Seahawks Fantasy Corner: Trade for Chris Carson and Do It Now
It isn't often when the Seahawks struggle to provide the fantasy football managers their much need points but that is exactly what happened on Sunday. But while others may panic, the savvy fantasy manager can see opportunity. We talked last week about buying low on Tyler Lockett last week and you should continue to start Russell Wilson every week, regardless of whatever slump he is in. We've also discussed trading for Chris Carson several times, but it bears repeating: go trade for him now.
It is easy to forget how good Carson is when he hasn't seen the field in three and a half games. But it isn't hard to see how much better the Seahawks are with Carson out there. If you're a Seahawks fan, you know this to be true. And Pete Carroll does too. In fact, Carroll seemed to hint at a return to a more run balanced offense for the duration of the year.
"We have to get back to mixing our stuff and back to balance so we're not just relying on the throwing game where they can keep calling their stuff to get after you," Carroll said on Monday.
This is about as pointed as Carroll will get when discussing play calls and philosophy. And Carroll is right, a true run game threat will help Russell Wilson stay upright more and should limit his turnover opportunities. It also means more work might be on the horizon for Chris Carson and perhaps Carlos Hyde and Rashaad Penny. Carson was great for the first five and a half games in 2020, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and nearly 100 total yards despite never playing more than 63 percent of the snaps in any game this season.
A more focused run game could help Carson receive more touches without sacrificing the gains he's made in the passing game. Keep in mind that Carson missed the entire second half of the Arizona game and has still managed a pace of 1,250 total yards and eight touchdowns. Those are solid running back one stats in any 12 team format.
Ideally, you would wait to see Carson back from injury before trading for him, but there are two issues that you need to account for. First, many leagues have their trade deadlines coming up quickly, most seem to be next Tuesday or Wednesday. Second, if you believe the Seahawks are going to use Carson more as I do, waiting for him to come back will only cause his value to rise.
If you can sit on Carson for Week 11 without seriously impacting your playoff hopes, you should be talking to the Carson owner right now. Try offering Melvin Gordon or one of the Rams wide receivers. Amari Cooper is another option you might try. You have to understand your league and really the other managers in your league to know what kind of offer to send. Remember that the goal in any trade is to improve your roster, not to rip off the other participant.
Carson appears set to make his return on Monday Night Football against the Eagles and if you don't secure him before then, you'll likely be too late. Sometimes fantasy football is about taking a chance and following your gut. And when that allows you to acquire a Pro Bowl-caliber running back, you should probably listen to that feeling.
