Kansas City Chiefs - Fantasy News

Spencer Ware 2017 Fantasy Projections

by Tom Joyce

8/13/17

NFL

Kansas City Chiefs

Spencer Ware

Spencer Ware established himself as a top running back for a playoff team last year as a member of the 12-4 Kansas City Chiefs. He built off of the success he briefly enjoyed in 2015 and parlayed it into winning a starting job, and he proved the Chiefs made the right choice in sticking with him.

With another year of experience, the LSU product has the opportunity once again to show that he is one of the better running backs and more valuable fantasy options in the league, though there are some hurdles standing in his way.

Why Spencer Ware Will Be A 2017 Fantasy Football Stud

If he was fully healthy last year, Ware would have been a serious weapon. He ran the ball 214 times and picked up 921 yards in 14 games. As a receiver out of the backfield, he had 33 catches for 447 receiving yards. In a full season, he likely would have had over 1,000 rushing yards and over 500 receiving yards. While he may not be valued as a top-tier back heading into 2017, he has a great deal of potential for a strong upcoming campaign.

Plus, he is an efficient pass catcher. In his career, Ware has caught 39 passes and has an 81.3 percent catch rate. The Chiefs are a team that likes to play it safe with their pass game and efficient Alex Smith under center. Perhaps the 13-year veteran turns to Ware more often this year because of his ability to catch the ball.

Without Jeremy Maclin in their offense, the Chiefs might be more apt to run the ball even more. Their big addition over the course of the offseason at wide receiver was fourth-round NFL Draft pick Jehu Chesson. That is not ideal for a team that just lost a former Pro Bowler. Expect Ware to get plenty of carries in the new season.

Why Spencer Ware Will Be A 2017 Fantasy Football Bust

Ware has dealt with a few different injuries over the course of his career and still has not played a full NFL season despite making his pro debut in 2013.

Last year, a rib injury left him questionable for Week 17 after dealing with the same sort of problem late in the 2015 season. He also suffered a concussion that knocked him out of two games. If those issues linger, he is going to miss time once again, which will hurt his fantasy stock.

While Ware will be KC’s starting running back, he will be met with more resistance than he was last year. The team drafted Kareem Hunt in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft after he ran for 44 touchdowns and nearly 5,000 yards in his career at Toledo. It’s also worth noting that Charcandrick West lost 10 pounds over the offseason and could be more explosive because of it. He was limited to just 3.3 yards per carry last season but ran for 634 yards in 2015. If he is healthy and back to his old form, it could threaten the number of carries for Ware.