With the injury to J.K. Dobbins, many Baltimore Ravens fans and fantasy football managers are wondering who will step up. Gus Edwards is the backup on the depth chart. Will he be the one who steps up and takes the snaps? While that may be the case, and Edwards will have his weeks to get started in fantasy football, this is not one of them.
Sit Gus Edwards vs Cincinnati in Week #2 fantasy matchup
Edwards and Dobbins have differing roles in the offense. So, it makes sense to think that Justice Hill, who has a similar running style to Dobbins, would step in there while Edwards would keep his role as the downhill runner. Edwards saw a healthy workload in the Houston Texans after the injury to Dobbins, but you could argue that is because the game was already out of hand, and the Ravens were looking for their power back to close the game out.
So, if the Ravens face a weak defensive front, or if the Ravens are in games where they expected to win big and close the game out with running, you should start Gus Edwards. This game may not be one of them.
One issue is seeing Tyler Linderbaum and Ronnie Stanley out for this game. With B.J. Hill and D.J. Reader both pretty stout against the run, the Ravens will have trouble running the ball downhill, and Gus Edwards will earn every single yard he gets. More than that, the Ravens are underdogs in this game.
We know that Joe Burrow and the Bengals can score, and if the Ravens are trailing or in a shootout, they will have to rely on Justice Hill. The odds of the Ravens getting up big early and salting the game away late like they did against the Texans are less likely.
There may be a time and place for Gus Edwards in your fantasy football lineups. He may be worth a stash on your bench, depending on the league. However, he is not a player that you should consider starting in week two against the Cincinnati Bengals.