Injuries continue to wreak havoc across the NFL and fantasy football. The list of top players sidelined is far longer than it should be after just two weeks.
Following news that the Kansas City Chiefs will be without RB1 Isiah Pacheco for roughly 6-8 weeks, Tom Pelissero reported the team is bringing in Kareem Hunt for a visit. On Tuesday, it was further reported that Hunt is being signed to the Chiefs’ practice squad.
Should fantasy managers proactively add the once and perhaps future Chiefs RB off the waiver wire?
Should Kareem Hunt Be Added on the Fantasy Waiver Wire in Week 3
Let me preface this by saying there’s a reason Hunt didn’t have a job before now. Just like there was a reason Leonard Fournette didn’t have a job to start last year. Before them, there was Le’Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman, and a whole host of other once-great running backs who were no longer great, to put it kindly.
When each of those backs was signed, I was among the first ones to Tweet to tell everyone to ignore it. Naturally, you’d think this is a segue into me saying the same thing about Hunt.
Well…not quite.
When we last saw Hunt, it wasn’t pretty. The once-explosive back looked like he had little left. In 2023, he averaged 3.0 yards per carry on 135 attempts with the Cleveland Browns.
Hunt also struggled as a receiver, registering a career-low 71.4% catch rate. He averaged a paltry 3.3 yards per touch and had a mere two carries for 15+ yards all season. His evaded tackles per touch rate and yards created per touch rate were both outside the top 50.
My pushback against adding his predecessors was a combination of price and situation. They weren’t walking into a completely barren backfield.
Hunt is probably done. But this is a Patrick Mahomes offense we’re talking about. The Chiefs’ top two running backs are currently UDFA fullback Carson Steele and 29-year-old journeyman satellite back Samaje Perine.
Reunion? The #Chiefs are bringing in RB Kareem Hunt for a visit on Tuesday, per sources. pic.twitter.com/HQuoGOa0eT
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 16, 2024
Here is what I know: I have zero interest in Steele or Perine in fantasy. Steele will probably be the goal-line back, but he will be a complete nothing in fantasy if he doesn’t score. I’m talking about stat lines of something like 10 carries for 40 yards. If he catches a single pass all season, I’d be surprised.
Then there’s Perine. Supposedly the passing down back, he played all of eight snaps in Week 2. That was a week after playing nine snaps in his debut. Perine’s next carry will be his first of 2024. I am supremely confident that neither Steele nor Perine will be worth starting in fantasy.
MORE: Kyle Soppe’s Week 3 Start/Sit Advice for Every Fantasy-Relevant Player
There are a lot more unknowns with Hunt. Although we’ve seen him do it before in this offense, that was a long time ago. At 29 years old, his tank may be close to empty.
With that said, Hunt still possesses more upside than anyone currently on Kansas City’s roster.
Please do not run out and drop a significant amount of FAAB on Hunt. Don’t go burning your top waiver priority if you play in a league that still uses the antiquated continual rolling list waiver system.
But if you can snag Hunt for a small percentage of FAAB and see what transpires, I don’t think it’s the worst idea.