RB Chris Carson - Seattle Seahawks

6-0, 218

Born: 9-16-1994

College: Oklahoma State

Drafted: Round 7, pick 2017

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Photo: Joe Nicholson, US Presswire

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News you need to know

From the upgrade/downgrade report (Tue Dec 3): Carson had a concussion scare and is now in a full RBBC with Rashaad Penny but his energy and the quality of the Seattle running game are going to keep him in the strong RB2 range for the fantasy playoffs anyway.

General News (Tue Dec 3): played 39 snaps versus 35 for Rashaad Penny in Week 13 against the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 12 versus the Philadelphia Eagles, Carson logged 31 snaps and Penny finished with 30.

Week 14: at Los Angeles Rams

All RB vs LAR

FBG says: Tough matchup. It is looking increasingly likely that the days of Chris Carson as Seattle's bell-cow running back may be a thing of the past after recent issues with ball security along with Rashaad Penny's emergence as a viable running back finally late in year two. Carson's workload was one of the heaviest in the league earlier in the season, bearing the brunt of the work in Seattle's run-heavy offense that ranks third in total rushing attempts this season. Even after another 20-carry day against Minnesota on Monday night in Week 13, the underlying numbers are worrying for Chris Carson down the stretch, as he played approximately 50-percent of offensive snaps for the second consecutive weeks after his fumbling issues resurfaced in recent weeks. Rashaad Penny has registered his two highest-usage games of the season over the last two games, with 14 carries for 129 yards and a score against Philadelphia's stout run defense in Week 12, followed up by 15 carries for 74 yards and 1 score in Week 13 against Minnesota in Week 13. Penny has played nearly 50-percent of snaps in each of the two games, and his efficiency on the ground (5.7 yards per carry as opposed to Carson's 4.2 yards per carry this season) and ball security may lead to an increased role down the stretch this season. Overall, in a run-heavy offense like Seattle's may be able to support multiple viable fantasy producers, but Carson's value to close the season diminishes greatly as Rashaad Penny, the team's 2018 1st-round draft pick, eats into his playing time. The Los Angeles Rams' defense has faced the sixth-most rush attempts in the NFL this season, and while that volume may lead to high raw rushing totals, their efficiency numbers rank amongst the league's best. The Rams have allowed just 3.7 yards per carry through 12 games this season, the 3rd-best mark in the NFL, and their defensive personnel matches this top-end ranking as well. Los Angeles fields one of the NFL's most talented defenses against both the run and the pass, and their strength starts up front in the trenches. Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers grade as two of the NFL's best interior defensive linemen against the run, and they do an exceptional job clogging up rushing lanes in the middle. Then, at linebacker, Cory Littleton's tackling is much-improved this season, as he has struggled in run-support in recent years. Through 12 games, Littleton has missed just 1 tackle while registering 57 total tackles, good for 21st in the NFL. Then, in the secondary, Eric Weddle and Jalen Ramsey are both willing run-supporters, helping round out one of the NFL's best defenses against the ground game. This matchup between NFC West foes is shaping up to be one of the season's best battles in the trenches, as the Seahawks will likely attempt to run the ball early and often against the Rams' strong run-stopping defensive front.

Recent Stats and Projections

WEEK	OPP		oSNAP	RSH	YD	TD	TARG	REC	YD	TD	FumL	Pts
10	at SF		71	25	89	1	4	3.0	12	0	0	15.1
12	at PHI		35	8	26	0	4	4.0	31	0	0	4.7
13	vs MIN		39	23	102	1	2	1.0	7	0	0	16.9
14	at LAR	PROJ-Dodds	*	14	*	*		2.2	*	*	*	*
14	at LAR	PROJ-Tremblay	*	14	*	*		1.9	*	*	*	*
14	at LAR	PROJ-Bloom	*	16	*	*		2.0	*	*	*	*

Weekly Performance vs RB 1, RB 12, RB 24, RB 36

Percentile ranks

Chris Carson's percentile rank in each category, among RB with more than 50 fantasy points.

