The Los Angeles Chargers are signing running back J.K. Dobbins to one-year deal, per his agency LAA Sports. Dobbins, a former Baltimore Raven, is reuniting with Gus Edwards who signed in Los Angeles earlier this offseason. He is coming off a shortened 2023 season after tearing his Achilles in Week 1 against the Houston Texans.
Fantasy Football Impact
Dobbins looked like a promising running back after his rookie season in 2020. He finished with 805 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games. Dobbins added 120 years on 18 receptions, but looked like he could be in line to be another dual-threat running back in the league. He then tore his ACL ahead of the 2021 season, only played in eight games in 2022 and missed nearly all of the 2023 season. Injury prone isn’t an actual thing, but he certainly has a checkered injury related past. It would have been great to see him land somewhere like the Dallas Cowboys where he would be considered the top guy at least until the NFL Draft next week.
Dobbins could be the RB1 for the Chargers, but the presence of Edwards caps his upside. It remains to be seen how well he has recovered from his torn Achilles and Edwards is coming off a season with Baltimore where he finished with 810 yards and 13 touchdowns. He should be first in line for work at the goal line, but Dobbins should have the receiving edge. Unfortunately, this lowers both of their outlook for fantasy football. Neither should be considered a RB1 and even an RB2 feels like a stretch in the new-look Chargers offense. Justin Herbert is likely going to lead a pass-heavy offense and the split backfield doesn’t help either Dobbins or Edwards. Heading into the NFL Draft and the main part of the NFL offseason, I’d say that Dobbins could be a RB3 and Edwards an RB4 in any form of PPR league, while that switches to Edwards RB3 and Dobbins RB4 in non-PPR leagues.