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Gus Edwards 2021 Outlook: The Wheels on the Bus go Round-and-Round
3 years agoSorry. I know that title isn't very descriptive, but it made me chuckle. Gus Edwards is a very simple man. He takes the ball from his quarterback, diagnoses where the hole is, and runs straight. He doesn't make defenders miss (just an 18.3% juke rate according to playerprofiler.com), but he also doesn't dance around accomplishing nothing a la Miles Sanders. Edwards runs straight and he's good at it. Edwards was never going to be a lead back, but the UDFA has already done way more than anyone expected. After backing up Mark Ingram, Edwards now finds himself backing up J.K. Dobbins. Make no mistake about it, Dobbins is the lead back, but Edwards is going to be on the field a lot more than those drafting Dobbins want to hear about. Edwards posted a 35% snap share last season, which is about what we should expect in 2021. That may seem low, but the Ravens are the most run heavy offense in the NFL. Edwards may very well handle 8-10 carries a game. He's not going to be used in the passing game at all because Lamar Jackson doesn't throw to running backs, but Edwards is worth drafting for two reasons. He's going to at least have standalone RB4 value. You'll be able to plug him in if necessary and know you'll at least get a handful of points. And he has upside as the Ravens' lead back in the event of a Dobbins injury. Edwards is pretty much free in fantasy drafts and can be had as your RB4 or RB5 in the double-digit rounds. He's the exact type of running back you want to target that late.
8/30 Update: The wheels on the bus are about to get a lot more tread on them with Dobbins done for the season. Edwards is now the lead back in Baltimore, but don't expect his snap share to increase beyond what Dobbins would have had. However, Edwards will now handle that primary role, which should be 50-55% of the snaps. He's probably going to be overvalued in PPR leagues as his absolute ceiling for receptions feels like 17, but in half-PPR or non-PPR leagues, Edwards is a solid RB2. I would draft him in the fifth round.
