On Thursday, the Los Angeles Chargers announced that starting running back Gus Edwards will miss the team’s Week 17 matchup against the New England Patriots. Let’s examine the Chargers’ RB depth chart and who will start in Edwards’ place.
Chargers Running Back Depth Chart: Who Is Next Man Up?
With Edwards out, there are several options who could start for the Chargers.
J.K. Dobbins may be ready to return this week after missing the last four games with a knee injury. Dobbins returned to practice this week as a limited participant, and there’s a chance he can play on Sunday. However, it remains to be seen if he would be at 100% or be able to handle his regular workload.
The Chargers also have Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins, who could be asked to step up if both Dobbins and Edwards are out. Let’s break down of the Chargers’ options and their potential fantasy outlook for Week 17.
J.K. Dobbins’ Fantasy Outlook in Week 17
Dobbins missed a month with a knee injury. While his potential return to action could provide a nice boost for the Chargers’ ground game sans Edwards, this doesn’t require action in fantasy leagues.
The fast start to the season was nice, but he’s averaged just 3.8 yards per carry after his initial burst to open the season and his value figures to be capped at such a level that anything but elite efficiency will make him unplayable in most formats.
On the season, Dobbins has carried the ball 158 times for 766 yards and eight touchdowns while also catching a career-high 28 passes for 134 yards.
Kimani Vidal’s Fantasy Outlook in Week 17
After seeing north of 50% of the snaps in consecutive games, Vidal saw his rate trend back to his season average on Thursday night (32.8%, season: 31.8%).
That makes him a name to keep in mind for next season, more than one who should be kicking around rosters in the late stages of this season.
However, with Edwards out this week and Dobbins only a threat for so much work after missing a month, this rookie could serve as a sneaky Flex option in what figures to be a favorable game script.
If J.K. Dobbins doesn’t make it back for this one, we could see Kimani Vidal in a workhorse role against a Patriots team allowing the 4th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs https://t.co/JC8WBfbagv
— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) December 26, 2024
James Cook turned 14 touches into 126 yards and a pair of touchdowns against this New England defense last week — Vidal isn’t a good bet to do that, but 14-16 touches give him plenty of potential to finish as a top-25 RB in this critical week.
This season, Vidal has 38 carries for 131 yards and zero touchdowns. He’s averaging 3.4 yards per carry. Vidal has also caught five passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.
As for Haskins, he won’t be fantasy-relevant this week even if Dobbins is out (aside from in extremely deep leagues).