Jamaal Charles' Injury Will Propel Knile Davis to Short-Term Fantasy Stardom

It's a fluid situation that will change along with Jamaal Charles' health, but Kansas City Chiefs running back Knile Davis will be an impact fantasy standout in the immediate future until he proves otherwise.

The Chiefs' Week 2 affair against the Denver Broncos started with Charles hoping to bounce back from a poor season opener but ended with him nursing a high ankle sprain after just three offensive touches. In his place, Davis took off.

The former University of Arkansas rusher helped get the Chiefs back into the game with his 22 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns, taking it to a much-improved Broncos front seven and breaking through in the red zone.

Davis has hammered out an important role as the Chiefs' No. 2 back but figures to take over the starting job in the short term after Charles was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain—an injury that typically takes a few weeks to heal. While Davis' fantasy impact was tempered behind Charles, his potential absence will take the lid off of Davis' capabilities.

Or will it? 

Charles returned to practice against the odds Friday as a limited participant, but not lost among those in attendance—including Randy Covitz of The Kansas City Star—was how healthy he looked:

If Charles were to just run on the side and do some individual work, perhaps you could still bet on him missing Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins. But according to Covitz's practice report, Davis only took the initial first-team snap before Charles came on in replacement. 

Needless to say, that's disconcerting for fantasy owners who were hoping for a big weekend from Davis. But if head coach Andy Reid's comments to Covitz are any indication, Charles practicing in no way means he's cleared:

"

We’re going to see how he feels after this practice. He moved around and did a decent job. He looked a little sore, but he did OK. Jamaal wanted to try it (Wednesday), we limited him … and he did some work (Friday) with the ones, and he did some with the scout team, too.

We’ll evaluate how he feels, let the docs and trainers make a decision … we appreciate his effort. He came in and pushed through this thing, and we’ll make a decision after that.

"

That's the sound of a coach who knows he's walking a fine line. The Chiefs are desperate to bounce back from an 0-2 start, but the risk taken in Charles re-injuring himself this early into the season goes without saying.

Given the recent performances of their backup in relief of Charles, it shouldn't be a tough choice for the Chiefs to sit their star back, as Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport illustrated:

The 27-year-old Charles has been a workhorse both in terms of reliability and quick returns from injury, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him back in Week 3. But even if his high ankle sprain isn't severe, it's still a high ankle sprain. At best, he might be able to split carries with Davis if the Chiefs exercise caution.

With that said, nobody is low on the ability of Davis, and his strong 20-plus-carry performance with two scores against the AFC champions last weekend will make Chiefs coaches eager to give him more handoffs on Sunday.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Dolphins boast an above-average front seven, but they were gashed on the ground by the Buffalo Bills last weekend off split carries between C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson—who both had 12 touches out of the backfield. Perhaps if the Chiefs can split carries similarly Sunday, Davis will break free for a couple of long gains.

Before the season, when Charles was a top draft pick and before his injury-plagued start, Davis was still a fantasy-relevant back coming off a four-touchdown rookie season in which he tallied over 300 total yards. 

Heading into Week 3, with Charles coming off an invisible season-opening performance and an injury last weekend, the second-year back Davis should get even more praise—whether or not Charles is making a speedier recovery than usual.

Just because Charles is getting back to the field doesn't mean Davis will be worthless, either. With tough upcoming matchups against the New England Patriots and San Francisco Giants that Charles likely won't be 100 percent for, Davis will have plenty of opportunities to get his points.

Follow Steven Cook on Twitter for more breaking news, analysis and fantasy musings.