Kareem Hunt could be a fantasy football sleeper

Adam Teicher predicts that Kareem Hunt will beat out all competitors for the Chiefs and become a feature back this year in K.C.

Fantasy football players take note. At least one longtime Kansas City Chiefs beat reporter believes that the newly drafted running back Kareem Hunt will make good on the team’s efforts to trade up for him by becoming their feature back. Adam Teicher of ESPN, and formerly of the Kansas City Star, predicts Hunt will be the leading rusher as well as pass-catcher out of the backfield.

Teicher’s guess is certainly not a shocker, given that Chiefs general manager John Dorsey admitted how much he wanted to get him. Dorsey traded two picks to move up in the third and secure his services, praising his “contact balance” and all around abilities while listing him as the best running back available after the first tier of drafted players—presumably, at least, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey.

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Hunt’s primary competition will be Spencer Ware, who showed off some potential early on to be the team’s new feature back, but a lack of stamina for the role showed itself down the stretch. Ware profiles as a better tandem back at this point, a player who is tough to bring down and can help wear down a defense. Unfortunately in the second half of last season, it was often the other way around for Ware.

Hunt had 262 rushes for 1,475 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last season for Toledo. He also caught 41 passes for 403 receiving yards and another touchdown.