The Big Lead

Carson Steele has emerged as fantasy football's latest savior

By Joe Lago

Aug 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Carson Steele (42) warms up against the Chicago Bears prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Aug 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Carson Steele (42) warms up against the Chicago Bears prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
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Fantasy football makes stars out of total unknowns. The phenomenon occurs when an NFL star gets injured and fantasy managers scramble to find a suitable replacement, but typically, the options are meager. Sometimes, there's an available player primed for stardom.

The latter is the hope with Kansas City Chiefs running back Carson Steele, the newly anointed savior for thousands of fantasy football teams.

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With starting running back Isiah Pacheco out with a fractured fibula, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are expected to turn to Steele, a 21-year-old undrafted rookie free agent who's been suddenly thrust into the fantasy football spotlight.

Steele's 2024 rushing stats — 27 yards on nine carries — are pedestrian, but the 6-foot, 228-pounder also provides fantasy scoring potential with his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. In his three college seasons at Ball State and UCLA, Steele averaged 8.4 yards per reception with four career touchdowns.

While Andy Reid said Steele has the chance to be the lead back, the Chiefs head coach stopped short of handing him the job permanently. "He's going to have to step it up in that role," Reid said of Steele.

Tuesday is traditionally the day for fantasy managers to add new players. However, on Monday, Steele had already been the most popular pickup in Yahoo Sports fantasy leagues with 31,332 adds. Chiefs running back Samaje Perine, a veteran used mostly on passing downs, was the second-most added player with 16,685 pickups.

Kansas City goes to Atlanta this weekend to take on the Falcons on "Sunday Night Football." Chiefs fans will tune in to see their team improve to 3-0. Fantasy managers will only care about the new guy wearing No. 42. And their hope is that a new fantasy football star will be born.

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