J.K. Dobbins Injury: Fantasy Football Rapid Reaction (2021)

We’re back to provide the rapid reaction to J.K. Dobbins’s season-ending injury and the fantasy football impact on the rest of the Baltimore Ravens’ roster.

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The Details of the Injury

Just mentioned on @VSiNLive Dobbins is out for the year.

– Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) August 29, 2021

Dobbins was carted off the field after suffering a knee injury during Saturday’s preseason game against the Washington Football team. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Dobbins suffered a season-ending knee injury. He will undergo an MRI on Sunday to confirm, but the Ravens fear Dobbins sustained an ACL tear, ending his 2021 season. This is a massive blow to the Ravens as Dobbins was set to have a vital role in the offense. Gus Edwards is expected to lead Baltimore’s rushing attack with Justice Hill and Ty’Son Williams also factoring into the mix. The Ravens could also add another running back for depth purposes. Stay tuned.

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How does J.K. Dobbins’s injury impact the Baltimore Ravens?

Kyle Yates and Dan Harris share how Dobbin’s injury impacts the rest of the Ravens’ backfield, and how you should approach the situation in upcoming fantasy football drafts.

With the reported news that Dobbins is out for the entirety of the season, Edwards skyrockets up draft boards. He’s a very talented runner that’s ultra-efficient in this scheme. While Justice Hill and Ty’Son Williams will also see some work, Edwards is going to be the guy. It wouldn’t shock me to see the Ravens bring in another body after the final round of cuts before the start of the season, but this is Edwards’ backfield now. He can be drafted as a mid-range RB2 this year that should bring great production on the ground, but not much involvement as a receiver out of the backfield. Hill wasn’t on the redraft radar at all prior to the Dobbins injury, but he’s squarely in the conversation now for a low-end FLEX spot. The Ravens are unlikely to lean on Gus Edwards solely, so someone else will have to step up. Hill has yet to show that he can produce with a significant opportunity, so we should be tempering our expectations for him. But the role is absolutely there.
– Kyle Yates

The season-ending injury to J.K. Dobbins obviously pushes Gus Edwards from insurance policy/mild contributor to a running back you should target in drafts. Edwards has averaged more than five yards per carry in his career and was one of PFF’s highest-graded running backs last year. He’ll get more work now, obviously, but it’s not like he will become an RB1 all of a sudden. Edwards won’t be involved in the passing game and they’ll likely bring in a veteran rusher to take some of the load. Nevertheless, given how often the Ravens run the ball (55%, by far the most in the league last year), Edwards should see enough volume to make him a rock-solid RB2. He’s now 20th in my half-PPR running back rankings. Justice Hill and Ty’Son Williams can be late-round picks, but I’m not expecting much from them.
– Dan Harris

ECR has Gus Edwards as RB25 in half-PPR scoring