Fantasy News & Analysis

Premium Content Sign Up

2023 Fantasy Football Player Profile: Rashaad Penny is a high-risk, high-reward fantasy sleeper

2K3GWHE Seattle, WA, USA. 25th Sep, 2022. Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny (20) runs the ball during a game between the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, WA. The Falcons won 27-23. Sean Brown/CSM/Alamy Live News

• A healthy Rashaad Penny has been unmatched as a rusher: Over the last two seasons, no running back has converted a higher percentage of runs into big plays.

• Penny takes the first snaps with the first team in training camp: The Philadelphia Eagles will rotate their backs during training camp and the preseason, but it’s still promising to see that Penny got those first snaps.

• An extensive injury history: Penny is healthy now, but he has dealt with injuries to his tibia, hamstring, calf, knee and ACL over the last few seasons.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes



Random Image



The fantasy football outlook series takes an in-depth look at a player’s fantasy outlook for the 2023 season. For help on draft strategy, rankings or for more details about other players, check out the rest of my summer content below. For rankings with better filtering along with auction values, check out our draft rankings page.

Player Profiles
More Rankings: PPR | Half-PPR | Standard | Superflex | Best Ball
Dynasty Rankings: PPR | Superflex | Rookie | Superflex Rookie
Position Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE
Sleepers: QB | RB | WR | TE
League Winners: RB | TE
12-Team Draft Strategy: Overall strategy | Picks 1-3 | Picks 4-6 | Picks 7-9 | Picks 10-12 | 10-Team
10-Team Draft Strategy: Overall strategy | Picks 1-3

Last updated: 7:15 a.m. Thursday, July 27

Player Outlook

Penny has been an excellent fantasy option when healthy, but he’s played only 18 games over the last three years.

The Seattle Seahawks drafted Penny in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he started for the team whenever he was healthy enough to do so. 

The San Diego State product has earned an 85.4 rushing grade over the last two seasons, 16th among the 61 running backs with at least 150 carries over that span.

He’s not grading positively as consistently as other running backs, but he has the highest rate of carries with a +1.0 grade or better since 2021.

  • Penny has averaged 1.3 15-plus-yard carries per game and 10.5 rushing fantasy points per game, second and sixth, respectively, among backs who have played at least 15 games since 2021.

He has finished as a top-four fantasy running back in four of his past 10 games.

  • If Penny can stay healthy and is still the same player he was before his leg tibia fracture, he could have a huge season in the Eagles offense.

While the sky is the limit for Penny as a ball carrier, he’s been very limited in the passing game, as he’s recorded only 27 receptions over 42 career games.

His lack of receiving production hasn’t stopped him from putting up excellent games, but without any receiving upside, it might be hard for him to sustain a full season as an elite fantasy option.

Competition for Touches

DOMINATE FANTASY FOOTBALL & BETTING WITH AI-POWERED DATA & TOOLS TRUSTED BY ALL 32

Unlimited Fantasy League Sync
Fantasy Start/Sit Line-Up Optimizer & Waiver Wire
WR-CB & OL-DL Matchups, PFF Player Grades, & Premium Stats 2.0 Tools
Nathan Jahnkes Rankings - #1 Most Accurate Last 70 Weeks
PFF Best Bets, Player Props, & Power Ranking Tools
NFL Mock Draft Sim with Trades & Draft Grades

Already have a subscription? Log In

Subscriptions

Unlock the 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit, with League Sync, Live Draft Assistant, PFF Grades & Data Platform that powers all 32 Pro Teams

$31 Draft Kit Fee + $8.99/mo
OR
$89.88/yr + FREE Draft Kit