Thursday night football remains a thorn in the side of fantasy managers. With so little time between games, it’s hard for players to recover from any injuries. Gus Edwards played for the first time since 2020 in Week 7.
But on a short week, he drew a questionable tag for this primetime contest. Is the Baltimore Ravens RB playing against the Bucs on Thursday night, and what would his absence mean for Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill?
Update: Per Adam Schefter, Edwards is expected to play in Week 8.
Is Gus Edwards Playing Tonight?
After seven weeks, I think we finally have some clarity on the Ravens’ backfield. It belongs to Edwards.
With that said, Edwards didn’t exactly dominate snaps last week. He played on just 36% of them. It was a weird mix of the Ravens not wanting to overwork him but also knowing he’s clearly their most talented back and needing to give him the bulk of the carries.
Edwards may have played a mere 23 snaps, but he was given the ball on 16 of them. He turned that into 66 yards and two touchdowns.
It was a fantastic performance for fantasy football managers bold enough to start him in his first game back from tearing his ACL last year. I wish I was bold enough to take Edwards’ rushing attempts higher on Underdog Fantasy.
Unfortunately, Thursday Night Football rears its ugly head. With just three days between games, it’s always a challenge for players to get their bodies ready.
Edwards was limited at practice all week and is questionable for Thursday night’s game against the Bucs. Normally, I’d say this is no big deal, and Edwards would be a lock to play. However, this is not an all-things-being-equal situation.
MORE: WR Injury Report Week 8
We saw how J.K. Dobbins struggled to get his knee right after finally getting in live game action. While I do think Edwards is more likely to play than not, given the short week, it’s possible the Ravens don’t want to push him.
We should get some news earlier in the day, but fantasy managers may not know for sure until inactives are announced at around 6:30. The good news is that it’s Thursday. If Edwards doesn’t play, you can just pull him from your lineup and figure it out over the weekend.
Fantasy Impact on Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill
The Ravens typically play their lead back on 50% of the snaps. Accordingly, I anticipate Edwards’ snap share pushing toward that number if he plays on Thursday night. If Edwards can’t play his full complement of snaps, I expect the Ravens to err on the side of caution and just not play him.
In the event that Edwards can’t go, Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill would form a committee. Prior to Edwards’ return, Drake had his best game of the season, carrying the ball 10 times for 119 yards and a touchdown. However, Hill looked good in his own right the two weeks prior while Drake was inactive.
Prior to Week 7, we hadn’t seen Drake and Hill both active at the same time since Week 2. Last week, all three backs were active. The snap split was 36-31-27 (Edwards-Hill-Drake), but the performances were not nearly as equal.
Drake carried the ball 11 times for just five yards. For those keeping score at home, that’s less than half a yard per carry. No running back saw a target in a game where Lamar Jackson attempted just 16 passes, but it was Hill operating as the primary passing-down back.
Heading into Week 8, I expect all three backs to remain in their same roles. However, the playing time will likely look different as Edwards’ snap share increases at the expense of Drake. My guess is a 50-35-15 split if all are active.
If Edwards doesn’t play, this should be close to 50-50 between Drake and Hill. In all likelihood, head coach John Harbaugh will just ride the hot hand.
Should Fantasy Managers Start Gus Edwards?
Edwards is currently ranked as the RB26 on our Week 8 RB Fantasy Football Rankings. Given the situation with bye weeks and injuries, if you have Edwards and can afford to bench him, I envy your situation.
However, this is not a good matchup for any Ravens running back. For the entirety of the Tom Brady era, the Bucs have been a pass-funnel defense. This season is no different.
The Bucs allow just 18.1 PPR fantasy points per game to running backs, the fifth-fewest in the league. They’ve allowed just three rushing scores all season.
It’s a very tricky situation because Mark Andrews is also legitimately questionable. If he doesn’t play, the Ravens’ weak pass-catching corps will be even more shorthanded. That may compel them to implement a more run-heavy game plan, but that doesn’t work against the Bucs.
If Edwards plays, he is the only running back worth starting. Yet, he remains a risky start. If Edwards doesn’t score, you’re probably getting no more than six or seven fantasy points. If Edwards can’t go, neither Drake nor Hill would be recommended fantasy options.