Marshawn Lynch looks to return to the grid-iron in Week 6 according to Liz Mathews of 710 ESPN. Lynch, has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury that he hurt early in Week 3's game against the Chicago Bears, and has since kept him sidelined.
Thomas Rawls put together a solid relief performance in Week 3 for the departed Lynch with 16 carries for 104 yards. Last week against a solid Cincinnati Bengals squad, Rawls looked extra impressive with a 69 yard touchdown scamper and finished with 23 carries for 169 yards and one touchdown. Rawls looked like anything but a substitute with an overall 5.73 yards per carry while filling in for Beast Mode.
With Lynch slated to return in Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers, fantasy football expectations for Rawls should be holstered for the time being. It is also worthy to note that before Marshawn was injured he was off to a surprisingly slow start, averaging only 3.36 yards per carry with zero touchdowns. Assuming Lynch is a go for the upcoming week, look for Seattle to work Beast Mode back into the rotation slowly as Rawls steals some of his carries. Overall fantasy spin for Week 6; Lynch should be considered a flex RB and Rawls should be planted on your bench.