The Dynasty Fantasy Football Impact of Melvin Gordon signing with Baltimore
Once upon a time, Melvin Gordon was one of the more coveted running backs in fantasy football. However, after scoring 38 times from 2016 to 2018 with the Chargers, Gordon’s production has fallen off, even after signing with the Broncos in an effort to resurrect his career. After his fumbling issues sealed his fate in Denver last season, Gordon was relegated to the Kansas City practice squad and never even played a snap for the Chiefs last season, putting his career in doubt. The Ravens feel he may have something left in the tank, so they signed him to a one-year deal today. The signing could have some dynasty impact, so let’s take a look at the players affected.
Melvin Gordon, RB BAL
Those who have played in dynasty leagues for more than a decade remember the strange rookie year of Gordon in 2015 where he rushed for 641 yards and caught 33 passes but failed to score a single touchdown on the season. Everything changed the following three years as he averaged nearly 1,000 rushing yards per season and scored those 38 touchdowns. However, the emergence of Austin Ekeler made Gordon expendable and he’s simply never been the same as he’s now five years removed from his last 1,000 yard season.
Baltimore is potentially giving Gordon a new lease on life and he could be a solid asset should he crack the final roster. However, at 30 years old, it’s clear his best days are likely behind him. It’s going to take some luck and an injury or two to make him relevant. However, Baltimore has made a habit out of getting the last bit of juice out of older veterans, so this is a signing worth watching. Regardless, Gordon is going to be back on the radar a bit with this move and could be a decent waiver add – just don’t expect starter-level numbers any time soon.
JK Dobbins, RB BAL
This is where things get interesting. Gordon is clearly not getting paid to be the starting running back in Baltimore. After all, his contract is only worth a possible $3.1 million (with incentives included) and that’s not exactly breaking the bank. However, the signing is yet another indicator the Ravens are more than comfortable employing a committee approach at the position and are increasingly unwilling to just hand the team over to Dobbins.
Dobbins is set to make around $1.4 million this season, the final year of his rookie deal. The Ravens did not sign him to an extension, despite him ranking second among all running backs with a 5.9 yards per carry rushing average since 2020. The problem has been his durability a he has missed more games (27) than he’s played (23) over his four-year career. The best ability is availability and Baltimore is clearly concerned with his long-term health.
Dobbins is quickly becoming a high-risk, high-reward player and while the signing of Gordon is by no means a direct impact to his value, it does give us a clear insight on what Baltimore is willing to do – limit his workload, use change-of-pace options when needed, and have a lot of insurance. Yuck.
Gus Edwards, RB BAL
Edwards has been consistently one of the most underrated players to have in dynasty leagues. While he’s never been a bona fide starter, he’s been solid whenever given a chance over the past four years. In fact, he’s averaged more than 5.2 yards per carry and scored 13 touchdowns, despite only having a career total of 501 carries. While he’s not a great receiver (18 career catches), he’s proven to be a solid RB2 whenever given the chance to start. Should Gordon make the team, his future could be cloudy, however. While he’s clearly the backup to Dobbins at the moment, it looks like Baltimore would be more than comfortable using both Edwards and Gordon should Dobbins get hurt. In short, Edwards really is what he is – a low-cost dynasty lottery ticket.
Justice Hill, RB BAL
The Ravens can get out from under Hill’s contract after the year and this signing could point to that happening, It’s unfortunate as Hill has always looked good in spurts but never really given a real shot to contribute. He always looks like the odd man out and will now likely need to beat out Gordon for a roster spot. As such, he looks like a tough hold in dynasty leagues.
Keaton Mitchell RB BAL
Mitchell’s size proved to be a serious issue as he went undrafted. However, he landed on his feet and signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent shortly after the draft was over. He has a long way to go before gaining any sort of value but has a shot to make the team if he can show some special teams ability. At this point, Mitchell is no more than a late round pick in rookie drafts, despite his history of small-school production With Dobbins, Edwards and now Gordon in the fold, this roster may be too tough to crack. His “sleeperness” just took a major hit.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
