2021 Gus Edwards Fantasy Football Player Profile

It’s that time of year once again! Football Absurdity will bring you a breakdown of every notable fantasy football-relevant player throughout June, July, and August. We finished our quarterbacks already; that means it’s time to get to the most frustrating position! That’s right, we’re on to the running backs. Today’s article brings us a discussion of 2021 Gus Edwards. The Baltimore Ravens seem dedicated to passing more in 2021, but does that matter for the man affectionately known as “Gus Bus”?

Gus Edwards ADP & AAV:

Average Draft Position (HPPR): RB41, Pick 111
Average Auction Value: $1.1 (RB54)

Gus Edwards Statistics:

2021 Gus Edwards Fantasy Football Overview:

The list of active running backs who have at least 700 yards in each of the last three seasons is short (16 players), and contains Gus Edwards. Edwards is also one of 30 backs to total at least 2,300 yards in the last three years. He just doesn’t get a lot of hype because, well, he’s Gus Edwards. He’s been second fiddle in all three of his years in the NFL; first to Mark Ingram, and then to J.K. Dobbins.

But, there’s a lot of reason to like Gus Edwards. While he doesn’t get receptions (18 catches in three seasons), he is extremely efficient with the ball. Gus Edwards has been in the NFL for three seasons, and in each of those three seasons, he topped 100 carries while averaging 5.0 yards per carry (or better). Edwards and Nick Chubb are the only active players to do this in each of the last three seasons, and only six players (Chubb, Edwards, Matt Breida, Derrick Henry, Aaron Jones, and Raheem Mostert) pulled off this feat multiple times since 2018.

Gus Edwards is in some rarified company and needs a shot to break through to 1,000 all-purpose yards. It doesn’t seem like it’s that difficult to scale him up to that amount, given the Ravens’ dedication to the run and the roster around Edwards. Edwards had over ten touches in a game six times last season, and he turned in at least 70 total yards or a touchdown in all six of those games.

2021Gus Edwards Fantasy Football Draft Strategy:

Gus Edwards Auction Value: $3
Draft Ranking: Find out for your league settings in a Beersheet!

Go get Gus Edwards. He’s cheap, and he has an extremely solid floor. The Ravens are one of the most run-heavy teams in the league, splitting 363 running back rushing attempts last season. This should go mostly to J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, with Justice Hill soaking up the rest. It’s a dense running back rush distribution, and it’s all going to Edwards and Dobbins.

Edwards is dirt cheap, making him a dead-easy stash at his draft price. There are very few running backs over pick 100 who feel like slam dunks to get at least 800 yards this year, and Edwards is one of them… going after 110, even! I’m excited to see what Gus Edwards can do with a bigger workload, and that completely ignores the unthinkable: J.K. Dobbins suffers a season-ending injury.

Best Case Scenario:

Gus Edwards slowly wrests control away from J.K. Dobbins and ends the year in the bigger side of the platoon, with about 1,200 yards and 8 touchdowns for his troubles.

Worst Case Scenario:

Gus Edwards somehow has the short end of the platoon quickly wrenched from him by Justice Hill, who proceeds to steal Edwards’ 1,200 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Check out all our 2021 player profiles, here.

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[Statistics are sourced from pro-football-reference.com, airyards.com, and ftnfantasy.com]

[Image Source: D’Andre Swift on Instagram]