Rob Kelley, Chris Thompson Fantasy Outlook After Week 9

Washington Redskins running backs collectively ran for 51 yards in Washington's 17-14 win over the Seattle Seahawks, but fantasy football owners who started Rob Kelley likely weren't disappointed in Week 9.  

The same couldn't be said of owners who were counting on Chris Thompson, who carried the ball just four times in the victory.

With Washington facing off with the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10, Thompson's and Kelley's respective fantasy values may take a short-term hit.

Rob Kelley

Kelley's value is tied largely to whether he's scoring touchdowns. On Sunday, that's exactly what he did. He only ran for 18 yards on 14 carries, but he reached the end zone on two occasions.

Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan wasn't sold on what he saw from Kelley:

Barring an injury to Thompson, there's little reason to view Kelley as much more than an emergency starter or streaming option. He entered Sunday having run for 166 yards and a touchdown this season, and his 3.8 yards per carry ranked 33rd among qualified players.

While he has averaged a little under 10 carries in his six appearances this season, Kelley's running style doesn't lend itself to the kind of big runs that could otherwise raise his fantasy ceiling.

Touchdown vultures don't have much of a role in fantasy football beyond being a source of frustration for countless owners.

Chris Thompson

Westwood One's John Stolnis summed up Sunday for many fantasy owners:

Thompson's usage was somewhat confounding. He had just the four carries for 20 rushing yards and caught four passes for 11 yards on six receiving targets. His 10 total touches are his fewest since Washington's Week 4 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Washington struggled to establish the passing game, with Kirk Cousins finishing 21-of-31 for 247 yards and zero touchdowns. Because of that, panicking about Thompson's stats would be ill-advised.

Benching Thompson in Week 10 may be the best approach, though. Prior to their Week 9 bye, the Vikings ranked fourth in run defense DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), according to Football Outsiders. Minnesota is also third in yards per carry allowed (3.5).

While much of Thompson's fantasy potential derives from his role in Washington's passing game, the Vikings' record against the run should be enough to give fantasy owners pause about keeping him in the lineup.