Kareem Hunt is now officially on the Kansas City Chiefs‘ 53-man roster after being elevated from the team’s practice squad ahead of Week 4.
Last week, fantasy football managers rushed to waivers when Hunt was signed to the practice squad, but he was ultimately not elevated for the game against the Atlanta Falcons.
However, that has now changed, with Hunt on Kansas City’s roster and Keaontay Ingram cut to make room for him.
Let’s examine the shape of the Chiefs’ backfield to see whether Hunt is someone that fantasy managers should look to add on the Week 4 waiver wire.
Should Kareem Hunt Be a Waiver Wire Target in Week 4?
The short and simple answer regarding Hunt is yes, he should be a target this week for fantasy managers. There is a chance that Hunt could be the lead back for Kansas City in the next few weeks, and that opportunity presents value regardless of whether you feel Hunt is a valuable NFL back.
It was always going to be tough for Hunt to play any meaningful role in Week 3. He was at practice on Wednesday, and while he is familiar with the scheme, it has been over five years since he last wore a Chiefs uniform. Therefore, having him spend a week on the practice squad makes a lot of sense.
The professionally shot video of Kareem Hunt #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/rKIW2jkfpL
— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) September 18, 2024
The role he could play this week is tough to judge. There was genuine excitement around Ingram last week, and he did not have a single touch or even play a snap on offense. Ingram’s role was to play five special teams snaps and be an emergency option at RB.
Carson Steele was on the field for 46 snaps and Samaje Perine for 26.
Steele ran 22 routes on 23 passing snaps and also saw 23 rushing snaps, carrying the ball 17 times. Perine ran 14 routes on 19 snaps and had six carries on seven rushing snaps.
Both running backs averaged 4.2 yards per rush attempt, with Steele adding two yards on one reception and Perine mustering 15 yards on three catches. Steele was clearly the number one option in the backfield, but despite running more routes, he was only targeted twice, while Perine was targeted on 30% of his routes.
There is a potential opportunity here for Hunt. Steele and Perine did well without being fantastic. However, Hunt has struggled in the past two seasons.
Playing for the Browns, he averaged 3.8 yards per attempt in 2022 and 3.0 yards per attempt in 2023. He also recorded career lows in average yards per reception at 6.0 and 5.6, respectively.
The biggest culprit has been his ability to break tackles and make yards after contact. Between 2018 and 2021, he broke a tackle every 11 rushing attempts or fewer in each season. In the last two years, those numbers were 20.5 and 67.5, respectively.
Accordingly, his yards after contact per attempt dropped to 1.9 in 2022 and 1.3 in 2023.
MORE: Simulate the Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor
Hunt’s opportunity could be short-lived. Isiah Pacheco could be back by mid-season and would slot straight back into that top role. There is also Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who is eligible to return after this week and would likely eat into any opportunities Hunt might have, assuming Hunt is not the player cut to make room for him.
Ultimately, Hunt is someone you should absolutely target on waivers this week if you need an RB, and we nearly all do. He should not be at the top of the list, with the likes of Braelon Allen, Bucky Irving, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Tyler Badie all intriguing options with more upside that might be available in leagues.
However, you would be remiss not to at least put in a low waiver offer, just as an insurance policy, in case Hunt gets significant snaps going forward.