Clyde Edwards-Helaire Is Now an RB1 – Damien Williams Opts Out

Damien Williams Opts Out, Clyde Edwards-Helaire In the Top-10

Looking ahead to what is, hopefully, the 2020 NFL season is one of the few things fantasy football enthusiasts have to look forward to in this most bizarre year. While we all know the COVID-19 pandemic is going to have major impacts on just about every aspect of the upcoming NFL season, players choosing to err on the side of caution and sit out the season is already beginning to take effect. 

Few blame these professional athletes for not risking their health in these uncertain times. But since the NFL still plans to march forward, these absences will open up opportunities for other players to step in. With Kansas City running back Damien Williams announcing that he will forgo the 2020 NFL season, first-round rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire now has one of the biggest opportunities of any of these players. 

Williams was expected to open the season as the starter in one of the most potent offenses in football. Now that Edwards-Helaire is the prohibitive favorite to secure that lucrative starting role, he’s got the potential to be a top-10 fantasy running backs and is now looking like a first-round talent in fantasy leagues as well. 

FantasyData Projections Update Scheduled

With news of Damien Williams and other players like Marquise Goodwin and Devin Funchess deciding not to play this year, FantasyData is scheduling a fantasy football projections update very soon.  I’ll also be updating my Fantasy Rankings over the next week, however, I feel we could see more players deciding to opt-out. The NFL deadline for players to announce whether they’re not going to play this season is August 3rd. 

Andy Reid’s Offense

Long known as one of the league’s most creative offensive minds, Andy Reid finally secured his first Lombardi Trophy last season at the helm of the Chiefs, who have finished as a top-5 scoring offense in each of the two seasons with QB Patrick Mahomes under center. With Mahomes, the Chiefs have one of the league’s finest passing attacks, but an earmark of Reid’s offenses has been the ability to run the ball successfully. 

Kansas City struggled in that area in 2019, but the previous nine Andy Reid-coached teams finished above league average in rushing yards. Six of those teams ranked in the top-10 in both yards and rushing touchdowns. This is a coach who likes balance and is going to take full advantage of the abundant rushing room given by the threat of the passing attack. 

Reid has also preferred to champion a featured back over employing a committee. Running backs like Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, and Jamaal Charles have had monster seasons as a bell cow, three-down starters in Reid’s system. Kareem Hunt also looked like a terrific fit, racking up 1,782 yards from scrimmage and scoring 11 touchdowns as a rookie in 2017. 

While there is a precedent for Reid to prefer to rely on veteran backs over rookies, Hunt’s impressive freshman campaign showed that talent usually overrides antiquated thinking. 

Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s Skillset 

While Williams did a solid job and played very well for the Chiefs after he missed five games, he is not a premiere NFL talent. Wiliams is probably best utilized in a change-of-pace role and the early thinking was that the Chiefs would use both backs in a fairly even timeshare, with Williams as the 1A option. But now that we know Williams will not be a factor, Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s immense talent makes him an intriguing fit in Reid’s system 

At 5-foot-7 and 207 pounds, CEH is in the same size range as other do-it-all backs that have excelled under Andy Reid’s tutelage. While Edwards-Helaire is not a burner (he ran a 4.6-second 40), he registered an 89th-percentile burst score and made plenty of big plays for the national champion LSU Tigers. 

It was with that historic 2019 LSU offense that Clyde Edwards-Helaire really showcases his NFL abilities. CEH rushed for 1,414 yards, 17 touchdowns, and averaged 6.6 yards per attempt. He also was dynamic at creating extra yards, ranking in the top-10 of all NCAA running backs with 70 broken tackles- an impressive 35.2% broken tackle rate. Ball security was also a plus, as he lost just one fumble on 270 touches. 

While he might lack breakaway speed, Edwards-Helaire’s low center of gravity make him difficult to tackle, but where he really stands out is as a pass-catcher. CEH hauled in 55-of-58 targets for the Tigers, which was an astounding 94.8% catch rate. He’s an elite and versatile route-runner who can be deadly effective out of the slot and has an Alvin Kamara-like ability to produce big chunks of yards on dig routes. 

Clyde Edwards-Helaire PPR RB6pic.twitter.com/qwt16cLrnm

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) July 29, 2020

Despite Kansas City’s lowly 23rd ranking in rushing yards last season, Chiefs’ running backs still racked up 311 rushing attempts and the club produced 16 rushing touchdowns. Throw in Edwards-Helaire’s elite pass-catching ability and you have the formula for a potential top-10 fantasy back- particularly in PPR formats. 

Other Options

While Clyde Edwards-Helaire is clearly the best bet to break out as a potential fantasy stud in 2020, Reid will certainly want to beef up the depth chart. A number of veteran running backs remain unsigned and could be brought in as completion or depth to join Kansas City’s current backfield. 

Darrel Williams – The other Williams for the 2019 Chiefs, produced 308 total yards and four touchdowns in an injury-shortened season. The 224-pound third-year veteran could be used in some short-yardage situations and is a solid receiver as well. 

Darwin Thompson – A 2019 sixth-round rookie, Thompson barely saw the field in Year One, loving just 46 touches. Still, Thompson flashed some three-down ability at Utah State and could get another chance to expand his role. 

DeAndre Washington – Brought in as a potential change-of-pace/third-down option via free agency, Washington has produced some decent games when given an opportunity. Most likely, he’ll simply act as a safety outlet on passing downs and may break off a big-gainer or two. 

Spencer Ware – Ware got a handful of carries late last season before injuring his shoulder and winding up on IR. The 28-year-old can be an effective runner and receiver but is unlikely to take any touches away from Edwards-Helaire. 

LeSean McCoy – Currently an unsigned free agent, McCoy ranked second on the Cheifs last season with 101 carries and makes the most sense of any veteran free agents due to his familiarity with the entire offense, staff, and roster. While Shady is nowhere near the athlete he was when he used to be a fantasy star for Reid, he certainly makes sense as a potential mentor and change-of-pace option for Edwards-Helaire. 

Devonta Freeman – Another unsigned veteran, Freeman has the skills that would make him an intriguing fit in a Reid-coached offense if he’s healthy. But Freeman has been in decline for three straight seasons and may no longer be able to be an effective lead back. Perhaps as a part-timer, Freeman would make sense in a timeshare. 

Devonta Freeman is a fit for the Chiefs. He’s not as big as Damien, but has a ton of experience in a pass-heavy offense. Curious to see if they take a look.

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) July 29, 2020