Who Should I Start? J.K. Dobbins or Antonio Gibson

Thursday, July 25, 9:20 PM

Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) told reporters Thursday that he is one of the league's best running backs when healthy. "Ya'll know how much yards I averaged per carry," said Dobbins. The former Baltimore Raven has averaged 5.8 yards per carry since entering the league in 2020 -- the highest of any running back in that time. However, performance hasn't been the issue for the former Ohio State Buckeye; his availability has. He's appeared in just 24 of a potential 73 career games after falling victim to tears in his ACL and Achilles over the last few seasons. Despite this, Dobbins still views himself as a top talent in the league. "I feel like I'm in college out there right now," Dobbins said. "And I do think that the storm is over... You guys will see -- it'll be special." Dobbins has been a full go through two days of training camp, while Gus Edwards has yet to participate in team drills after an unspecified offseason surgery. Interestingly enough, Dobbins is currently being selected as the RB49 (ADP 150) -- 30 picks after Gus Edwards (RB40). It's possible he can provide some value this year with the caveat that he remains healthy.

Tuesday, July 23, 7:04 PM

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson (undisclosed) was placed on the active/NFI list to start training camp. The 26-year-old was added to the Patriots backfield as a depth piece and potential third-down running back. Gibson has been relatively durable throughout his career. He has played in at least 15 games in three straight seasons. Players are often placed on the NFI list during training camp, so this could turn out to be nothing, but it is worth monitoring. Gibson had a career-low in carries (65), rushing yards (265), and rushing touchdowns (1) in 2023 as he ceded the starting running back job to Brian Robinson Jr. Gibson is joining a Patriots team amid a considerable rebuild, especially on offense. Gibson's skills as a pass-catcher should come in handy in 2024, but the presence of incumbent Rhamondre Stevenson will likely once again limit Gibson's rushing upside. Generally, running backs on bad offense perform poorly for fantasy, so it may be best to look in another direction as you build out RB depth during your draft.