Fantasy Football: Spencer Ware’s Fantasy Value

Kansas City Chiefs backup running back Spencer Ware turned in the best Fantasy Football performance of all running backs last week.  What is his value to your roster moving forward?

Fantasy Football is in full swing and the first big surprise of the season has already unfolded.  Kansas City Chiefs backup running back Spencer Ware stole the show in Week 1 as the top scoring Fantasy Football running back.  Ware torched the San Diego Chargers with 70 yards and a touchdown rushing on 11 carries, and 129 receiving yards.  However, there is now a question as to what his value is moving forward.

Spencer Ware is still the backup in Kansas City.  When Jamaal Charles returns to the field, it is a given that Ware’s workload will decrease substantially.  What isn’t known is whether or not he will still have some value to Fantasy Football owners.  Should league owners keep him on their rosters?  Is he a good play for Daily Fantasy Sites (DFS)?  Well, the answers to those questions do get a little complex.

What I can tell you for sure is that Spencer Ware should be a solid Fantasy Football play again this week.  ESPN’s Ed Werder is reporting that Jamaal Charles is expected to miss Sunday’s game against the Texans.

Fantasy Football League Value

If you are a Fantasy  Football league owner, then Spencer Ware is a good investment.  We still do not know exactly when Jamaal Charles will return, or if he will be at the same level he was.  Ware should be the top handcuff for Charles, and is likely to continue getting the starts in his absence.  However, Ware may be limited in his carries because Charcandrick West is back healthy now.

There may be further value for Spencer Ware though.  The Chiefs like to run the ball in short distance, and goal line situations.  Ware is a strong option in those situations, especially late in the game or at the end of a long drive.  His power running style is ideal to push into the endzone.  That makes him a “touchdown poacher”.

I’m keeping Spencer Ware on my Fantasy Football roster.  His value as a handcuff alone makes him worth the roster spot.  However, when we get deeper into the season and “Bye” weeks start creeping up, Ware could be a strong play to grab some points.  I wouldn’t risk him as just a starter in general, but if you have a Flex position, he could be a good fill there.

Fantasy Football DFS Value

Spencer Ware’s DFS value is substantially less though.  This will vary from week to week based on the health of Jamaal Charles, but I can’t really advocate making Ware a regular starter.  Simply put, he just isn’t going to get enough touches if Jamaal Charles is healthy.

However, keep Spencer Ware on your radar.  His value won’t skyrocket, so if Jamaal Charles does miss a game Ware will be a huge value play.  That can allow fantasy owners to add another top tier option to their DFS roster.  You can be sure that a lot of your competition will be doing the same.

Next: Fantasy Football: Top 15 Running Backs To Target In 2016

Spencer Ware may end up having huge Fantasy Football value moving forward.  In fact, it is not a stretch to think that he could be a starting running back in 2017.  However, sharing the backfield with Jamaal Charles and Charcandrick West in 2016 makes him a risky play.  Fantasy Football players should keep an eye on his week to week situation before committing to him.