Week 9 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Zach Zenner was signed last week as insurance with David Johnson shelved, and he might be in line for some snaps after Chase Edmonds went down on Sunday. Zenner has long been a fan favorite in Detroit due to his tough running style while with the Lions, but he’s unlikely to make a big impact for the Cardinals this week against a tough 49ers defense. Kenyan Drake will likely get the bulk of the work and unless Zenner can vulture a touchdown, it’s hard to expect much from him. He should remain on waivers.
Week 8 vs. Cardinals
Zenner signed with the Saints last week and made his debut Sunday with two touches (one rush, one reception). Zenner was never a guy that will carry the ball a whole lot, but if the Saints get near the goal line, he could vulture a touchdown run from Murray, so keep that in consideration. Other than that, he'll see a couple of snaps in the passing games, but that's about it. He's a deep-league, touchdown-dependent option only.
Week 17 at Green Bay Packers
Against Minnesota last week, Zach Zenner led Detroit with 45 yards on eight carries and caught two passes for 22 yards. He continues to share the backfield with LeGarrette Blount and Theo Riddick, with none of the RBs being very effective. The Vikings held the Lions ground attack to just 86 yards and things likely won’t be much better on the road Sunday. Zenner makes for only a desperation RB3/flex start.
Week 16 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Splitting playing time with LeGarrette Blount and Theo Riddick, Zach Zenner led the Lions with 12 carries last week at Buffalo. He finished with 45 yards and scored for the second straight week. During the past two contests, Zenner has registered 99 yards and the two TDs, but the RBBC approach doesn’t bode well for any of the Detroit backs, especially versus the No. 4 overall defense.
Week 12 vs. Chicago Bears
Kerryon Johnson will miss the Thanksgiving Day game versus the Bears, which means the Lions will likely go with an RBBC between Zach Zenner, LeGarrette Blount and Theo Riddick. Blount has been ineffective for several weeks and Riddick's specialty is as a pass catcher, which means Zenner could receive the bulk of the rushing attempts. Versus the stingy Chicago defense, none of the RBs makes for a good fantasy start.
Fantasy Upside
With Ameer Abdullah missing nearly the entire 2016 season and Theo Riddick out for six games, Zach Zenner stepped in and finished with 334 rushing yards and a team-leading four scores on the ground. Three of those four touchdowns came in the final two contests, where he also ran for over 65 yards in each game. Zenner has proven to be an effective short-yardage RB.
Fantasy Downside
Not only is Abdullah back and the likely starter, Zenner also has to wrestle any available playing time away from Riddick, second-year player Dwayne Washington, and free agent signee Matt Asiata. Zenner is definitely not the fastest player and has averaged only 3.8 yards per attempt during his two-year career.
2017 Bottom Line
With a healthy Abdullah and Riddick, Zenner will again likely be regulated to spot and short-yardage duties. He holds no fantasy value if both of those players remain healthy, but if one goes down, Zenner is worth looking at as an in-season pickup.
Wild Card Round at Seattle
For the second straight game, Zach Zenner had a good first half, but didn’t get much action in the second stanza. Last Sunday night in the loss to Green Bay, he finished with 20 carries for 69 yards and a TD and also caught four passes for 41 yards. The Seahawks finished the regular season seventh facing the run, allowing less than 93 yards per game on the ground. Even without Earl Thomas, they will be stingy at home. There are better RBs to have on your fantasy roster.
Week 17 vs. Green Bay
With Theo Riddick out again last Monday night in Dallas, Zach Zenner had himself a game. He finished with 67 yards and two scores on 12 carries and also caught two passes for 25 yards. Zach was definitely the better back over Dwayne Washington in the loss and will likely receive the bulk of the carries on Sunday night if Riddick is out again. He did not have a rushing attempt at Green Bay in September, but could be a sneaky start in the rematch.
Week 9 at Minnesota
Now that Theo Riddick is back and receiving the bulk of the carries, so there is no reason for Zach Zenner to be in any fantasy starting lineups.
Week 8 at Houston
Even though Justin Forsett had more touches (10 to nine) than Zach Zenner last Sunday against the Redskins, it was Zenner who had the team’s lone rushing touchdown. With Theo Riddick missing the past couple weeks, Zenner has totaled 23 carries for 87 yards. However, either Theo Riddick or Dwayne Washington could return from his injury on Sunday, which will definitely hamper Zenner’s playing time.