Fantasy Waiver-Wire Options with Marshawn Lynch Reportedly Out Multiple Weeks

Fantasy owners who were leaning on Marshawn Lynch to hold down a spot in their virtual backfields were on the receiving end of harsh news Friday when NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Beast Mode is likely to miss "at least" a month with a groin injury. 

On top of that, Rapoport noted there is a "strong possibility" Lynch could land on injured reserve, meaning he would be sidelined a minimum of eight weeks and could miss the remainder of the season. 

Now, owners in a bind will be forced to scour the waiver wire for potential replacement options during a year when the running back position was already thin to begin with in fantasy. 

Naturally, the first place to start is with the Raiders considering Lynch's absence will open up a serious opportunity for a couple backs in the Bay Area. 

Prior to hitting the shelf, Lynch played 50.24 percent of Oakland's offensive snaps while third-down back Jalen Richard handled 36.06 percent and interior supplement Doug Martin logged a 13.46 percent share.

The question now is which one is worth rostering? 

Martin, who's owned in eight percent of Yahoo leagues, is almost sure to handle the goal-line duties and therefore receives a bump in standard scoring formats.

However, Richard (13 percent ownership) is unquestionably the higher ceiling play considering he's already averaging 8.2 yards per reception and stands to pick up some additional early-down work with Martin well past his days of shouldering a full workload. 

Outside of Oakland, owners can find value in Miami Dolphins running back Frank Gore. Despite being owned in just 26 percent of Yahoo leagues, the 35-year-old has been Miami's best rushing option to the tune of 4.9 yards a carry and 356 yards from scrimmage. 

Kenyan Drake, on the other hand, is averaging 4.0 yards per carry and has 355 yards from scrimmage even though he has caught 17 more passes. 

Elsewhere, owners should move quickly to add Nick Chubb (27 percent ownership), if possible, because he won't be available long after the Cleveland Browns traded Carlos Hyde to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

Accordingly, Chubb will slide in as Cleveland's starting running back after averaging a mind-bending 10.8 yards per carry on his first 16 professional rushes. 

If you can get him, Chubb could wind up being a league-winner thanks to his explosive, game-breaking upside. 

Ownership figures courtesy of Yahoo Sports.