The Chargers may suffer on the field with Melvin Gordon’s absence, but fans are maybe more concerned with how it affects their fantasy football team.
With Philip Rivers on the roster, nearly every Chargers player on offense has been an integral part of fantasy football discussions for years. Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Hunter Henry are early favorites this season, while Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson, and even Travis Benjamin are dark horses or sneaky picks in deeper leagues.
One dilemma facing not only Chargers fans, but every fan playing fantasy football this season: Where should one draft Melvin Gordon?
On one hand, he’s a touchdown machine who is part of one of the best offenses in the NFL. Gordon has been one of the best fantasy backs for multiple years, so long as he is on the field and not limited or forced to miss a game. 38 total touchdowns in three years is nearly a touchdown per game for Gordon (who has played in 41 of 48 possible games since 2016), giving him as safe a floor as any.
The problem: No one outside of Gordon really knows when the star running back will re-join the Chargers, if at all. And for that reason alone, he’s being taken much later than he normally would.
Of those polled, 84 percent of fans are taking Gordon in the third round or later, with the majority of votes (45 percent) in favor of taking him in the third or fourth round.
https://twitter.com/ESPNFantasy/status/1166898999737147395
He’s a little offended.
Still, one can’t blame fans, as there appears to be no real concrete information surrounding Gordon’s return. Though many have speculated he’ll be back for Week One, there is no evidence from Gordon’s camp that he’ll be back for the regular season opener. One thing is for sure: If he returns, and a fantasy team snagged him in the third round or later, that team should now be considered a serious contender.