Jamaal Charles' Updated 2014 Fantasy Outlook Heading into Week 5

The Kansas City Chiefs got their season back on track after Monday night's blowout of the New England Patriots, and superstar running back Jamaal Charles led the way with three total touchdowns.

Charles has begun splitting time with a more powerful young ball-carrier in Knile Davis, but the former's resurgence keeps Charles' status as an RB1 intact entering Week 5.

While the rest of the year looks promising for Charles in light of his 2014 coming-out party on Monday Night Football, this Sunday offers a stiff road test against the San Francisco 49ers, the NFL's No. 2 rush defense.

But even a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 2 couldn't keep Charles from garnering AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors just two games later, facing a stout Pats defense. The Chiefs' official Twitter account outlined Charles' exceptional Week 4 numbers:

"Coach said he was going to look for me, and see how it feels during the game," said Charles after the game, per the Associated Press (via KCChiefs.com). "And I guess I started feeling like myself. He didn't want to take me out."

Kansas City coach Andy Reid has relied on running backs throughout his coaching career to catch passes out of the backfield.

Just look at how Reid used LeSean McCoy (caught 78 passes in 2010) and Brian Westbrook (as many as 90 receptions in 2007) in Philadelphia, along with Charles' own 70 receptions on 104 targets in 2013.

Quarterback Alex Smith is often labeled a game manager for good reason—he makes quick, smart decisions that involve short passes in the Chiefs' West Coast offense. That includes targeting Charles often when he's mismatched with linebackers.

The 49ers are still without their top cover linebacker in NaVorro Bowman. Even athletic Patriots playmaker Jerod Mayo couldn't hang with Charles when the electric back burned him on an option route for an eight-yard TD reception on Monday.

In PPR leagues especially, the tough matchup shouldn't discourage owners from starting Charles. Bear in mind that two of his three Week 4 receptions went to paydirt from close range. His low-yardage total as a pass-catcher isn't a red flag or necessarily a sign of things to come.

The NFL is a bottom-line business, as is the case with fantasy football.

Those who've put their faith in Charles know how well he has fared over the past one-plus seasons when the final numbers are compiled, per the NFL on ESPN:

Charles led all running backs in ESPN.com standard leagues with 28 points in Week 4, so anything near that type of production would appease his fantasy owners for sure.

Another encouraging sign for those who have Charles on their fantasy squads and thus expect a lot from him is that he practiced on a limited basis Wednesday, per Adam Teicher of ESPN:

If Charles is feeling spry enough to practice to start the week, he should build on his best fantasy performance of the young year.

San Francisco has no one who can match up with Charles in the open field, and Davis is the perfect complement to pound away between the tackles against the Niners' still-formidable front seven.

It also helps that Smith is playing his former team and will want to prove himself by guiding the Chiefs to a victory. The best way to do that is to play to his strengths, limit mistakes and get the ball in his playmakers' hands.

With how well he was executing Monday, how thin the Niners are at cornerback and his familiarity with the opponent's defense, Smith should have another productive week. He will at least keep San Francisco honest enough to open up some room for Charles to roam, which can lead to a touchdown from anywhere on the field given his explosiveness.

Any lingering injury concerns can be put to rest soon too.

K.C. has a Week 6 bye, affording Charles an ideal time to rest up and get into gear for the rest of the 2014 campaign. With that excellent timing to fully recuperate, Charles will be among the NFL's elite ball-carriers from now on after starting slow out of the gates.

Week 5 Projected Stats: 15 carries, 85 yards, TD; 5 receptions, 40 yards, TD