Gus Edwards managed to match his touchdown from the first five seasons of his NFL career combined in 2023 with 13 rushing scores in his final year with the Baltimore Ravens.
Reuniting with offensive coordinator Greg Roman in Los Angeles, can fantasy managers expect Edwards to be a reliable fantasy football producer in this new run-heavy Los Angeles Chargers scheme in 2024?
Gus Edwards’ 2024 Fantasy Outlook
- Total Fantasy Points: 164.1
- Rushing Yards: 911.4
- Rushing TDs: 10.5
- Receptions: 6.7
- Receiving Yards: 100.8
These are PFN’s consensus projections, correct as of August 15. The most up-to-date projections can be found in our Who Should I Draft Tool.
Should You Draft Edwards This Year?
After years of splitting work with another backfield member in the dominant Ravens rushing attack, fantasy managers finally got a glimpse of what Edwards’ fantasy ceiling could look like as the leading man of an NFL backfield.
Quite frankly, the results were certainly encouraging enough. Edwards’ 198 carries for 810 rushing yards and 12 receptions for 180 receiving yards to go with 13 TDs — which are all the best marks of his career — helped the Rutgers product finish the year as the RB25 overall in full-PPR formats. In contrast, Edwards finished as the RB14 overall in non-PPR leagues.
The one major weakness in his production profile has always been his level of work in the passing game. When you count 12 receptions as your single-season career high, it’s clear Edwards simply isn’t going to bring much to the table in that aspect — which does lower his fantasy outlook in full-PPR formats by a considerable margin.
Additionally, Edwards is joining a new team at the age of 29. Sure, his experience with Roman in Baltimore does give him great knowledge of the offensive scheme, but the same can be J.K. Dobbins, who is also on the roster.
Unfortunately, 41% of Edwards’ fantasy production in full-PPR formats came from his rushing scores last year. That is a very high mark for a player who doesn’t project to have a significant role in the passing game.
Could Justin Herbert trust Edwards more than Lamar Jackson did as a checkdown option? It’s possible, but it is certainly not something I am willing to bank on.
The good news is Edwards’ competition for touches in this backfield is pretty thin. Dobbins was electric when healthy and was even the preferred option over Edwards in Baltimore. Yet, Dobbins’ durability concerns and potential lingering issues on that front are probably reflected somewhat in the financial deals both players got this offseason.
Additionally, rookie Kimani Vidal does have some intriguing traits to his game that could make him a potential threat down the road, but I would still put my money on Edwards to have dibs at the leading role in this backfield.
Edwards’ current ADP at No. 116 overall in the 10th round as the RB38 off the board is certainly a very reasonable price for a player who likely has the inside track to a leading role in a Chargers offense that has been productive in the Herbert era and wants to run the ball in 2024.
Unfortunately, his lack of explosiveness and limitations as a pass-catching threat could make him vulnerable to either losing a significant amount of work or losing his leading role this season.
The upside is certainly present at the current price point, but I wouldn’t want to enter the year relying on RB2 production from Edwards in 2024.