The news of JK Dobbins tearing his ACL in the Ravens preseason finale has the fantasy community shook and looking to who will be the next man up in Baltimore’s heavy run attack. That man is Gus Edwards, a perennial backup who signed a 2 year 10 million dollar contract this offseason. This article is going to give you an in-depth look at why Gus Edwards is going to be a guy you’ll want to draft. Whether its his consistency or the Ravens run-heavy offense, Edwards has been given a chance to shine this year. Redraft or Dynasty you can find a place for Edwards on your roster.

Consistency

Gus Edwards has been consistently one of the best handcuff/backup running backs in the league. Averaging 717 yards, 3 TDs, and 5.16 yards per carry, Edwards also averages 138 carries over his 3-year career. Last season Edwards took a major step forward in the touchdown department scoring three times as many as his previous career-high of two. Edwards was particularly effective in the red zone, getting 25 carries for 75 yards and 6 TDs. Edwards carried the ball 8 times on the goal line and scored 3 TDs, this is something that should improve this year with the increased reps coming his way.

Some other intriguing stats to analyze with Edwards was how defenses played against him. According to PlayerProfiler, Edwards played against 7.31 defenders in the box on average, the fourth-most in the league, and frequently faced stacked boxes (33.3% of the time). This is important because, with all the Ravens’ recent injuries, Edwards is going to be facing nothing but stacked boxes. He’s going to have to use his combination of great vision and burst to get to the next level. This is where he can really do damage, last season Edwards had 9 breakaway runs (7th most) and 258 yards created (48th most). Edwards has shown great potential as a backup and now will have a chance to prove his consistency over the span of the 17 game season.

Run Heavy Offense and lack of depth

Last season the Ravens ran the ball 555 times and 3,071 yards; both league highs. Even with the desire to move the ball through the air and the additions of Sammy Watkins and Rashod Bateman. The Ravens might find themselves running the ball more often than not in 2021. The 12th ranked offensive line according to Pro Football Focus, and even with the loss of Orlando Brown Jr, the Ravens should have no problem moving defensive lines. That’s all they need to do to unleash the Gus Bus, get him an opening and he’ll do the rest.

The Ravens going into 2021 lack depth behind Gus Edwards, consisting of 3rd-year man Justice Hill and rookie Ty’Son Williams. Neither of those guys should scare anyone who’s drafting Gus Edwards. The only player who would take away significant touches from Edwards is Lamar Jackson. Opening the door to a veteran option is likely, but even adding a veteran wouldn’t guarantee that Edwards loses touches. If anything it’d probably be beneficial considering the Raven run the ball an absurd amount.

Redraft and Dynasty Value

Fantasy Pros has recently updated their rankings with Gus Edwards moving up to RB21. I think that’s a fair spot to put Edwards, right in between Miles Sanders and Darrell Henderson. For redraft leagues, Edwards is a good pick for your RB3/4 and is a decent RB2 in bigger leagues. In dynasty, I rank him at the bottom of the starters next to Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert, and Melvin Gordon. This is because I think he might be a one-and-done type of player. Which means I feel comfortable picking Gus Bus if I’m trying to win this year, then ride out the storm of him being a handcuff in 2022. There’s also the idea that you could use him as a trade piece to get top picks for next year. Either way, I think getting him in your leagues is a great idea, just don’t overpay for him in your dynasty drafts.

Conclusion

Overall it’s terrible that it had to happen this way, I know everyone hopes JK Dobbins’ surgery goes well and he recovers and is on the field next year. Gus Edwards has now been given a shot to start for entire season and that’s good news for fantasy football players. While he is not JK Dobbins, Edwards does offer a lot of upside at an RB3 price. He should be drafted this year as someone who could turn in a high upside RB2 season.

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