Michael Carter

I was a big fan of Michael Carter in this 2021 pre-draft process and had him ranked as a top-5 RB. While he fell further in the NFL Draft than I was anticipating, he fell into a perfect landing spot for fantasy football. The Jets have an oft-injured Tevin Coleman above him on the depth chart and a second-year RB in La'Mical Perine that certainly doesn't have this job locked down by any means. With Carter's agility and explosiveness in this scheme, there's a strong possibility that he takes over this job a few weeks into the season. The Jets will rotate in RBs, so it's unlikely that Carter gets a massive workload, but he has the talent to capitalize on his opportunity. You might have to be patient for a bit if you end up drafting Carter in the mid/late rounds this year, but he could end up being a very solid contributor for your roster. My Very Early Projection: 165-791-5 rushing & 53-452-2 receiving.

Michael Carter continues to receive praise from Jets beat reporters

Connor Hughes of The Athletic writes that "it won't be long" before Michael Carter is the Jets' lead running back.

Fantasy Impact

Hughes has been high on Carter since OTAs began. Drafted in the fourth round this year, Carter is receiving praise for his playmaking ability and elusiveness out of the backfield. Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson, La'Mical Perine, and Josh Adams are all on the roster as well, but none of them have a stranglehold on touches by any means. Coleman will probably get the veteran respect and start in Week 1, but Carter could be the top fantasy option by season's end. It'll be key to monitor his usage during training camp and in the preseason.