Fantasy Fallout: Uncertainty with Rawls creates even more opportunity for Michael

Here are the fantasy implications following the news that the injury to Seattle Seahawks RB Thomas Rawls will keep the lead back out longer than expected:

While "a couple weeks" is vague, it's important to note that the Seahawks have a Week 5 bye this season. Rawls could conceivably be on track to return for Seattle's Week 6 game against the Falcons, missing just Week 4 at the Jets, which effectively gives him four weeks off since his last appearance.

In any case, Christine Michael now reigns unencumbered as the team's top running back, both by merit and default. In Weeks 1 and 2, when both Michael and Rawls were healthy enough to play, Michael played on 67.1 percent of the snaps on offense, while Rawls played on just 24.8 percent.

Given their usage (and Rawls' absence in Week 3), it's no surprise that Michael has produced the bulk of the yardage. He leads the team with 232 yards rushing, chipping in two touchdowns and seven catches for 36 yards. He's the man to own until further notice. There's no reason to think Rawls will jump back right into 15 carries per game when he returns.

What can fantasy owners expect from Michael in the interim? It's probably something between his production in the first two weeks (12.5 attempts per game, 5.04 yards per carry) and his big Week 3 (20 rushing attempts for 106 yards and two TDs).

Game script had a lot to do with Michael reaching 20 carries in Week 3; 15 of those carries came with the Seahawks up by double-digit points. And if you take away his big 41-yard TD run, he only averaged 3.3 Y/A, with many of those short yardage gains a matter of second-half clock management.

It's encouraging that the team trusts him enough to handle the ball when ahead, but you have to wonder whether Seattle is due for many big leads in their near future. The offensive line is suspect and QB Russell Wilson will be hampered by an MCL sprain. Prior to scoring 37 points against the 49ers in Week 3, the Seahawks had managed just 21 points total.

If Wilson were to miss time, the team would have to lean on Michael to advance the ball with unproven rookie Trevone Boykin under center. If the team fell behind early, Boykin would be forced to throw the ball; Michael will never be more than a secondary option in the Seahawks' passing game.

For now, Rawls' owners will have to hold onto him, either until he returns or if his injury is further downgraded to the point where he's expected to miss multiple months. His owners spent too high a draft pick on him to cut bait after two weeks in all but the smallest leagues.

Michael's owners are in a more difficult position as his game-to-game production will be largely dependent on matchup. Hamstrung owners might have to start him as an RB2 against a strong Jets run defense in Week 4, but it doesn't get much easier after the bye; Seattle's next three games are against the Falcons, at Arizona and at New Orleans.

Michael should already be owned universally but hesitate before offering trades for him based on his Week 3 production and the tantalizing uncertainty of Rawls' status. He will be of value as the active player pools shrink with the introduction of bye weeks but the range of outcomes from 15 carries is vast and Michael has failed to deliver on promise in the past.