Michael Carter Fantasy Outlook & Injury Update 2022 (More Upside in PPR Formats)

Though his first NFL season had some hiccups, New York Jets running back Michael Carter showed some promise as a rookie in 2021. As his team's leading rusher, the former North Carolina product ended the campaign as the RB29 in PPR fantasy formats, averaging 11.0 points per game.

Heading into his sophomore year, fantasy managers are wondering if Carter's outlook remains promising. After all, the Jets did add electric rookie RB Breece Hall to their backfield, potentially putting Carter's workload in jeopardy.

Michael Carter Fantasy Football Outlook

The Jets made sure to get Carter involved in both the rushing and passing attacks last year. He played 14 games (11 starts) for his team, turning 147 carries into 639 rushing yards and four touchdowns while also catching 36 passes for another 325 yards.

As mentioned before, Hall's added presence could complicate things for Carter. The rookie RB was the 36th overall pick in April, and many experts view him as a three-down rusher. If Hall ends up being as good as the projections say, Carter could be bumped to a backup role.

One way that both Carter and Hall can be productive is if the Jets' run game improves. New York ranked dead last in rushing attempts per game in 2021 (22.4) while only averaging 98.1 yards on the ground (No. 25). A similar performance won't be good for fantasy managers, but things could look much better if the Jets offensive line lives up to its potential.

The Jets have also added pass-catchers like rookie wideout Garrett Wilson, as well as tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin to the passing attack. These additions should help quarterback Zach Wilson take another step forward, taking pressure off of the running game in the process.

If these on-paper additions translate to on-field results, there's potential for Hall and Carter to thrive. Nevertheless, the latter will still lose a decent amount of touches to the rookie.

Michael Carter Injury Update

After missing three games as a rookie with a high ankle sprain, Carter has been limited at times during Jets training camp with an ankle issue. Understandably, fantasy managers are concerned if this issue could affect his start to the 2022 NFL season.

Fortunately, it doesn't look like there's any reason to worry at the moment. Carter has been a full practice participant since Aug. 3 and hasn't slowed down since then. Unless he re-aggravates his injury during the season, assume that he'll be a full-go for the beginning of the campaign.

Michael Carter Projections

Projections from the NFL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook are quite low on Carter. He's only sitting at +7500 odds (T-No. 33) to lead the league in rushing yards while and doesn't have any other player prop markets available at the moment.

Is Michael Carter a Good Fantasy Football Pick?

Carter would be a much better fantasy pick had the Jets not drafted Hall. Having said that, he'll more than likely be New York's No. 2 RB, giving him some value as a handcuff for Hall owners. He'd also be the clear-cut leading rusher should the rookie RB get injured at any point.

Carter also has potential value as a flex candidate in PPR leagues. He'll likely see more of the passing downs for the Jets, making him a viable option in bye weeks or if your own team is marred by injuries.

For now, Carter sits as the RB37 on The Duel's PPR player rankings. He also carries an average draft position of 108.5 on Fantasy Pros, making him a player who'll likely be on the board up until the beginning of Round 9 in 12-team leagues.

If you've drafted Carter, then check out the best New York Jets fantasy football team names for your squad.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.