Getty Darwin Thompson of the Kansas City Chiefs
With the Kansas City Chiefs dealing with numerous injuries along their running back depth chart, the team was left with no choice but to feature offseason darling Darwin Thompson in the backfield a week ago.
Thompson flashed the ability that had so many fantasy owners salivating in the preseason prior to the arrival of LeSean McCoy in Kansas City.
Can Thompson build off of his impressive showing in Week 13 and serve as a viable starting option in Week 14? Let’s take a look.
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Darwin Thompson’s Fantasy Outlook vs. New England Patriots
Kansas City Chiefs rookie Darwin Thompson had carried the football a meer five times prior to Week 13. However with starting running back Damien Williams ruled out with a rib injury, Darrel Williams sustaining a hamstring injury early on, and LeSean McCoy still being handled like your elderly Grandma making her way down the stairs, the Chiefs had no choice but to lean on the former Utah State Aggie.
Thompson responded to his added usage by producing 44 rushing yards and one touchdown on the day. Thompson, who weighs in at just 200 pounds, showed willingness to run between the tackles, and enough strength to hit the next level. Thompson finished with an average of 4.0 yards per carry on the day.
It was a limited sample size, but you can feel safe getting more excited about Thompson than you could for any other Chiefs running back at any other point of this season. KC has been abysmal on the ground this season. Damien Williams has averaged just 2.6 ypc or less in five of his nine games this year. While the team as a whole ranks within the bottom-nine of total rushing yards in 2019.
Thompson would be trending up in fantasy circles regardless of other outliers, however with Damien Williams and Darrel Williams both ruled out with injury for this Sunday’s game, Thompson’s stock has shot through the roof in recent days.
It is crucial to remember who Thompson will be facing off with this weekend. The New England Patriots allow the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game this season with a 94.5 yard average. That number has somehow managed to decrease to just 80.7 ypc over their last three games.
The bad news keeps rolling in for Thompson owners. No defense in football has surrendered fewer fantasy points to the running back position than the Patriots this season. Since the Patriots Week 10 bye, they’ve allowed just one touchdown to an opposing RB, while just one back over that span has exceeded 36 rushing yards.
If they are susceptible to running backs in any facet, it would be to ones used as receivers out of the backfield. Over New England’s last three games they’ve allowed two running backs to record four-plus receptions and 40+ receiving yards, with one finding the endzone through the air.
Thompson hasn’t been used much as a receiver this season, but he’s more than capable. The running back recorded 23 receptions for 351 yards and three receiving touchdowns a season ago for Utah State.
Should You Start or Sit Darwin Thompson in Week 14?
Thompson is trending towards his biggest workload of the season. Playing alongside Patrick Mahomes has done wonders for running backs’ fantasy values in the past, especially those who possess viable receiving traits.
With that said, the matchup is daunting and Thompson is a question mark. For all we know, this could be the game KC’s been saving up Shady McCoy’s legs for.
Thompson has minimal startability across the board in Week 14. He could creep up into the high-end RB4 in PPR leagues. While best case scenario he finishes as an RB3, that’s only if KC fully commits to the rookie, an unlikely scenario.
- *Check out our other Week 14 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Ems to further optimize your lineups
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