Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch will undergo sports hernia surgery on Wednesday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Marshawn Lynch will have surgery, fantasy owners must deploy other RB options
The veteran running back’s regular season is likely over. We break down the fantasy implications.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The time that Lynch will be out is not clear, as Rapoport reported that it is expected to keep Lynch out of action for a month, but former San Diego Chargers physician David Chao said Wednesday that the average return is six weeks. While Lynch recovers, Thomas Rawls will take over as the Seahawks' starting running back, a role which he thrived in during Week 11's win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Fantasy impact: A one-month absence would put Lynch's return at Week 16's matchup with the St. Louis Rams, the week that fantasy owners know as fantasy championship week. It would be an optimistic return date given Chao's prognosis, and fantasy owners may be holding on to false hope if they expect Lynch to give them another meaningful output this season.
Owners who plucked Rawls from waivers at any point this season now have an RB1 for the remaining five weeks of fantasy football. With Lynch set to earn $9 million in 2016, Rawls may be the frontrunner to lead the backfield indefinitely.
