Melvin Gordon

Fantasy Upside
After sitting out the first four games of ’19 due to a contract dispute, Melvin Gordon is coming off a career-low in carries and yards, but he should be fresher and hungrier to produce with his new team. While splitting time with Austin Ekeler last year, Gordon turned 204 touches into over 900 yards and nine total TDs. He’s a great short yardage back with his leaping ability and has good hands, averaging 45 receptions per season. Gordon has scored 47 times over his career, all of them in the past four seasons after registering a goose egg during his rookie campaign. Having signed a new two-year contract with the Broncos, he’s projected to be the team’s top RB in Week 1.

Fantasy Downside
Fellow RB Phillip Lindsay is young and has amassed 1,000 yards on the ground in both of his professional seasons. While Gordon should be the starter, look for a split backfield, with each receiving around 15 touches per contest. Gordon has only held up for a 16-game season once in his five-years as a pro, the which was the only time he’s eclipsed 1,000 yards on the ground.

Bottom Line
If Gordon receives around 200 rushing attempts this season, he’ll likely be out of the top-15 RBs unless he’s able to find the end zone with consistency. With a shortened offseason, the Broncos have two proven RBs and will look to keep both fresh for the stretch run. Gordon is a dual threat back that is able to pound the rock inside and outside the tackles, with adequate receiving hands. Heading into the regular season he is just inside the top-20 for fantasy RBs.