Jamaal Charles Injury: What Are Fantasy Owners Best Options Without RB?

Kansas City Chiefs running back and perennial fantasy football must-start Jamaal Charles went down with a left knee injury in the first quarter of today's game against the Detroit Lions, and was carted off the field.

This is devastating not only to the Kansas City offense, but also for Charles' fantasy owners who are relying on the back to drive their entire team this season (myself included).

At this point in the season, finding an adequate replacement for an every-week starting running back is very difficult, but it can be done with some savvy waiver wire and trade maneuvers.

Every week, another running back emerges as a talent who will carry his team as the season moves on. Other players get hurt, and a backup steps up and performs well.

Staying within the Chiefs, hybrid running back/wide receiver Dexter McCluster is a great option to replace Charles. Not only can he fill in on running back for your team, but you can move him around based on your needs week-to-week.

Already today, he has picked up some of the load that Charles has vacated, and with his speed and versatility, should see that increase every week that Charles is out. He had some hands issues today, but with improvement will at least fill in for Charles' production.

Thomas Jones is also available in 66 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but expect that number to decrease drastically, with a run on the back imminent.

Another waiver-wire grab is Indianapolis Colts back Delone Carter. Carter's role with the team is also guaranteed to increase as the season progresses, and he's looked good so far today and may get the start as the season wears on. With him, you'd have to be patient, but it looks like it should pay off.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart, still available in most 10-team leagues, is also a decent option. While he gets most of his value as a touchdown vulture, the impressive performances by Carolina quarterback Cam Newton means that they will likely do more running this year.

Successful passing sets off the run game, and Stewart will benefit from the leads that Newton can build this season (as long as their defense can maintain them, which is a real concern for the team).

If you sat Texans running back Ben Tate this week, you might be in luck next week, considering Arian Foster appears to have re-injured his hamstring against the Miami Dolphins. With enough good weeks, and more missed time for Foster, Tate could even eclipse last year's rushing leader in the starting position.

If all else fails, you can certainly put together a trade if you've bench players you're willing to part with, or you can examine the waiver wire for matchup running backs, which has a high level of risk but is worth it if you're willing to put in more time examining stats.

Either way, replacing Charles is difficult, but not impossible. Options are out there, but they will require proper research, foresight, and a bit of patience.