Should I Pick Up Carson Steele? Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Football

Kansas City Chiefs running back Carson Steele garnered buzz in the preseason with a series of tough runs, showcasing his tackle-breaking ability. Steele looked like a gem of an undrafted free agent for the Chiefs.

He's now more relevant than ever. Unfortunately, fellow Chief star running back Isiah Pacheco fractured his fibula and is now on injured reserve. He will miss at least four games, but with his injury, is likely to miss closer to eight.

Is Carson Steele a good waiver wire pickup? Should you pick him up to replace Isiah Pacheco or add him as a depth piece? Let's dive in.

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Carson Steele Week 3 Waiver Wire Outlook

Steele is projected to be the lead running back for the Chiefs in Pacheco's absence. He's still rostered in just 9% of Sleeper leagues, and that number should likely be higher. His PPR potential is somewhat limited, however, as he's not projected to catch many passes, but Steele's talent is undeniable.

Call me crazy, but I’d rather see the Chiefs give rookie Carson Steele an expanded role rather than rolling out a 29 year old Kareem Hunt…

pic.twitter.com/faYPIL3zbU

— Matt FF Dynasty 🏈 (@MattFFDynasty) September 16, 2024

Steele has the tools to succeed immediately. His chances for fantasy success mostly hinge on opportunity, efficiency and ball security. Steele coughed up a fumble in Week 2 that caused him to finish with negative fantasy points for the game. He also hasn't been highly efficient, averaging just 3.0 yards per carry.

Carson Steele coughs it up and the BENGALS HAVE IT pic.twitter.com/YhhJQLLK62

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 15, 2024

Ball security is arguably the most important trait for running backs, and Steele will need to hang on to the football if he wants to see expanded opportunities as the Chiefs RB. Steele does have other good traits, though. He's quite good at pass protection.

Little things like this from Carson Steele are important to making the team and contributing.
He stones the LB in pass pro. Goes to attack him at the line of scrimmage and stops his feet. pic.twitter.com/nS1fMrA1ex

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) August 17, 2024

Being a good pass protector is a great way for running backs to stay on the field, which helps them gain more opportunities. It helps the offense open up the playbook as well, since they can use him on both running and passing downs.

Steele should also have the majority of goal-line opportunities, and touchdowns never hurt.

Should I Pick Up Carson Steele For Week 3?

Any time a star starting running back goes down with an injury and another running back on the roster ends up being the lead RB in his absence, he should be picked up. Steele could have value simply based on opportunity. He probably won't score like Pacheco did, but lead running back is an incredibly valuable role for fantasy.

I find it funny how people talk about Carson Steele as a “short yardage thumper” as if he didn’t average 5.1 yards per carry on nearly 650 carries and had just shy of 60 receptions in college 😂

pic.twitter.com/NmZVd5ppkQ

— Matt FF Dynasty 🏈 (@MattFFDynasty) September 18, 2024

Steele is just a rookie, but the role he's filling (lead running back for a good offense with a good offensive line) is very valuable. It's possible fellow RB Samaje Perine could be valuable as well in his pass-catching role, but Steele being on the field much more makes him the priority pickup for Chiefs RBs.

You should pick up Steele if he's available on waivers in your league and you have an extra spot on your roster.

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