I am taking another trip to the Fantasy Thrift Store this week. This time I’m getting thrifty with Rashaad Penny of the Seattle Seahawks. Nothing is guaranteed when shopping at this type of store. You may go in for a pair of jeans and come out with a hookah, or something you can make into a hookah.
Why Purchase Penny?
The most obvious reason I am interested in buying Penny is his wonderful draft capital that the Seahawks used to get him. They drafted him 27th overall in the 2018 draft. He did take a back seat to Chris Carson, who is one of the most underrated RBs in the league. This isn’t all bad news though. He has been used sparingly. Even with all of this said, he led his team in 2018 with 4.9 yards per carry. He is also the prototypical NFL RB at 5’ 10″ and 220 lbs.
After his rookie season, Coach Pete Carroll went on record saying things like “He’s going to be a really good player for us.” Carroll also said recently in an interview with KIRO radio 97.3 FM that “He looked very, very good, and very quick and shifty. He was really excited to be able to get to work for the first time. We’re going to bring him back and see where he fits in one week at a time.” I believe that Seattle is being very careful with him and that they have plans to use him long term. No reason to rush him back or risk hurting him again when you still have Chris Carson on the team.
Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde are both entering free agency, I don’t expect them to be able to re-sign Carson, although it is possible. They almost certainly aren’t signing both.
If both of them leave, it sets up Penny for a great opportunity to be the top dog. It would leave only Deejay Dallas as the only threat for touches and he was a 4th round pick. Not even close to Penny’s 1st round price.
Penny hasn’t “broke out” yet but I believe he was on his way right before his injury, posting 19.40 and 26.7 points back-to-back in PPR formats. He was being used in both the rushing and receiving game and was targeted 5 times in his last full game.
A peek at his film
- He has fantastic burst through the hole
- Good vision
- Great cut back ability
- Knows when to cut it back and get to the edge
- Good speed
- Finishes runs well
- Follows blockers well
- Has all the skills – elusiveness, power, speed, and patience
- Breaks almost all arm tackles – you have to wrap him up to get him down
- Big play ability – can score from anywhere and in any way
- Gets through tiny creases
Price tag check
The most recent 1-for-1 trade on the Dynasty League Football Trade Finder saw Penny traded for Jaguars WR DJ Chark.
DLF’s Trade Analyzer grades Penny at a 67, which can be bought for less than a late second round pick.
I asked the Dynasty Nerds Facebook Group what they would give up for this dynamic RB and got a big range of answers. I got anything from a mid 2nd round 2021 rookie pick to absolutely nothing. In a 12 team league, I would give up 2.11 and later for him. It’s a smash accept for a 3rd or later in my opinion. His potential upside is a high end RB2 with RB1 upside week to week. I think it’s worth the gamble at this cost. The player you are most likely drafting at that range is going to be a Taxi Squad guy.
Even if Carson stays I think he will be fantasy relevant and a good flex option. If Carson takes a deal elsewhere you almost certainly can flip him for more than you would buy him for right now, before he even gets a touch next year. With his limited miles, the draft capital used to acquire him in Seattle, and the fact that Wilson wasn’t very good in the kitchen through the last half of 2020, I believe his upside outweighs the risk. In the very worst case scenario he is good depth at a thin position. Buy him now before his price soars after free agency ends.
Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow me: @FF_Fire911 on Twitter and let me know if you agree, disagree, or have any questions.
Scott Acquard
