Fantasy Football: Why Eddie Lacy signing with Seattle Seahawks is bad news

March 14 (UPI) -- Eddie Lacy's time as a top-end fantasy football running back didn't last long.

His quest to return to the upper ranks hit another roadblock Tuesday, when he signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Lacy, 26, had 360 yards on 71 carries in five games last season. In his last full season, he ran for 1,139 yards and nine touchdowns on 246 totes. He also had 427 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in 2014. Lacy made the Pro Bowl his rookie year after rushing for 1,178 yards and 11 scores.

But ending up in Seattle likely isn't great for his fantasy value. The Seahawks already have a few capable runners. Lacy's $5.55 million contract puts him among the top-paid running backs in the NFL, signaling that the Seahawks will treat him as a lead back. Still, with Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise backing him up, the leash will be short and Lacy will need to be productive to see enough carries to garner fantasy relevance. He presence alone nearly deems Rawls and Prosise as undraftable in standard leagues.

Lacy's new deal includes $3 million guaranteed. He turns 27-years-old in June.