First up in this series is the only RB selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Clyde Edwards-Helaire. CEH landed in what was perceived as the best landing spot for an RB, and rumors swirled that QB Patrick Mahomes influenced the selection. The hype-train reached a fever pitch before week one as CEH saw his ADP climb into the first round of redraft leagues.
2020 SEASON RECAP
Edwards-Helaire started very strong in primetime week one against the Houston Texans. CEH finished 25 carries, 138 yards rushing, and a rushing touchdown. Fantasy managers thought they had struck gold with their first-round pick. CEH would post two more games during the year that eclipsed his 19.8 PPR points from week 1.
CEH saw his snap percentage decrease throughout the season, and the addition of Le’Veon Bell played a role in that. The improvement of Darrel Williams also limited the touches of CEH. Touted as one of the better receiving backs in the 2020 class, CEH fell flat on those expectations in his rookie season. Seeing 54 targets and catching 36 of those led to only 297 yards and only one touchdown. Of CEH’s 176 PPR points in 2020, only 71.7 came from his receiving work. Many hoped he would be a significant weapon out of the backfield but was stymied by another great season out of TE Travis Kelce.
CEH only missed two games during the 2020 fantasy season, which bodes well for a back of his stature. Listed at 5’8” and 209lbs, CEH was always short but never “small” due to his weight.
| Attempts | Yards | Rush TDs | YPC | Targets | Rec | Yards | Rec TDs | PPR Total | RB Finish |
| 181 | 803 | 4 | 4.44 | 54 | 36 | 297 | 1 | 176.0 | RB22 |
THE WAY FORWARD
CEH is an interesting study. In the draft process, he was consistently ranked near RB5 or below for the 2020 class. With the draft capital and landing spot, CEH jumped to nearly a consensus RB1 position. I am giving a pass to almost every rookie this year due to the craziness that was the COVID-19 offseason. Limited work in an offense that was fresh off a Super Bowl was a recipe for a slow start. I cannot blame the Chiefs for going after Bell to bolster their roster for another Super Bowl run, and Bell should not be on the roster in 2021. CEH disappointed in 2020, but I would expect him to recover to be a top 15 RB next year with a full offseason and Bell off the roster.
