After Jim Harbaugh came to town, the entire offensive skill group for the Los Angeles Chargers was overhauled, including the running back room.
Veteran backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards were both brought in without much clarity as to how carries would be split between the two backs.
After a big season-opening performance for Dobbins, has that question been answered?
J.K. Dobbins’ Fantasy Outlook for the Remainder of the 2024 Season
There were questions as to how both Dobbins and Edwards would perform after leaving the extremely run-friendly Baltimore Ravens, and one of the two backs passed their first test with flying colors. Dobbins ran for 135 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, including a long rush of 61 yards. He also caught three passes, and while they picked up just four yards, that’s still a meaningful angle of his performance for PPR formats.
It’s worth noting that the win came against a Raiders run defense that did surprisingly well in 2023, and many of Dobbins’s carries came in obvious run situations, making the performance all the more impressive.
Dobbins looked especially good in comparison to Edwards, who actually received more carries (11) but ran for just 26 yards and did not score. Edwards’ longest rush was 10 yards, and he did not catch a pass all day.
There’s no question that Harbaugh intends to run the football at a high volume with the Chargers. He’s done it at every stop, from U of San Diego and Stanford to the San Francisco 49ers and Michigan. The only thing to figure out is who will be receiving the carries.
Overreacting to Week 1 is rarely wise, but the gap between Dobbins and Edwards was extremely striking. It probably isn’t a signal to completely change the makeup of your fantasy roster, but keep an eye on Dobbins as the favored back in Los Angeles. At the very least, the role is now his to lose.
However, if he’s on your team and someone in your league looks at his stat line and makes a rash offer, consider taking it as long as you have enough running back depth on the roster.