Emanuel Wilson is officially stepping into the RB1 role for our Hawks this Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lumen Field, with Zach Charbonnet unfortunately ruled out for the matchup. But let’s be real, 12s, Wilson’s got a mountain to climb, and the fantasy experts are already making some tough calls about our guy.
Our Guy Wilson’s Uphill Battle
Wilson has been grinding for us, averaging 18.3 carries and 64.7 rushing yards over his last three games, racking up a combined three touchdowns. Those are solid numbers, showing he can get it done when given the rock. But this week? This week is a whole different beast. Our Week 7 opponent, the Chiefs, are not messing around on defense. They are allowing the seventh-fewest rushing yards per game in the entire league, just 88.0. Yeah, you heard that right, 88.0.
That stingy D translates directly to fantasy struggles for opposing running backs, too. Kansas City is giving up the ninth-fewest PPR points and the fifth-fewest standard fantasy points to RBs this season. Need more proof? The last three running backs to face the Chiefs all had under 60 rushing yards, and not a single one of them found the end zone. Not one. Plus, the Chiefs are allowing the second fewest points per game in the NFL at a suffocating 16.6. It is a brick wall, plain and simple.
The Fantasy Call: Why It’s So Tough
When you look at the cold, hard numbers, it’s easy to see why the fantasy gurus are telling people to pump the brakes on Wilson for Week 7. The source breaks down the matchup by comparing him to Cleveland Browns RB Quinshon Judkins, who is returning from an ankle injury this week. Judkins had a rough Week 5 against the Jets, with just 44 yards on 14 rushes and 6 yards on three receptions, but he gets to face the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are giving up 122.5 rushing yards per game, tied for the 11th most in the NFL, and they are also allowing the 16th most standard and 18th most PPR fantasy points to opposing RBs. Two of the last three RB1s against Tennessee put up over 70 rushing yards and scored a touchdown. They have also allowed four touchdowns to opposing RBs this season, compared to the Chiefs’ three.
The final verdict from the fantasy pros is to sit Wilson and start Judkins. They say Judkins has a significantly better matchup, and since both RBs are heavily touchdown-dependent, Judkins has a better chance of finding the end zone. It is a tough pill to swallow when it is our guy, but the stats do not lie about the challenge facing Wilson.
So, while the experts are telling fantasy managers to bench our workhorse for this one, you know the 12s will be screaming their heads off for Emanuel Wilson to defy the odds and run all over that Chiefs defense under the Sunday night lights. Let’s see if he can make them eat their words.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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