National Football League

5 fantasy football replacements for Eddie Lacy

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 16, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Ty Montgomery (88) carries the ball as Dallas Cowboys defensive back Anthony Brown (30) tackles in the third quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy will miss Week 7, and possibly more than that. Here are five possible fantasy football replacements for him.

It was trending that way anyway, with no practice on Monday or Tuesday on a short week, but Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy has been officially declared out for Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Bears due to an ankle injury. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Tuesday that Lacy may be facing a multiple week absence, with “more than a sprained ankle.” That is a little extra concerning for Lacy’s fantasy owners since Green Bay has already had its bye.

Lacy is not having an especially great season, with just one 100-yard game in the first five games and zero touchdowns, but he is averaging 5.1 yards per carry with more than 60 rushing yards four times. That ‘s been enough make him a RB2 or RB3 on a weekly basis thus far, so now Lacy’s fantasy owners have a bit of a void to fill.

Lacy should not be dropped in most situations, at least until a better timeline for his return is determined. But here are five potential replacements for him if you’re a Lacy fantasy owner.

5. Knile Davis/Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers

I’m cheating a little here, by lumping Davis and Montgomery together, but consider it a bonus.

Davis was acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs for a draft pick on Tuesday, and he obviously faces a short turnaround to know the playbook and contribute anything Thursday night. He was the odd man out in the Chiefs running back mix, with just one carry this season and 28 carries in 2015, but when given an opportunity, Davis has generally done well.

Over a three-game stretch in 2014, when Jamaal Charles missed essentially two full games, Davis had 318 yards on 70 carries with three touchdowns on the ground. In the one start he had during that stretch, Davis carried 32 time for 132 yards and a touchdown as a capable handcuff/fill-in for Charles’ fantasy owners.

With James Starks out in Week 6, Montgomery, a wide receiver by trade, saw action as a running back. He had just three carries against the Dallas Cowboys, but Montgomery finished with 10 catches (on 12 targets) for 98 yards with most of that usage coming when he was lined up in the backfield. At least for Thursday night, and perhaps longer, Montgomery is in line for significant snaps out of the Packers’ backfield.

Davis is strictly a stash in 12 and 14-team leagues right now, and he’s not really usable in Week 7 without indications about his workload. Montgomery, on the other hand, has appeal as a flex option in PPR leagues this week, and he could sustain value in PPR formats.

Davis-Yahoo! Ownership: 31%
Montgomery-Yahoo! Ownership: 33%

Mandatory Credit: Adam Bettcher-Getty Images

4. Matt Asiata, Minnesota Vikings

Asiata scored in back-to-back games heading into Minnesota’s Week 6 bye, and he set season-highs in carries (14), rushing yards (55), catches (three) and receiving yards (46) against the Houston Texans in Week 5 to really go into the off-week on a high note.

Jerick McKinnon also has a significant role in the Vikings’ running back mix with Adrian Peterson out, but Asiata’s nose for the end zone stands out. Back in 2014, when Peterson missed 15 games in the aftermath of an off-field incident, Asiata had 10 total touchdowns (nine rushing, one receiving). A couple of three rushing-touchdown games inflated that total somewhat, but Asiata also had 44 receptions and 882 total yards in 15 games played in 2014.

McKinnon and Asiata proved they could capably share Peterson’s workload two years ago with more well-rounded skill sets, and nothing has changed now. I like to favor the goal line guy in potential backfield committees, and for the Vikings that should primarily be Asiata. Add in potential utility in PPR leagues and Asiata is a solid addition in all fantasy league formats.

Yahoo! Ownership:19%

3. Bilal Powell, New York Jets

A slow start to the season, and Matt Forte’s 52 total carries in Week 1 and Week 2, surely pushed a lot of fantasy owners off the Powell bandwagon.

But things have evened out since then, as Powell had 10 touches and more than 50 total yards in three straight games before a three-carry, three-catch effort in an all-around dismal performance from the Jets offense last Monday night against the Arizona Cardinals.

Forte is also now dealing with a knee injury that stands to limit his practice reps. While he may not miss games, he should continue losing work to Powell.

The Jets’ quarterback switch to Geno Smith, at least for Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens, is not good news for any of the team’s skill position players. But Powell is at least trending the right direction, with a growing role and the prospect for more, and that’s enough to make him a running back to own in most fantasy leagues.

Yahoo! Ownership: 33%

Mandatory Credit: Joe Robbins-Getty Images

2. Chris Ivory, Jacksonville Jaguars

An illness sidelined Ivory for the first two games this season, and he had 20 carries for 43 yards in his first two games back. In Week 6 against the Chicago Bears, Ivory’s workload took an upward turn (11 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown, two catches for three yards), and he had more touches than backfield mate T.J. Yeldon (seven) in the game.

Yeldon is not going away as a prominent part of Jacksonville’s running back mix, but he did little when Ivory was out, and a frustrating backfield committee seems to be coming until further notice.

As with Asiata, Ivory looks like the Jaguars’ primary goal line back. He proved capable of filling such a role with 13 rushing touchdowns over the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the New York Jets, and as a side note, he also had a career-high 30 receptions last season.

Jacksonville’s running backs get a favorable match-up against the Oakland Raiders in Week 7, but it’s fair to assume a fairly equal workload split between Yeldon and Ivory. When in doubt, go with the goal line guy. Ivory should be owned in 12 and 14-team leagues, and he’s a physical doppelganger for Lacy (the reasonably trim version) if that matters.

Yahoo! Ownership: 46%

Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

1. Jacquizz Rodgers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With Doug Martin (hamstring) and Charles Sims (knee) out in Week 5, Rodgers stepped in as Tampa Bay’s No.1 running back and delivered with 30 carries for 101 yards and five catches for 28 yards against the Carolina Panthers. Sims has been placed on injured reserve and will be out a while, but Tampa Bay’s Week 6 bye was expected to facilitate Martin’s return to action in Week 7.

But it was not to be, as Martin reportedly had a setback with his hamstring and will miss Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. So that means Rodgers is in line to start again this week, in a favorable match-up too as the 49ers enter the week allowing the third-most fantasy points to running backs (23.3 per game-ESPN scoring).

Martin is without a timetable to return, so Rodgers may get more run as the Buccaneers’ lead back. He’s not been a prolific touchdown scorer in his career with just six rushing TDs, but Rodgers has two 50-plus catch seasons on his resume, and if/when Martin returns, he should keep no less than the passing down role Sims has vacated until further notice.

Martin’s expected return has prevented a huge increase in Rodgers’ ownership rate in the early part of this week, but that may change now. He has sustainability in PPR leagues for virtually the rest of the season, barring injury, but the prospect of pure touch volume beyond that makes Rodgers a top running back waiver wire addition and a worthy fill-in for those without Lacy.

Yahoo! Ownership: 36%