The gruesome injury that Baltimore Ravens running back JK Dobbins suffered against the Washington Football Team on Saturday has resulted in a season-ending ACL tear. The second-year running back was one of the most highly touted players in fantasy this offseason, ranked as a fringe RB1 prospect due to the explosive runs he delivered during his rookie season. Unfortunately, we are now looking at the Ravens backfield in J.K. Dobbins Injury: Fantasy Implications.
Now, with just two weeks before the Ravens travel to Las Vegas to play the Raiders in the Monday Night Football opener, Gus Edwards steps into a prime workload. The question is whether Edwards will be entrusted with the same volume projected for Dobbins’ or if Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman will opt to sign another free agent to maintain a running-back-by-committee (RBBC) approach in the backfield.
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Fantasy Impact
Dobbins’ injury opens up the most obvious opportunity for Edwards, who has climbed to RB29 in the latest half-PPR rankings. The issue for Edwards is that the Ravens sparingly use their running backs as receivers, targeting them just 15.8% of the time, ranking 25th in the league last season. Nevertheless, Edwards is an efficient ball-carrier, averaging 5.0 YPC in 2020, so he could possess double-digit touchdown upside if the Ravens opt to lean on Justice Hill as the relief back. However, it seems unlikely that Hill remains second on the depth chart for long, especially with options like Adrian Peterson and Todd Gurley available in free agency. The next name to keep an eye on is Ty’Son Williams, an undrafted free agent from 2020 who is next up on the depth chart after reportedly quickly surpassing Hill.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson will either surpass 200 carries or incorporate short passes as an extension of the running game. It’s a decision that will alter the trajectory of all Ravens players in fantasy, particularly its receivers, who could see a notable increase in targets during the 2021 season. Mark Andrews is coming off of a disappointing year despite finishing as the TE5, so his TE4 value remains a high-premium to pay in fantasy drafts. However, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (WR49) and Sammy Watkins (WR82) are the two Baltimore wide receivers who could produce early and often, creating immense value with rookie wideout Rashod Bateman rehabilitating a soft tissue leg injury sustained earlier in training camp.
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