Clyde Edwards-Helaire wasn’t supposed to be a fantasy football nuisance. Quite the opposite, in fact. This was the game changing RB1 who was going to provide the most potent offense in football with a long-term answer to their only real weakness.
After all he did with Joe Burrow at LSU, it was only natural to assume the best when the Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The team was coming off a Super Bowl victory handing off to Damien Williams and the ghost of LeSean McCoy. Imagine what Andy Reid would be capable of with a bonafide stud in the backfield alongside Patrick Mahomes.
Two-and-a-half seasons later, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is nothing but a drag on fantasy football managers. It is safe to say the Chiefs have also moved on after giving the starting gig to Isiah Pacheco, an undrafted rookie from Rutgers.
The conundrum of Edwards-Helaire was put on full display in his very first game in the NFL. A Thursday Night Football clash against the Houston Texans was both a teaser of his capabilities and a frustrating dose of inconsistency.
The LSU running back rushed for 138 yards and a score. But it really should have been so much more. He was stuffed on five different occasions when trying to punch the ball in from the one-yard line which made his 27-yard touchdown run seem more like a fluke than anything else. What made matters worse was his failure to catch a pass despite coming into the league hailed for his receiving skills.
It never got better for Clyde Edwards-Helaire from both a fantasy football and real-life perspective. Every half-decent performance has been surrounded by duds. There has never been anything resembling consistency displayed during his 32 games in the league.
In any other case, Edwards-Helaire would be one of those players you just ignore entirely. Like Melvin Gordon or Tevin Coleman. Guys you know could be capable of the odd 20+ point game but would more than likely burn you chasing it.
However, the Kansas City offense means you can’t overlook anyone. They will score touchdowns and a lot of them. It is a high tide rises all boats situation. Unless that boat is named Edwards-Helaire. Even in the perfect fantasy football scenario, he fails to produce regularly. Everything the back does is unconvincing. His presence is a nuisance.
What makes this all the worse is the fact Pacheco has come in and looked serviceable for the Chiefs. But wait, there’s more. Here are some of the running backs taken after CEH in the 2020 draft:
- Jonathan Taylor
- D’Andre Swift
- K. Dobbins
- AJ Dillon
- Antonio Gibson
We won’t pretend the guys on that list aren’t without flaws. But they all probably produce a top-15 RB finish in Kansas City if healthy. Edwards-Helaire never has and most likely never will.
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