The injury-plagued Seattle Seahawks backfield took another major hit Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens when rookie Thomas Rawls went down with what looked to be a serious injury.
Following the blowout 35-6 win, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll confirmed the biggest fears of both fantasy owners and fans of the two-time defending NFC champs.
Now that Rawls is lost for the season with a fractured ankle, DuJuan Harris will be Seattle's primary ball carrier until Marshawn Lynch is able to return from his abdomen injury. There is no timetable for Lynch's return.
From a micro perspective, it's hard not to feel bad for Rawls. Entering the season as an undrafted rookie free agent from Central Michigan, he was having himself an amazing year.
Prior to Sunday's action, Rawls was averaging 5.6 yards per attempt with four 100-yard games in the six outings where he was Seattle's primary ball carrier. With fears over ligament issues, it's unknown just how well Rawls will be able to perform once he does return from what promises to be a lengthy rehab.
From a fantasy perspective, Harris becomes a solid under-the-radar value play. A game coming up against a bad Cleveland Browns run defense magnifies this even further.