Clyde Edwards-Helaire start or sit: What to do with Chiefs RB in AFC Championship

Still riding high after last week’s exhilarating divisional-round victory, the Kansas City Chiefs will return to Arrowhead Stadium to host the Cincinnati Bengals. The game kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on CBS.

Fantasy Football analysis: Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($5,300)

After missing the wild-card round due to injury, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire saw fairly limited touches in his 2021 postseason debut, carrying the ball seven times for 60 yards and catching one pass for 9 more yards. That workload didn’t arise purely due to game script either, as the second-year pro can serve as a capable pass catcher in obvious passing situations such as the one the Chiefs faced last week. Rather it seems journeyman Jerick McKinnon has usurped Edwards-Helaire’s role as the de facto receiving back in the Kansas City offense.

Edwards-Helaire still sees work in the red zone, and that could lead to a decent performance. He has three touchdowns over his last four outings, all of which came inside the 10-yard line. Fantasy managers have to weigh his upside when the Chiefs near the goal line against his otherwise limited workload elsewhere.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

Clyde Edwards-Helaire doesn’t come cheap and carries more risks than the other similarly priced options. Unless you can stomach the downside of a 50-yard, no-touchdown performance like he had in Week 15, stay away.