Rashaad Penny Can Be a Late-Round League-Winner in 2023

Running back is a tricky position to get right in fantasy football. You can take some who looks like he will be in line for a lot of volume, only to see him bust.

That's why waiting on running backs has become a popular strategy over the last few years. They also tend to get injured at a higher rate, making investing draft capital in them a dicey proposition.

So, if we are targeting running backs in the later rounds, Rashaad Penny is one we can take a chance on.

How will Penny perform in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles?

Rashaad Penny Fantasy Football Projection

Projections via numberFire for half-PPR.

Fantasy Points Projection: 82.11

Positional Projection: RB46

Projected Stats:

• 116.79 rushing attempts
• 557.07 rushing yards
• 3.59 rushing touchdowns
• 5.76 receptions
• 39.88 receiving yards
• 0.17 receiving touchdowns

Rashaad Penny Fantasy Football Outlook

Injury-Riddled Time in Seattle

The Seattle Seahawks controversially used a first-round pick on Penny in 2018. It was scrutinized even harder after he spent a lot of time as a backup.

Penny was sharing time with Chris Carson in his first two NFL seasons. He had shown promise, though, with his 0.66 rush yards over expected per attempt ranking ninth in the NFL in 2018. The appeal for Penny was always rushing efficiency, as he also averaged 7.5 yards per carry in college.

In 2019, Penny averaged 5.7 yards per carry before going down with a torn ACL in Week 14. This started the string of injuries that have plagued him throughout his career.

After playing just three games the next season, Penny would then get injured in Week 1 of 2021. It was tough to see a path to his career being a success at that point.

However, he bounced back towards the end of that 2021 campaign.

He returned for a few games where he was ineffective before finally hitting it big in Week 14. He rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns. That was just the beginning of his late-season eruption.

From that week on, Penny was the best running back in fantasy. He scored 107.7 half-PPR points; only one other back even cleared 90. He also finished with 1.86 rush yards over expected per attempt, the best in the NFL. It looked like it was finally all coming together for Penny.

Seattle had initially declined his fifth-year option, but they brought Penny back after that successful end to the season.

In 2022, he was set to share time with rookie Kenneth Walker III and got off to a slow start. That was until Week 4 when he busted out with a 151-yard, two-touchdown game.

Unfortunately, as the story goes for Penny, he got injured in the very next game. The flashes of talent have long been there, but the health has not.

New 2023 Team

The Eagles decided to take a shot on Penny this offseason. They gave him a one-year contract worth just $1.23 million against the salary cap.

Philly needed some reinforcements after letting Miles Sanders walk. Sanders had 259 carries for them last season, and someone will have to inherit that work.

Sanders also had 11 rushing touchdowns. While people think of Jalen Hurts stealing all of the rushing touchdowns for the Eagles last season, the backs did get some of them.

Penny isn't the only new back on the team in 2023, though. They also traded for D'Andre Swift during the draft, and Kenneth Gainwell remains on the team, as well, making this backfield tough to figure out heading into the season.

But one thing that any running back can utilize in this offense is Philadelphia's elite offensive line. According to PFF, they had the best line last season, and they're ranked at the top once again this season.

Miles Sanders averaged 4.9 yards per carry behind this line, and Penny averaged more than that behind a much worse offensive line. It's also proven that a quarterback who's a rushing threat like Hurts helps a running back's efficiency.

Penny definitely has potential in an offense that should be a well-oiled machine. They had the number one rushing offense by numberFire's metrics last season, and an argument can be made that Penny is a better back than Sanders.

Where Should We Draft Rashaad Penny in Fantasy Football?

Penny is currently being selected as the RB39, the 99th player overall. The projections at numberFire have him a bit lower than this (RB46).

Some of the reason he is going so late is the injury history, but that's not something we should really worry about. If Penny is unable to play, we can place him on IR or cut him and move on. The only way it's a problem is if he's consistently questionable, or is playing ineffectively due to injury.

Running back is a position where it makes sense to favor players on good teams. These backs should be in position to score touchdowns, as well as see carries late in the game if the team is winning. The Eagles ran the ball at the sixth-highest rate, so it will likely be part of their plan again this season.

If Penny is given the volume and stays healthy, he has some of the most upside for a back that's being selected this late. For example, he has more league-winning potential than someone like Brian Robinson, who is not an explosive player, doesn't play on an elite offense, and is unlikely to catch a lot of passes.

There are a few backs like that going ahead or near Penny. This includes players like Jamaal Williams, Rachaad White and A.J. Dillon.

A legitimate knock on Penny would be that he's unlikely to see many targets this season. The Eagles are not a team that throws to running backs a lot, and Penny has never been prolific in the passing game. But he is capable of breaking off long runs, something that most players who last this long in drafts are not.

If you haven't selected a ton of running backs when the draft comes to the ninth round, Penny could be the guy you need.

While you wait for Week 1's daily fantasy football slates to lock, you can get in on some best-ball fantasy football drafts on FanDuel, as well. Just draft your team and watch the points pile up throughout the season.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.