Fantasy Football: Ravens lose Gus Edwards, add Latavius ​​Murray as injuries pile up

The Ravens lost Gus Edwards for the season after suffering an ACL tear on Thursday in practice, another blow to a fullback who has already lost JK Dobbins and Justice Hill to late-season injuries.

Edwards and DB Marcus Peters apparently suffered injuries in back-to-back games during Thursday’s session, with ESPN reporting the team fears the two suffered ACL tears at the end of the season. Testing will confirm the initial diagnosis, but at this point it looks like Edwards’ season is over before it even begins. Which leaves Baltimore’s backfield in precarious form heading into Week 1.

Undrafted free agent Ty’Son Williams among the BYU numbers will be next on the shopping list and is expected to be the Ravens’ starter on Monday against the Raiders – and he’s a key player in the 34% of CBS Fantasy leagues where he is available . The only other name on the official depth chart right now is Trenton Cannon, although the Ravens are expected to sign Latavius ​​Murray and have already added Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman to their practice squad earlier this week. So what should we expect the rotation to look like?

My best guess, at least to begin with, is that Williams is stepping into the role we’ve come to expect from Edwards, taking 13-17 runs, probably with a very limited passing role. And Williams should be pretty good at it! He has a pretty big back at 220 pounds, which makes the 40-yard 4.48-yard dash he ran on his Pro Day (even taking into account that Pro Day times are less reliable than combine times), and he rushed 130 meters in 24 races. the preseason.

I don’t think Williams is necessarily a special player – and neither are NFL teams, which should carry more weight – but playing alongside Lamar Jackson tends to increase the efficiency of the race, so Williams seems to be. a very good bet for 60-80 rushing yards against the Raiders, with a decent chance of scoring a touchdown. That is, my expectations for him are pretty similar to what I expected from Edwards, and I’m placing Williams as my 27th RB in the PPR leagues for Week 1.

What I have no idea what things might look like when Williams is not on the pitch. Maybe Williams is just playing some gigantic instant action as the Ravens sort through their options and determine what the plan is going to move forward, but given their history, I expect to see several full-backs on the pitch. And, of those, Bell has to be the most intriguing option for Week 1.

Bell has looked like a shell of himself lately, but just like Williams thinks he is effectively rushing into this offense. We’ll likely see a better version of Bell than what we’ve gotten in recent seasons – he’s averaging 4.0 yards per carry and 6.9 yards per target in 11 games with the Chiefs and Jets in 2020. He’s averaging 4.0 yards per carry and 6.9 yards per target in 11 games with the Chiefs and Jets in 2020. He always brings assists. skills at the table that could help him play a decent role in third downs, although the Ravens don’t usually throw themselves in the back much. Jackson will help create lanes for Bell, and it wouldn’t totally shock me to see Bell get double-digit hits – assuming he’s activated from the practice squad for the game, as expected. Bell is worth adding in most leagues at this point.

It’s possible Cannon would fill that # 2 role instead, but I kinda doubt it. He’s very quick, but undersized, and only has 146 yards on 48 carries over three seasons. I guess he’s used more on special teams, especially since he signed at the same time as Bell, so it’s not like he’s more familiar with the system.

Beyond week 1, of course, things could change. Murray will probably need more than two days to get up to speed, so I think we’ll see him for the first time in week 2, and he thinks he is the most immediate challenge for the role of Williams. In fact, my money would probably be on Murray to be the Ravens starter before long, given his track record of strong overall production. He thinks he brings more to the table than Williams, and certainly has more advantages through his pass-catching skills.

The Ravens are probably done adding to the backfield, at least for now, although we’ll see if these veterans can actually help solidify the position or if they will need to continue to seek help. This offense should make one of them look pretty good, so ultimately it’s a question of who wins the bigger opportunity. The best bets are Williams and Murray, both of whom should be entered at all levels in the CBS Fantasy leagues. But temper expectations, because I’d be surprised if either were much more than a # 2 marginal RB for Fantasy, especially in the PPR leagues, as the Ravens don’t throw themselves on their backs much and they’ll likely share the job no matter who # 1 is.