Recent Game Summaries

2019 Week 13 vs MIN (23 / 102 / 1 rush, 2 / 1 / 7 / 0 rec)

Though you wouldn't know it from his final stat line, but from the start, Carson fully shared the snaps with Rashaad Penny. Carson briefly left the field after a blow to the head, but returned without missing a beat, scoring a short yardage TD (on his second try). Seahawks blockers had a great day, which was good news for Carson up the middle, as he ran with both patience and an excellent power-speed combo, when the play dictated it. On his biggest run, a huge hole opened up for him and brought him around 25 yards, down at the 5 yard line. In the final minutes with the Seahawks holding a narrow lead, both Carson and Penny were successful in moving the chains and run the clock down.

2019 Week 12 vs PHI (8 / 26 / 0 rush, 4 / 4 / 31 / 0 rec)

Carson's game was merely forgettable at first, as he made minimal gains on the ground. This opened the door to Rashaad Penny, who had a great game running the ball. Carson did make a couple of nice catch and run plays in succession, to convert a 1st and 20 into a first down in two plays, but then offset his gains with two fumbles in two consecutive plays (did not lose the first, but lost the second one, in which he was not expecting the handoff at all). Fumbles were a problem for him earlier this season, and with Penny running well, this could easily change how the backfield carries are shared going forward.

2019 Week 10 vs SF (25 / 89 / 1 rush, 4 / 3 / 12 / 0 rec)

Carson got stronger as the game went on, after a very rough beginning in which he seemingly couldn't get anywhere against an incredibly stout defense. After the forgettable first half, the Seahawks changed things up a little, getting Carson the ball as a receiver, and calling more outside runs, both of which seemed to spark him. The bad news is that Carson coughed up yet another fumble; good news is that he did not lose this one. Late in the third quarter, he set up his own short yardage score, as he nearly got over the goal line with an acrobatic run that ultimately was downed inside the 1-yard line. On the ensuing play, he simply powered through for the score; painting quite a different picture than the unsuccessful runs up the middle in the first half. Carson out-carried Rashaad Penny 28-2. In overtime, Carson was hitting the hole HARD, showing great power up the middle, and also looked impressive on a second effort to convert a short yardage first down.

2019 Week 9 vs TB (16 / 105 / 0 rush, 2 / 2 / 28 / 0 rec)

Carson had a good game, but ... one that comes with a couple of "but's". He started out looking good on a screen play for first down, then on one play, making a cutback-spin move-broken tackle in quick succession for a short gain instead of being tackled for a loss. The But's in question are that he fumbled twice - losing neither, luckily - and did not score. Much of his yardage came on one big run, early in the second half, in which he broke three tackles en route to a 59-yard gain, but (yes, another one) he didn't have the breakaway speed to go all the way. The other but, is that Carson was stopped on a goal line carry, which has been a recurring theme lately. In OT, he made an acrobatic short catch with Wilson throwing on the run. And then again, he was stopped for a loss on a run inside the 10.

2019 Week 8 vs ATL (20 / 90 / 1 rush, 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 rec)

Let's just get this out of the way: Carson easily could have had a day with multiple TDs, if the red zone play calling had favored him. Throughout the first half, on all but the obvious short yardage plays, he had huge holes to run through. Even with the Seahawks starting Center going down early in the game, Carson still found plenty of room up the middle, including on his red zone carries. Ah, but the story of the red zone. Carson brought the ball to the 4-yard line, only to lose the TD opportunity to a passing play call. Next time up, Rashaad Penny carried a couple of times to get the ball to the one-yard line, and Carson scored on a counter play, cutting back and beating two defenders with his speed, to the right corner. A third time, Carson ran the ball from the 7-yard line to the 2-yard line, only to once again see a passing play (and score) called. As usual, not many of his plays stand out as highlights, but overall it was a good day for Carson. He showed great initial burst, read his blocks well, and shed tacklers when he had any open space (which was rare). Carson's only blemish was a drop of a short pass to the flat area, early in the game.

