Jamaal Charles Injury: Waiver Wire Pickups That Will Help Ease the Pain

Before we go any further, let's acknowledge that we don't know yet just how badly Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is hurt.

That being said, those who saw Charles get hurt in Detroit earlier this afternoon can tell you it didn't look good. Charles landed awkwardly on his left leg after going out of bounds, and ultimately had to be carted off the field.

So despite the fact nothing is official yet, we can probably expect Charles to be out for a long a while.

With Charles out, the Chiefs are going to have to make do with what they have. Fantasy owners, on the other hand, are going to have to go out on the waiver wire and find players that can pick up the slack for Charles.

Here are five running backs that might help out in that regard.

Update: According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Charles is likely lost for the year after suffering a torn ACL. 

5. John Kuhn, Green Bay Packers

Unlike Charles, Green Bay fullback John Kuhn is not going to rack up many yards. The Packers have other guys who can do that. Lots of them, as a matter of fact.

The one thing Kuhn will do, however, is get in the end zone. He had a goal-line touchdown in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, and he had another on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

So at this rate, Kuhn is on pace for 16 rushing touchdowns.

That would be sweet if he got that many, but he probably won't. That said, I do think we're looking at a guy who has a chance to notch 10 rushing touchdowns. The Packers are going to be on the goal line a lot, and it looks like they're more than comfortable letting Kuhn handle goal-line carries.

4. Isaac Redman, Pittsburgh Steelers

There's no questioning that Rashard Mendenhall is the man in Pittsburgh's backfield.

At least, there shouldn't be, anyway. It's kinda hard not to now after seeing the way the Steelers distributed carries against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Mendenhall got 19 carries, with which he gained 66 yards and scored a touchdown. Isaac Redman, a third-year guy out of Bowie State, carried the ball 10 times for 49 yards and a touchdown.

Are the Steelers thinking about adopting a running back by committee approach? To be honest, I doubt it.

But with Charles out of your lineup, it's worth it to take your chances on Redman.

3. Delone Carter, Indianapolis Colts

It's only been two games, but I think we've established that the Colts are not going to be a fantasy hotspot this season. In fact, they're probably only going to be a hotspot for Andrew Luck talk.

This being said, the Colts may just have something with rookie running back Delone Carter. He only carried the ball seven times for 25 yards in Week 1, but he gained 46 yards on 11 carries against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2.

Modest numbers, to be sure. But I think you have to look at this as a progression thing. As the Colts get more and more confident in Carter, he should get more and more carries.

Yes, Joseph Addai is still the team's workhorse. But I think you and I both know all about his durability issues.

2. Dexter McCluster, Kansas City Chiefs

As long as Charles is out, the Chiefs are going to rely on McCluster to pick up a lot of the slack.

Following suit would be a good idea. Many of Charles' touches are going to go to McCluster, and he has the goods to make something of them.

Take what happened today for example. McCluster carried the ball eight times for a team-high 51 yards, and he also had four receptions. He gained minus-one yard and lost a fumble with those receptions, but that means he can only improve going forward.

In a way, McCluster is going to be a poor man's Charles. He won't get that many touches, but the yards will be there.

1. Roy Helu, Washington Redskins

I was trumpeting Helu before the start of the season, so I was very disappointed when he got just a single carry against the New York Giants in Week 1.

But Mike Shanahan called his rookie's number much more in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals. Helu finished the game with 10 carries for 74 yards and three catches for 38 yards. A pretty significant improvement, I would say.

Unless he gets hurt, it's hard to see Helu supplanting Tim Hightower as Washington's top running back. But it looks like Shanahan is committed to getting him touches, so there will at least be consistent work for Helu.