Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline could have a big impact on fantasy football. The already traded running back Kenyan Drake to the , who needed immediate help with both starter and backup Chase Edmonds injured and a Thursday night game looming against the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. The Seattle Seahawks are reportedly fielding calls “from RB-needy teams,” with former first-round running back Rashaad Penny the focal point of those discussions. That would solidify Chris Carson’s claim to No. 1 on Seattle’s depth chart but open the door for Penny to be productive elsewhere.
Penny is available in 41 percent of fantasy leagues, making it possible he is still lingering on your league’s waiver wire. If he is, go ahead and stash him for later and hope for a trade. If not, here are a few other players worth claiming.
Mark Walton, RB, Miami Dolphins (Available in 61 percent of fantasy leagues)
Walton got a season-high 14 carries against the last week and produced 66 yards, with all but three of those yards coming after contact. Losing touches to teammate Kalen Ballage inside the red zone and in goal-to-go situations is a concern, but Walton’s ability to catch passes out of the backfield could earn him more work inside the 20-yard line on passing downs.
, WR, (Available in 97 percent of fantasy leagues)
Conley turned in his second consecutive solid effort on Sunday against the , catching four of seven targets for 103 yards and a touchdown. His workload figures to increase with Dede Westbrook’s neck/shoulder injury, which sidelined him in the second half. Next week’s matchup against the , who have the worst pass-coverage unit in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, is a tantalizing one.
Hunter Renfrow, WR, (Available in 97 percent of fantasy leagues)
Renfrow, a standout at Clemson and during Raiders training camp, finally had the breakout game everyone has been waiting for. The rookie caught all four of his targets against Houston on Sunday for 88 yards and a touchdown, a 65-yard slant pattern that hit pay dirt.
Tra Carson, RB, (Available in 99 percent of fantasy leagues)
A lot of people thought Ty Johnson would be the guy to take over for the injured Kerryon Johnson, but it was instead Carson, released 11 days ago by the , who took center stage on rushing plays. Carson out-snapped Johnson 12 to eight when the Lions ran the ball and finished the day with 12 carries for 34 yards.
“I just feel like, I don’t know, (Detroit’s offense) fits me better,” Carson told MLive.com. “I don’t know how to explain it, I just feel more comfortable doing the things they ask me to do versus (when I was in) other places.”