Trey Sermon, Top Fantasy Waiver-Wire RBs After Jonathan Taylor's Ankle Injury
Jonathan Taylor fantasy owners should start checking the waiver-wire.
The Indianapolis Colts running back was ruled out for Week 5 with an ankle injury on Friday. He suffered a high ankle sprain during Indianapolis' Week 4 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers and that will keep him out for at least one game.
Taylor has downplayed the severity of the issue and sitting him out may just be for keeping his long-term availability in mind. However, fantasy owners may need to dive beyond their benches for a replacement, and finding a diamond in the rough will be essential for success.
Here are a few options to target on the waiver wire.
Trey Sermon
When a starter goes down, turning to the backup is always a solid option.
Trey Sermon will fill in as the feature back for the Colts in Taylor's absence and will hope to break out with the opportunity.
He has nine carries for 24 yards and a touchdown in 2024 and has just 370 career rushing yards in four seasons. However, he has only made two career starts and could use Taylor's absence as a springboard for future chances in the NFL.
As things stand, he's owned in just 33.3 percent of fantasy leagues, according to FantasyPros.
With quarterback Anthony Richardson still questionable for the matchup, Indianapolis may have to focus heavily on the rushing attack in the matchup against Jacksonville. The Jaguars have allowed 429 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 2024 and Sermon will hope to add to those totals.
Tank Bigsby
The Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled thus far in 2024 and may need to make some changes to fix the bad momentum.
That's where Tank Bigsby could enter the picture. The running back has logged 172 yards on 21 carries thus far in 2024 and is averaging a whopping 8.2 yards per attempt.
This is a significant improvement from his 2023 production and the second-year back has nearly matched the statistics of starter Travis Etienne Jr, who has received more than double the carries of Bigsby.
Considering Bigsby is owned in 15.3 percent of leagues, he should be a priority add.
If Jacksonville wants to finally capture a victory in Week 5, it may turn to Bigsby to carry some more of the offensive load. If that's the case, he could see a strong week and be a great replacement for Taylor.
Alexander Mattison
The Las Vegas Raiders offense is in a difficult spot with Davante Adams but that may just signal more reliance on the rushing attack.
That's where Alexander Mattison, owned in 34.6 percent of leagues, could come in and make a large impact.
The 26-year-old has 17 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns thus far in 2024. He sits behind Zamir White on the depth chart, but White's questionable status could result in Mattison carrying a bigger share of the backfield workload.
Ty Chandler
The Minnesota Vikings have relied heavily on Aaron Jones thus far in 2024 but the New York Jets defense may force the team to get a little more creative on the ground.
Chandler has 28 rushes for 117 yards in 2024 while also adding four catches for 33 yards in the passing attack. This comes after a solid 2023 campaign as the secondary back and he could be due for a breakout game in London.
The Vikings have started the season 4-0 and are facing a Jets team that is desperate to get above .500. Chandler could be a sneaky weapon for Sam Darnold and the Vikings offense and may be worth throwing a roster spot to.