Ian Rapoport reported this morning that Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor is "likely to miss time" with a high ankle sprain and "it would be a surprise" if he played Week 5. That's left some fantasy managers scrambling to find replacement options on the waiver wire.
Luckily, there are some strong options there, including Taylor's direct backup, Trey Sermon, who leads our list of last-minute streaming RBs you should consider starting if you're in a jam because of Taylor's injury.
Let's get into it.
Fantasy Football Streaming RB Options
Trey Sermon, 34.4% Rostered
I was surprised to see Sermon is available in so many leagues. If you have already rostered him and Taylor is out, he will become a must-start, with a solid flex floor and an RB2 upside.
While Sermon is averaging a sub-par 2.7 yards per carry on the season, the Colts run the ball 49.1% of the time, 11th-highest in the league. They're averaging 26.3 rushing attempts per game and 1.5 rushing TDs per game. If Sermon gets something in the range of 15 carries, volume alone makes him a must-start.
Last year, Sermon averaged 4.6 yards per carry and in his career, he averages 4.3 YPC. Expect his current YPC to increase with more volume.
Antonio Gibson, 32.8% Rostered
SI Fantasy insider Michael Fabiano mentioned Gibson as a sleeper start for this week and I agree. Patriots starting RB Rhamondre Stevenson has fumbled the ball 4 times this season already, and Pats coach Jared Mayo mentioned Gibson could get more reps as a result.
We've already seen that with Stevenon's snap count dropping from 72% in Week 2 to 55% in Week 4 while Gibson has gone from 24% to 34% in that same time.
Fabs also points out the Patriots defense "has already allowed three backs to beat them for 18-plus points." That means there's not only a chance for more snaps, but more snaps against a susceptible defense.
His ceiling isn't as high as Sermon's, but he's worth consideration if Sermon isn't available.
Justice Hill , 30.9% Rostered
While Derrick Henry is the unquestioned bellcow in the Ravens' offense, Hill offers some upside, specifically in PPR leagues, for those desperate enough.
Hill saw 6 targets and caught them all in Week 4, putting up 78 receiving yards and a TD. In total, he had 21.6 points in PPR leagues.
Game script plays a big role in Hill's production and he faces a Bengals unit that's been more susceptible to the run than pass against RBs this year. But with a game total of 48.5 points at FanDuel Sportsbook, one of the highest in the NFL, oddsmakers expect this to be a high-scoring affair. That plays the idea Hill will get plenty of chances.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Last-Minute Fantasy Football Streaming RBs With Jonathan Taylor 'Likely' to Miss Time.
