Jamaal Charles Remains Risky Fantasy Option in Week 4 Regardless of Health

Fantasy owners will have to wait a little longer before getting production out of Jamaal Charles.

The Pro Bowl running back was one of the first running backs selected in virtually every fantasy football draft this summer, but he has only managed 23 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards in a little more than one game before going down with a high ankle sprain.

He missed the squad's Week 3 matchup against the Miami Dolphins as Knile Davis filled in with 32 carries for 132 rushing yards and a touchdown.

On the plus side, Charles appears to be on track to return to action in Week 4. Head coach Andy Reid noted the running back will return to practice alongside a few other injured players, via Pete Sweeney of KCChiefs.com:

Of course, the player did take part in practice last week as well, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com:

It is encouraging to see him in practice, but it is no guarantee he will be able to return to actual games right away. This lack of guarantee could make him difficult to trust in a Monday night game when most fantasy owners are out of options.

However, Charles will be difficult to trust in fantasy lineups even if he is active.

An ankle injury is tough to overcome in a short period of time, meaning he will not be at full strength even with the extra day of rest. Considering how well Davis performed as a backup, Reid should have no problem keeping the backup on the field for an extended period of time to keep Charles fresh.

To make matters even worse, the production could be hard to come by in a limited amount of touches. Charles is only averaging 2.6 yards per carry this year, and none of the running backs are even at four yards per carry this season.

The problem is an offensive line that has lost plenty of talent from last season. Brandon Kiley of The Morning Blitz provided his thoughts on the unit:

Davis had a solid effort against the Dolphins, but that defense has allowed the fourth most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. Next week's game against the New England Patriots will be tougher with the squad allowing just 121 rushing yards and no rushing touchdowns over the last two weeks.

An injured player facing a relatively difficult matchup behind a poor offensive line with a backup trying to take over carries adds up to a poor fantasy outing for Charles. At the very least, he is worth waiting on to see if he can bounce back before trusting in your lineup.

Those who have the talented running back on their fantasy team should look for other options once again in Week 4.

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