Asked about the current depth chart in the Chargers backfield, Daniel Popper of The Athletic this week listed Gus Edwards up top, J.K. Dobbins second, rookie Kimani Vidal third, and incumbent Isaiah Spiller fourth.
Poppper on the RB roles: "I see Edwards as the clear lead back. The secondary touches are open for competition, though if Dobbins is healthy, I think he wins that job. Edwards was nursing an injury in the spring, but according to Harbaugh, he should be ready for camp."
It shouldn't surprise anyone to see Edwards called the best bet in the Chargers' rebuilt backfield. He signed first, and for an extra year and more money than Dobbins. Edwards has history with OC Greg Roman (in Baltimore) and more proven production than any other RB on the team.
Tough to say exactly what Popper is basing his Dobbins expectation on. Could be practice observations. Could be discussions with coaches. Could just be assumption based on Dobbins being a vet who also played under Roman in Baltimore.
The competition between Vidal and Dobbins figures to be the most interesting in training camp. We've laid out the upside case for Vidal in our main Sleepers article. But it's important to remember that simply being a sixth-round rookie makes him a long shot for fantasy relevance.
Dobbins, of course, is coming off a September Achilles' tear and could manage only a small, one-year deal as a free agent.
Even Edwards will bear watching in his recovery from a spring foot injury.
Ultimately, this is an unsettled backfield. Everyone has issues. Don't over-trust any player.
Similarly, none of the Chargers' top three backs faces a clear long-term outlook.
Edwards turned 29 in April, has caught just 30 career passes, and hadn't topped 144 carries in a season before last year.
Dobbins isn't signed beyond 2024 and has both the Achilles' and an ACL tear on his NFL profile.
Vidal's a sixth-round rookie.
Just like in redraft, some interest in any or all of them makes sense. Just don't overrate any of the three.
Spiller has garnered mention in some spaces this offseason, but he has stunk through two NFL seasons. Don't believe there's any upside to him until he proves that there is.
Expect some jostling among Chargers RBs in both our fantasy football rankings and fantasy football ADP as camp and preseason play out.
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