2019 Week 7 vs BAL (21 / 65 / 0 rush, 5 / 3 / 9 / 0 rec)

Carson saw the ball early and often, but really got nowhere throughout the game. On a few occasions, he hit the line of scrimmage fast enough to find a hole, but most carries, he did not. He also had a lot of trouble when attempting to get outside. He looked good in open space, on a reception in which he leapt over a defender for a short gain. 99% of the time, the Ravens defense just had his number. Credit the strong running game overall for the fact that he came away with the positive yardage that he did.

2019 Week 6 vs CLE (24 / 124 / 1 rush, 4 / 4 / 35 / 0 rec)

Carson played a well-rounded game, both as a runner and receiver. He looked great in the early going, taking a short reception over the middle that surprised the defense as they closed in, by cutting outside to get first down yardage. His big plays were from similar vision and moves. He saw the field well, and though Carson also showed he can pound the ball in short yardage, it was his ability to read and react to his blockers that got him most of his yards in this game. On more than one play he evaded what looked like an obvious no gain, by waiting a split second for a hole to develop, which opened up big gains for him. Carson seems to be playing at the top of his game right now, with game plan, confidence, and opportunity all aligning for him.

2019 Week 5 vs LAR (27 / 118 / 0 rush, 2 / 1 / 5 / 1 rec)

Without any truly long carries, Carson had a very effective game on the ground, pounding the ball for 4.4 yards per carry. Carson was not used much in the passing game until the final drive of the game, in which he first bobbled a 5 yard pass into the end zone, but managed to corral the ball for the game winning TD. His best runs were in the second half -- which seems to be a trend - as he turned a broken left run into a first down and more on the right side, and a little later showed off his agility working through a crowd up the middle, going untouched for a 10 yard first down. Most impressive is that he is showing a maturity in his running style, reading blocks well and staying patient when necessary, without losing his power game.

2019 Week 4 vs ARI (22 / 104 / 0 rush, 4 / 4 / 41 / 0 rec)

It's safe to say that Carson fully redeemed himself for his fumble problems over the first three games. He had a great game all around - by the numbers and on the field. He proved to be not only reliable holding on to the ball, but showed both power and speed, while catching several passes out of the backfield and finding/making room to run. Carson played almost the full first half, including for the two-minute drill, as the Seahawks clearly were committed to giving him the ball. Unfortunately, he was spelled twice by CJ Prosise - both times in the red zone. This felt like coincidence, but it's hard to tell, since Prosise is typically their best pass catching back. For what it's worth: Without Carson, the drive stalled and they had to settle for a field goal. With him, the momentum was palpable, and it seemed inevitable they would end up with a major. There were several individual plays worth mentioning - a nice spin move that got him outside for the first down; his vision helping him to get the short yardage first down; and most impressive was a reception in the fourth quarter that was essentially a dump pass. Carson was draped in coverage but broke the tackle, beat two defenders with his speed, and powered through a fourth Cardinal for a first down. He kept running hard til the end, and in fact did find the end zone on a short play that had him cutting all the way to the outside to make it in, but it was called back on a penalty. A few plays later, Prosise vulture a score. Even with Rashaad Penny coming back next week, Carson clearly has the trust of his coaches and should continue to get the bulk of the carries.

2019 Week 3 vs NO (15 / 53 / 0 rush, 1 / 1 / -2 / 0 rec)

Carson was boxed in for the first part of the game; the Saints were giving up nothing on the ground. Carson had just gotten going with a breakthrough 7th carry for a big gain, and then repeated the feat only to fumble at the end of the play, which was returned for a touchdown. After that play, Carson did not see the field much, whether because the Seahawks were playing from behind, or because he was in the doghouse, was hard to tell. Likely a combination of the two. This was Carson's third costly fumble in two games. If you're counting. Another not-so-good sign: when he did return after the fumble play, Carson failed to convert consecutive 1-yard third AND fourth down plays up the middle.

