Fantasy Upside
Kalen Ballage had a huge game last season in Week 15 when he ran for 123 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. The fourth-round draft pick saw limited playing time, but looked good late in the season when he had opportunities. With Frank Gore gone, we expect Ballage to have a larger role than he had for most of 2018.
Fantasy Downside
Ballage is the clear backup to Kenyan Drake heading into 2019. Even with increased playing time, it’s difficult to see how he’s able to make enough of an impact to become fantasy relevant this season. He’s the backup rusher on what’s expected to be one of the worst offenses in the league.
2019 Bottom Line
Ballage isn’t much more than a handcuff to Drake. He’s a talented back, but we like Drake a lot more and expect him to get the majority of the touches in 2019. Ballage will be worth adding this season if Drake suffers an injury and misses time, but otherwise, he holds little fantasy relevance.