Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 3: Who Is Best Jamaal Charles Replacement?

Now that Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is out for the season with a torn ACL, his fantasy owners need to find a replacement, and fast.

Even entering Week 3 of the season, the fantasy waiver wire for running backs is thinning out. But there still are a few options for those of you who are now facing a season without your star rusher.

Staying within the Chiefs, hybrid wide receiver/running back Dexter McCluster and running back Thomas Jones are the obvious choices, with McCluster having more value than Jones in PPR leagues.

The only concerns with grabbing either of these two is that they are not Charles, and they won't be able to equal his production, even as a tandem.

Further, the Chiefs are suffering from poor play on both sides of the ball. If the team continues to play from behind, quarterback Matt Cassel will have to continue to go to the air.

Keep this in mind before you jump to replace Charles with a member of his own team.

A good option may be Washington Redskins running back Roy Helu. After getting one touch in the team's first game against the New York Giants, he got the ball 10 times against the Arizona Cardinals, which seems the more likely figure for him going forward.

Starting Redskins back Tim Hightower had 20 carries in that game and a 1-to-2 ratio of carries for the tandem seem likely. Considering that those 10 carries (and three catches) netted Helu 112 yards (though no touchdowns), he may be an option for your roster.

Carolina Panthers back Jonathan Stewart could also assist your team. While the Panthers running game is suffering from a lack of production, there aren't real reasons for it. If the tandem of Stewart and DeAngelo Williams can get it together, Stewart will be a major fixture for the team, and thus yours, throughout the season.

Other options in most 10-team leagues include the Bills' C.J. Spiller, the Broncos' Willis McGahee, Green Bay's John Kuhn (another PPR asset), the Titans' Javon Ringer and, in deeper leagues, the Colts' Delone Carter.

All of these names have one thing in common: They're backups. That's the most difficult thing about losing a starting running back to injury—waiver-wire options are limited to backups, though ones who play a high number of snaps and thus ones who could get both significant yards for their team and points for yours.

If you can't orchestrate a trade with another GM in your league, you're going to have to grab one of these No. 2 backs off the waiver wire.

If there is a starting running back for some reason available on waivers in your league, by all means, take him first. But if not, the above running backs should be able to take some of the pressure off, even if none will likely match what Charles was slated to contribute this season.