Fantasy Football: How Should You Handle the Chargers' Backfield?

The Los Angeles Chargers are attempting to build a new culture following a 5-12 season upon hiring Jim Harbaugh at head coach. After being hired for his second stint in the NFL, Harbaugh brought in a familiar face -- Greg Roman -- to be his offensive coordinator.

Roman was the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers during the Colin Kaepernick years while also calling the offense of the Baltimore Ravens early in the career of Lamar Jackson. The addition of Roman has many expecting the Chargers to take a run-first approach on the offensive side of the ball despite the Bolts having Justin Herbert under center.

Los Angeles is carrying a win total of 8.5 -- with the over sitting at -144 odds -- so they're expected to be pretty solid in 2024. Which running back from the Chargers should we be targeting in fantasy football for the 2024 campaign?

Let's take a look at the Chargers' backfield.

How to Handle the Chargers' Backfield in Fantasy Football

Gus Edwards' Fantasy Football Outlook

Once the Chargers hired Roman to be their next offensive coordinator, it wasn't a surprise to see Los Angeles sign Gus Edwards to a multi-year deal in free agency. Edwards played for Roman from 2019 to 2022 with the Ravens, giving him some familiarity on a new team.

Just last season, Edwards led the Ravens in rushing attempts (198), rushing yards (810), and rushing touchdowns (13) -- all of which were career-best marks. While Edwards doesn't have much upside in the passing game, he's averaged an efficient 4.9 yards per rush throughout his career, and he'll likely get the valuable goal-line touches (and won't have Lamar Jackson stealing goal-line TDs).

According to FantasyPros' consensus average draft position (ADP), Edwards is the 41st running back off the board and 125th overall player taken in half-PPR formats. numberFire's fantasy football projections view Edwards as a fantastic value as they are forecasting him for a RB31 finish with 191.6 attempts, 885.9 rushing yards, and 5.5 rushing touchdowns.

J.K. Dobbins' Fantasy Football Outlook

Along with signing Edwards, the Chargers also brought in another former Raven, inking J.K. Dobbins to a one-year, $1.61 million contract. Injuries have derailed Dobbins' career in the NFL, limiting him to 10 starts across his first four seasons.

After beginning last season as the Day-1 starter for the Ravens, Dobbins sadly sustained a season-ending Achilles ailment in Week 1.

With Dobbins missing 44 games throughout his four-year career, it's tough to expect much from him entering the upcoming season. Currently, Dobbins carries a 158 ADP (RB52) on FantasyPros, and numberFire's model projects him to record 114.1 attempts, 516 rushing yards, and 3.2 rushing touchdowns for a RB50 finish.

Kimani Vidal's Fantasy Football Outlook

While Kimani Vidal was only the 181st overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, he's a name to watch for the Chargers. Vidal became a workhorse in his final two seasons at Troy, eclipsing 231 rushing attempts, 1,132 rushing yards, and 10 rushing touchdowns in both years.

Among running backs with 100-plus rushing attempts in college last season, Vidal had the second-most rushing yards (1,661), 15th-most rushing touchdowns (14), second-most missed tackles forced (94), and the most runs of 10-plus yards (47), per PFF. On top of that, Vidal flashed receiving upside throughout his tenure at Troy, accumulating 92 receptions for 700 yards and one touchdown in his four seasons.

Entering his rookie campaign, Vidal possesses an ADP of 148 (RB47) on FantasyPros. Even though coach speak and comments by general managers can be misleading at times, Chargers' general manager Joe Hortiz had glowing remarks for Vidal when they drafted him.

Which Chargers RB is the Best Option?

Of the three running backs atop the Chargers' current depth chart, Edwards is the primary target due to his chances of taking on short-yardage and early-down work. Along with Harbaugh wanting to play a physical brand of football, PFF listed the Chargers as having the 12th-best offensive line unit ahead of the 2024 season.

Los Angeles has prioritized bolstering their offensive line through the draft in recent years, and Edwards is someone who can excel between the tackles. With Harbaugh taking Joe Alt in the first round of this year's draft, the Chargers have used a first-round pick on an offensive linemen in three of the last four drafts.

In half-PPR leagues, Edwards finished as RB20 overall and RB29 in fantasy points per game (10.6) a season ago. Considering his ADP, Edwards seems to be the best fantasy value in Los Angeles' new-look running back room.

As for Dobbins, it's hard to place confidence in him following all of his injuries. While Dobbins is still only 25 years old and was a former second-round pick, he's likely worth avoiding in fantasy football for the upcoming season despite his late-round ADP.

Vidal is an enticing target in deeper leagues as beating out Dobbins for the No. 2 role isn't out of the realm of possibility for the rookie sixth-round pick. Earning an immediate role can be tough for a late-round pick, but Dobbins is coming off an Achilles injury -- while having only $50,000 in guaranteed money on his contract -- and Edwards has never caught more than 12 passes in a season. Vidal could get pass-game work this coming year.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.