Week 3 at Minnesota
Melvin Gordon had a real nice game in Week 2, and it may be a sign the team is ready to give him the carries fantasy owners expected when they drafted him. Gordon rushed 16 times for 88 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He only played on 46-percent of the Chargers plays however.
It is a good sign Gordon is primed to get a similar workload each week, as he's averaging 15 carries over the first two games. Gordon will lose value in the passing game where he's still working on his pass blocking, and the team will likely continue to feature Danny Woodhead. It's a nice matchup for Gordon owners as the Vikes are 27th in allowing fantasy points to RBs. Gordon is a low-end RB2 this week.
Week 2 at Cincinnati
Week 1 wasn't a great debut for rookie Melvin Gordon, but it's one fantasy owners shouldn't have been shocked by. Drafted to be the team's RB1, Gordon has struggled a bit in camp and during the preseason and he finished Week 1 with 14 carries for 51 yards and a fumble (he added three catches for 16 yards).
Danny Woodhead was back in full force in Week 1 and kind of stole the show. So Gordon owners, at least early on, will have to deal with Woodhead stealing some carries and especially receptions. Gordon is ranked 25th as a high-end RB3/low-end RB2 this week as he gets a favorable matchup against the Bengals (who rank just 29th in fantasy points allowed to RBs). Just temper expectations for Gordon for now.
Week 1 vs Detroit
Fantasy owners flocked to draft Melvin Gordon, who is expected to be the Chargers lead back at some point. But Gordon has struggled in the preseason, leading the team to call their rushing attack a committee approach.
Rookie Melvin Gordon makes his debut in Week 1 at home against the Lions and is ranked 25th, making him a low-end RB2. The Lions ranked 11th last season in fantasy points allowed to RBs, so it's not a great matchup to start the season for Gordon owners. For all we know, Branden Oliver could steal some carries and Danny Woodhead will be a factor in the passing game. All those factors hurt Gordon's value as we enter Week 1.
Fantasy Upside
Right guy in the right place at the right time. That pretty much sums up Gordon's situation in San Diego. While it's true that Danny Woodhead will be in the mix as a receiver and perhaps even a goal-line weapon, Gordon was brought on board specifically to boost the Chargers’ running game which ranked No. 30 in the NFL last season. Wisconsin's offensive system wasn't really diverse, but the Chargers saw more than enough to believe that Gordon was their man. Remember, San Diego traded up from the 17th pick to the 15th pick in the first round to secure his services.
Fantasy Downside
There's always some concern about a rookie running back's ability to stay on the field. Gordon won't just have to prove proficient as a pass blocker, he'll have to be an effective receiver to keep Woodhead off the field. That seems unlikely, although it's possible the Chargers could come up with creative ways to get both backs on the field in passing situations.
Bottom Line
In addition to the overall poor showing on the ground, the Chargers only had six rushing touchdowns, and three of those left town when Ryan Mathews signed with the Eagles. The opportunity alone should be sufficient for the 6-1, 215-pound Gordon, who averaged 7.8 yards per carry in four seasons at Wisconsin, to have the greatest immediate impact among this year's incoming rookie RBs. I'm buying him at his current ADP (RB13).
