The Baltimore Ravens are right there in first place in the AFC. Despite all that success, could they be making a change in the running back position? Gus Edwards has been the go-to guy for them, but Week 12 may have been an indication that the rookie may be in line to handle more carries. They are both very good running backs, but which one should be in your lineup in Week 14?
Should You Start Keaton Mitchell or Gus Edwards This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Edwards is the player to start. His projected 9.3 points include 66 rushing yards but zero receptions. That projected stat line narrowly outperforms the consensus projection for Mitchell (7.7 points).
I am going to go with Mitchell on this one, as I think he has a much higher ceiling. The Ravens appear to be using him more, and his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield to me is the difference between these two.
Fantasy Outlook for Mitchell This Week
Over the Ravens’ final four games before the bye week, the percentage of offensive snaps where Mitchell was on the field increased from 18% to 24% to 36% to 46%.
While he isn’t getting the ball a ton (7.3 carries during that stretch), he averaged 9.3 yards per carry and rushed for just over 67 yards per game.
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In Week 12, neither of the running backs rushed the ball much, as Mitchell had one more carry than Edwards (9-8). However, the big indicator showing that the Ravens may be leaning toward Mitchell for the stretch run was the fact he was on the field for 33 snaps while Edwards was only on the field for 19.
The biggest difference between these two running backs is being able to catch the ball out of the backfield. While Mitchell hasn’t been extremely involved in the passing game yet, he can be a big-time player.
I get it, Edwards has the numbers right now, but make no mistake about it, Mitchell’s time is coming for Baltimore.
Fantasy Outlook for Edwards This Week
Edwards has been very good for the Ravens this year and has been one of the surprising running backs in the NFL. He leads the team in rushing yards (590) and rushing touchdowns (10), and those touchdown numbers are tied for fourth in the league with David Montgomery.
However, he hasn’t looked very good recently. He gained just 24 yards on 11 carries against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10 and finished with 26 yards on only eight carries in the matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
While the Los Angeles Rams aren’t the best run defense in the NFL, they have been playing better of late. In their last three games they are allowing just 76 yards per game on the ground and less than four yards a carry (3.9).
He is still a solid running back, don’t get me wrong, but for the Ravens to reach their potential, Mitchell is the guy moving forward.
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