With the Seahawks' backfield getting healthier, tonight might be Emanuel Wilson's final start. With the Seahawks' backfield getting healthier, is he a safe fantasy start on short rest?
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving last year, Wilson earned 30 touches in the Packers' depleted backfield. This was deliberate: starter Josh Jacobs would be returning to the lineup that Thursday, meaning Green Bay could afford to run Wilson into the ground on Sunday ahead of a short turnaround.
A year later, Wilson is the temporary bell cow on a team missing Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price. George Holani has played a supporting role. Entering the final week of last season, Wilson had enjoyed only one game with more than 15 touches (the previously mentioned 30-touch
effort. But he has 19+ in four of his last six games.
The challenge is that he's run pretty poorly in those contests. Since Week 18 last year, he's averaged only 3.2 yards per carry. He's been fantasy-friendly this season because of volume and because he's scored three times.
My concern entering tonight is that, due to frequent Sunday-to-Thursday RB regressions (a 16.9% fantasy-point drop for RBs with 20+ touches on Sunday), Wilson is deceptively risky. Don't be surprised if Holani mixes in a bit more than usual, or if Jaxon Smith-Njigba (13 carries since 2024) tacks on one or two. The same goes for Rashid Shaheed, who has 29 career carries, including three this year.
Wilson appears to be "safe." But he's a risky bet for 10+ points.
For more quick-hit fantasy takes, listen to this daily podcast.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Can fantasy managers trust Emanuel Wilson on Thursday Night Football?
