Gus Edwards Fantasy: Biggest Sleeper Running Back Of 2021

Picture Of Gus Edwards Fantasy Football's Most Underrated running back
Gus Edwards Fantasy Football’s Most Underrated Running Back

Gus Edwards’ fantasy value is at an all-time high – except no one knows.

But after reading this, YOU will know.

There are three things we know about Gus Edwards’ fantasy production after three years in the NFL:

1) He will rush for 700+ yards
2) He will average 5 YPC
3) He will get 130+ carries per season (9.6 carries per game)

Here is why I like Gus Edwards Fantasy value so much:

  • Mark Ingram is GONE
  • The 2020 Ravens led the NFL in rushing attempts with 555 (34.6 per game)
  • The 2020 Ravens led the NFL in rushing yards with 3,071 (191 per game)
    The Ravens had nearly 400 more yards than 2nd place, and 700 more than 3rd
  • The 2020 Ravens had the third most rushing TDs with 24
  • The 2020 Ravens led the NFL in rushing yards per carry with 5.5
  • The 2020 Ravens led the NFL in rushes of 20+ yards and 40+ yards

I am not worried about JK Dobbins – can someone tell me why I should be? Why is there so much hype/favoritism around Dobbins as the #1?

Dobbins vs. Edwards shouldn’t even be a thing. But it is.

Currently JK Dobbins ADP (or Average Draft Position) is 15th amongst running backs and 28th overall.

Check out the average ADP for Gus Edwards fantasy: 43 and 128!?!?!

Simply ridiculous.

At the beginning of camp, Dobbins and Gus Edwards were both listed as RB 1 on the Ravens official depth chart. 

Based off of 2020 and the one year they played together, a few notable fantasy stats comparing Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins:

  • Dobbins started 1 game in 2020. Edwards started 6
  • Dobbins had 134 carries. Edwards had 144
  • Dobbins had less receiving yards in 2020 than Edwards

JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards were almost even in redzone carries in 2020 – 29 vs. 27. But, Edwards got the ones that counted:

  • Gus Edwards had more carries inside the 5 yard line than JK Dobbins in 2020 – 9 vs. 8
  • Gus Edwards had more carries inside the 10 yard line than JK Dobbins in 2020 – 17 vs. 13
  • His 6 redzone carries in Week 16 were a season high for Ravens’ RBs.

Last year, Lamar Jackson led the Ravens in rushing attempts with 159 (28.6%). Edwards was second with 144 rushes (25.9%) and Dobbins third with 134 (24.1%).

Edwards is the big-bodied running back who stands in at 6-foot-1, 238 pounds and runs downhill and falls forward. Dobbins is smaller back at 5-foot-10, 212 pounds.

IDK about you but I want the guy that can take the pounding of a full 17 game season. And especially around the goalline.

Pro Football Focus graded Edwards as the fourth best runner in 2020.

Despite being the number two running back on his own team in 2020, he was 21st in the NFL in rushing yards.

In 2020 Edwards had the highest percentage of runs for first downs or touchdowns in the entire NFL. Look at who was second:

Gus Edwards Fantasy

Edwards is one of only two players in NFL history to have recorded over 700 rushing yards and averaged at least five yards per carry in each of their first three seasons.

I could continue to pile on the factoids about why Gus Edwards fantasy value is ridiculously low. But that would just be piling on. Speaking of “piles” he has averaged at least 2.6 yards after contact for all three of his NFL seasons. Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb are the only other RBs to do that.

Reach on Gus Edwards in your fantasy draft and you can thank me later.