As if the Chiefs’ season wasn’t off to a bad enough start already.

Coming off of a 41-7 embarrassment at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, the Chiefs were already without their best defensive player, Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry, and their starting tight end, Tony Moeaki.

Then, in the first quarter against the Detroit Lions, they lost their best all-around player and one of the top five running backs in all of football, Jamaal Charles.

The 24-year old Charles, who had rushed for 1,467 yards last season, was extending his leg in an effort to reach the first down marker along the Lions’ sideline when he was pushed out of bounds by defensive back Chris Houston.

Charles fell into the Lions mascot and immediately grabbed his knee. He tried standing up but couldn’t put any pressure on it and had to get carted off of the field. Charles’ fantasy owners held their breath but knew what was coming…

Torn ACL. Season over. For both Charles, and perhaps, the ones who were unlucky enough to draft him.

It seemed like the perfect storm for potentially one of the worst seasons ever for an NFL team. The Chiefs were already horrendous with Charles in the lineup. God only knows how bad they’ll be without him.

In their first two games, Kansas City has been outscored 89-10. They have had 25 first downs compared to their opponents’ 46 (Bills in Week 1, Lions in Week 2) and 480 total yards compared to 775 for the opposition. But the most telling statistic is this: 1 touchdown for the Chiefs, 11 for their opponents.

It’s not just the offense that’s playing poorly; the defense is getting absolutely torn apart. And now you take away their best offensive weapon for the entire season? It’s going to be a long and miserable 2011 for Chiefs’ fans.

The worst part about Charles’ injury is the fact that it won’t just affect the ground game, it’ll affect their efficiency through the air as well.  

Think about it this way. The Chiefs’ two-headed attack with Charles and Jones averaged 164.2 rushing yards a game last year, tops in the league. That caused defenses to have to keep a safety near the line of scrimmage to try and contain the runner. That created one-on-one opportunities for Dwayne Bowe, who set career highs with 1,162 yards, a 16.1 per-catch average and 15 touchdowns- the most in the NFL and one fewer than he had in his first three seasons combined.

You take away Charles and all of a sudden Bowe isn’t getting all those one-on-one matchups he was getting last year. You not only lose Charles’ amazing run production, but you also even the playing field for your best receiver in the process.

So, keeping all of that in mind, I would bet my life that the Chiefs will not be returning to the playoffs this year as AFC West Champions.

As for Charles, he’ll be watching this disastrous season from the sideline. And as much as my heart goes out to him, I’m more distraught at the fact that he was my first overall pick and the best player on my fantasy team. So, unfortunately, I find myself in the same predicament as a lot of other fantasy owners out there.

While there certainly aren’t any running backs out there that are even close to Charles’ skill level, there may be a few that you can pick up and use as a possible second back or flex option. Here are my top five.

5. Roy Helu- Helu has only had one good game, so there’s no need to get ahead of ourselves, but he’s definitely someone to keep on your radar. In Week 1, he was non-existent with only one carry for two yards. But in Week 2, he broke out for 74 yards on only 10 rushes. This is clearly still Hightower’s job to lose, but for the time being, pick up Helu and put him on your bench. Then watch to see how Mike Shanahan chooses to utilize him down the road. The potential seems to be there, and if he can continue to get consistent touches, he’s someone who can fit in nicely at the No.2 back spot on your roster.

4. Bernard Scott- Cedric Benson has been notified that he will have to serve a three-game suspension following his most recent off-field issue. The Bengals will most certainly appeal, so that means Benson will be able to face the 49ers in Week 3. But if the appeal fails, backup Scott all of a sudden becomes the number one option at running back. Starting in Week 4, Cincinnati plays the Bills, Jaguars and Colts- all favorable matchups for Scott. If he can put together a few nice games, he may remain a fixture in the offense even when Benson returns to the lineup. And he’s a free agent in like 99% of fantasy leagues.

3. DeMarco Murray- Both of Dallas’ backups are pretty much interchangeable at this point, but in my opinion, Murray has a ton more upside than Tashard Choice. Although he has yet to get the touches to warrant a fantasy start, he has the potential to be an explosive player. Something tells me that as soon as Felix Jones can’t play and Murray gets his chance to shine, he’ll show everyone why he’s the all-time touchdown leader at the University of Oklahoma.

2. Cadillac Williams- This may surprise some people considering that Steven Jackson has the starting back position on lockdown, but it appears as if early on this season, Jackson is battling some injury issues. Only time will tell whether or not these are just temporary or if they’ll keep forcing him to miss action, but with Jackson out, Williams has become a vital part of the offense. The only downside is that the Rams’ other backup, Jerious Norwood, has also seen his work go up as a result of Jackson’s absence.

1. Thomas Jones/ Dexter McCluster- I know, I know. Everyone saw this one coming. But hey, it makes sense. With Charles out, it’s only reasonable to assume that both of these guys will see their workloads increase significantly.

McCluster finished last Sunday’s game at Detroit with a career-high 15 touches (8 rushes, 4 receptions, 3 returns). With him being utilized as a runner, receiver and special teams player, the odds of him breaking a play and taking it all the way go up considerably. He certainly has the speed and athleticism to be a lethal offensive weapon, so this could possibly be a breakout year for him. One thing to keep in mind with McCluster though is that he’s shown that he can’t hold on to the ball. In the first two games of this season, he has as many fumbles.

Jones actually got more carries than Charles last season (245 for Jones, 230 for Charles). His numbers weren’t as impressive as Charles’ (896 yards , 6 TDs), but he was utilized more in the red zone, which explains why he had more rushing TDs. Even at 32, he can still handle a lot of carries, has good vision and is strong enough to bust through the defense when the Chiefs make it down to the goal line. He’ll most likely get a bulk of the carries from this point on and should have a respectable year. Let’s just hope he’s still available. In flex leagues, most likely not. In a league that only allows two backs, there’s still a chance.
  

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