Fantasy Football Player Notes

Running backs tied to a mobile quarterback are often short-changed when it comes to the passing game. For as well as J.K. Dobbins performed in fantasy football from Weeks 11-17 in full PPR (RB11) during the 2020 season, guess who outscored him... J.D. McKissic. That's because McKissic caught 37 passes versus Dobbins' three.

Guys like Derrick Henry can overcome the lack of receiving work because they are entrenched bell cows, but that's not the case with Dobbins in Baltimore with Gus Edwards also in the mix. Dobbins only slightly out-touched Edwards 86-74 down the stretch in 2020.

It would be pure ignorance to assume that Dobbins will take over the backfield considering Edwards has been excellent with every opportunity he has received.

Dobbins also ran extremely hot when it came to scoring touchdowns, scoring at least one TD in every game from Week 11 on. His nine total rushing TDs ranked 12th in the league and nearly doubled his expected output (5.5, 30th) - the sixth-highest difference at the position.

Drafters have to understand that to invest in Dobbins as a late third-rounder or fourth-rounder (RB20, 50th overall ADP) he needs to run hot in the TD category coming off the season-ending ACL injury. They also should expect zero-to-little pass-game work with Jackson's tendency to not check down along with the additions of receiving backs, veteran Mike Davis and rookie Tyler Badie.

Gus Edwards is a true underdog story - a former undrafted free agent who owns a top-5 PFF rushing grade and yards per carry (5.1) since 2018. But with coming off a torn ACL and J.K. Dobbins entrenched as the 1A starter in the Ravens backfield, is the efficient GusBu even worth the squeezer in fantasy football?

Consider in his best season, 2021, Edwards finished RB35 in 0.5 PPR scoring. That low-end RB3 upside is gone now. He can't be viewed as much of anything but a hand-cuff to Dobbins, with hopes that he can also occasionally find the end zone to make up for a lack of pass-game work. Because ten touches per game in the form of carries is going to do literally nothing to help your fantasy lineup. Do not buy into the fallacy that Edwards owns "stand-alone value."