2019 Week 2 vs PIT (15 / 60 / 0 rush, 3 / 3 / 27 / 0 rec)

Carson had a hard luck game, with two costly fumbles deep in his own territory. If you take those gaffes away, he looked good on the ground and also contributed as a receiver - even lining up wide for a hitch play. He seemed to be seeing the field well, but the Steelers did a formidable job of clogging the middle of the field. When the blocking was there, however, he took advantage. On his third carry, he followed the left tackle, who was pull blocking on a right side run, for a 24-yard gain. And so it went. Carson was either stuffed at the line, or put up a big gain, there wasn't much in between. After his second fumble, he was not on the field for the final drive as the Seahawks held their lead. Probably nothing to worry about, but if the fumbles continue to be a problem, then Rashaad Penny, who played well, would be in line to take more of the workload.

2019 Week 1 vs CIN (15 / 46 / 1 rush, 7 / 6 / 34 / 1 rec)

Carson's game was a real mixed bag. On one hand, there was no consistency in the ground game, which is evident by the final numbers. But... there were times when Carson looked almost unstoppable. He showed his speed on a jet sweep in the first half, catching the Bengals off guard and picking up ten yards before they could blink. He also proved to be an important passing outlet, which was not a part of his resume last season. A couple of highlight worthy plays include both TDs, first powering through easily and untouched on a goal line carry; then he showed his speed yet again, as he caught a short pass and not only eluded the defense, but simply bounced off a defender to keep running for the score. In the second half. Perhaps his best play was a short third down conversion late in the game. Carson expertly found the hole on a short yardage play, broke loose for a few more yards, and THEN, dragged a defender at least another five yards, ending with his longest run, just over 20 yards. One blemish is the fumble he committed in the second half, which dashed what little bit of momentum the Seahawks had mustered.

Latest News

Seahawks | Near-even split again among Seattle RBs (Tue Dec 3, 03:44 PM) - Seattle Seahawks RBs Chris Carson played 39 snaps versus 35 for Rashaad Penny in Week 13 against the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 12 versus the Philadelphia Eagles, Carson logged 31 snaps and Penny finished with 30.

Our View: Carson has RB1 value for Fantasy GMs even with this split. Penny has flex appeal with RB1/RB2 upside in this split as well.
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Seahawks | Chris Carson hits the century mark (Tue Dec 3, 12:21 AM) - Seattle Seahawks RB Chris Carson rushed 23 times for 102 yards and a touchdown in the Week 13 game against the Minnesota Vikings and he had a seven-yard grab.

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Seahawks | Chris Carson still the lead back? (Fri Nov 29, 11:28 PM) - Seattle Seahawks RB Chris Carson is still going to the lead the backfield rotation despite his fumbling issues, according to offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. 'Chris is our guy,' Schottenheimer said.

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Seahawks | Rashaad Penny ready to be relevant? (Mon Nov 25, 01:26 PM) - Seattle Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny has apparently worked his way back into the good graces of head coach Pete Carroll, who told reporters Monday, Nov. 25, there is 'no reason not to get (Penny) back in there' after he ran for 129 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in Week 12 against the Philadelphia Eagles.'Chris (Carson) is a guy who is a big part of our team and we'll do everything we can (for him). ... Competition is a beautiful thing and no reason not to get (Penny) back in there next week. We'll get those guys hammering away,' Carroll said.

Our View: Penny could be quite fantasy relevant as the fantasy playoffs are about underway. He's out there on a lot of waiver wires so pick him up and stash him to see if this role behind Carson continues to produce fantasy points.
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Seahawks | Chris Carson struggles in Philly (Sun Nov 24, 09:28 PM) - Seattle Seahawks RB Chris Carson rushed eight times for 26 yards in Week 12 against the Philadelphia Eagles and he added three grabs for 31 yards on four targets.

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