Melvin Gordon

Gordon is by no means in the elite class of running backs, but there is something to be said for someone who saw 20+ touches in each of his last eight games. That type of opportunity is irreplacable, making him a sturdy RB1. Where his season ends will merely be determined by touchdowns and health.

Melvin Gordon working with LT as a receiver

Eric Williams of ESPN.com is reporting that Chargers running back Melvin Gordon has been working with LaDanian Tomlinson this offseason in order to better his pass-catching skills.

Fantasy Impact

When asked about Gordon's role in the passing game, Tomlinson said, "Truly that's the first thing I thought about when Hunter Henry went down, is Melvin is going to have to become a weapon in the passing game." Even without the injury to Henry, Gordon had been seeing his involvement in the passing game grow, as he finished with a career-high 83 targets last season, which ranked seventh among all running backs. While the Chargers did add Justin Jackson in the draft, they did wait until the seventh-round to select him, so they were obviously okay with Gordon shouldering the workload. It's hard to see him getting into the 100-target territory, but it seems that his 80-plus targets are well within reach with some increased efficiency. He should be looked at as a very safe low-end RB1 in fantasy leagues.