficial to the Chiefs, but not so much for fantasy players with Ware.
I’d stick to primarily larger leagues when it comes to adding West, with the focus being on 14-team options and above. If you have a major need at running back in smaller leagues, then taking a chance on him as a player to stash on the bench makes sense. The Chiefs offense is going to continue to score points, and playing alongside Mahomes will only benefit West, so it can’t hurt to take a flier on him and then play the wait-and-see game.
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