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Instant Fantasy Analysis - RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs

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Except for his quickness and ability to contribute in the passing game, Edwards-Helaire is pretty much the antithesis of what one would expect from a 5-7, 207-pound running back. Pro Football Focus charted 546 of his 1,414 rushing yards (38.6 percent) this season coming in the A gap (on either side of the center) and 894 (63.2 percent) came in either the A or B gap. Those are remarkable percentages for a 230-pound bruiser, much less a significantly smaller back. Some smaller runners dance behind the line of scrimmage and try to bounce too many runs outside. Edwards-Helaire is an inside runner, pure and simple, and it seems pretty clear he understands that is where he is the most effective. Two of his best qualities as a runner are the patience he shows behind the line of scrimmage and how light he is on his feet. Perhaps no runner in this draft class can stop and start as quickly as he does, and he's definitely on the higher end of the class when it comes to making defenders look silly in space. He's a matchup nightmare in the passing game and a pocket full of dynamite in the running game that won't need to come off the field (assuming his aforementioned pass protection "concern" ends up being a non-issue).

It's difficult to find much fault with his tape. There are occasions in which he trusts his elusiveness a bit too much. It'd be nice if he is he could more homers and fewer doubles. He had an annoying habit of running parallel to the line of scrimmage on swing passes (instead of running an arc), making what should be a relatively easy throw for his quarterback a more difficult one. But let's be honest: that is being extremely nitpicky with a prospect, especially one who was a full-time starter for just one season.

What does it mean in redraft? Edwards-Helaire's biggest obstacle to success in the NFL figured to be whether his new team was going to give him a chance to prove he can be "the guy." A first-round pick by the Chiefs would seem to suggest he'll get every chance he needs. While Damien Williams broke a few long runs in 2019, he was a very pedestrian runner for the most part. Enter Edwards-Helaire, who could conceivably enter the season as the lead back in this highly explosive offense. Damien Williams is unlikely to give up the job easily, but Edwards-Helaire will prove to be the better man sooner than later. He has RB1 upside if gets the same kind of opportunities Williams as the lead back down the stretch last season, but owners need to view him as an RB2 unless Williams goes down before the start of the season.

What does it mean for dynasty? Although it is too early to say for sure with a few more potential starters likely to come off the board Friday, Edwards-Helaire can make a strong case to be the 1.01 in rookie drafts. At worst, he should considered a top-three selection. (Will update again after the draft is completed.)

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Curious to see how much of a committee Reid will use between Damien Williams and CEH. This is definitely and intriguing spot for the rookie. 👍

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In '17, I talked about how we got our Brett Fav-ruh and Emmitt Smif with the Mahomes and Kareem Hunt selections.

I was probably wrong about both because it looks like Mahomes might redefine the QB position if he continues on this absurd pace, and Hunt was a much bigger idiot than anyone could have given him credit for.  Oh well, our Priest Holmes pick this year may end up being better anyway :banana:

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Before last season Reid always seem like a coach that like a go to rb1.  

And he found him. 

 

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On 4/25/2020 at 5:09 AM, weepaws said:

Before last season Reid always seem like a coach that like a go to rb1.  

And he found him. 

 

Got to agree here. Reid pumps out rb1s. He likes to lean on his guy he trusts. 

Im not worried about Williams at all. Williams has some work ethic issues that have been whispered about, and he seemed to land in Reids dog house last year. 

This screams Kareem Hunt all over again.

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Williams is going to be a good rb2  with KC.  

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He's going to be about a 3rd round pick in most redrafts I think, higher in some.

In dynasty, he'll probably be the top pick more than any other rookie, and a top5 at worst.

He has huge upside in KC. He could be Andy Reid's next Brian Westbrook or Lesean McCoy?

That may not happen right out of the gate though. Damien Williams will still get plenty of touches and could be the top RB in the system to start the season.

He probably won't be by mid season though. After a few weeks, we should have a very good idea about how valuable this guy will be going forward for the next few seasons. It's likely to be pretty high.

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1 hour ago, purplengold47 said:

This guy is the starter now I guess. No damien, no mccoy. Anybody gambling on him, I wonder what's his ADP.

Probly around 1.4 or 1.5 in PPR.

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ADP going up after every completed mock. 

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I have the top pick in one dynasty draft and I'm going for it in another, will probably get it.

In the league I know I have the top pick, I'm definitely taking him, without question. I have Zeke, Kenyan Drake, and not much else at RB, plus I'm deep at WR, so it's no brainer.

In the other league, I have 3 solid RBs, Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, and Mark Ingram. I'm absolutely desperate for WRs, all I have is AJ Brown, so I may go for a WR. It's tempting though

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You could always still take him and look to move one of your 4 RBs.  What rookie WR would you expect to put up similar numbers as CEH ? 

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1 hour ago, polecatt said:

I have the top pick in one dynasty draft and I'm going for it in another, will probably get it.

In the league I know I have the top pick, I'm definitely taking him, without question. I have Zeke, Kenyan Drake, and not much else at RB, plus I'm deep at WR, so it's no brainer.

In the other league, I have 3 solid RBs, Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, and Mark Ingram. I'm absolutely desperate for WRs, all I have is AJ Brown, so I may go for a WR. It's tempting though

May I ask this question, what wr would be available for you to pick from? 

Right now I’m taking CEH , because Ingram is losing his footing as the rb1 , why to much competition on the ravens at the rb postion. 

I would rather have CEH with the Zeke and Drake, but let’s see that wr list to make sure. 

And as listed above l you might be able to even trade Ingram for a wr, maybe  

Thanks. 

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1 minute ago, weepaws said:

May I ask this question, what wr would be available for you to pick from? 

Right now I’m taking CEH , because Ingram is losing his footing as the rb1 , why to much competition on the ravens at the rb postion. 

I would rather have CEH with the Zeke and Drake, but let’s see that wr list to make sure. 

Thanks. 

It would be any of the rookie WRs, plus whichever WRs may get dropped into the FA pool. There won't be any worth that much dropped unless somebody really surprises me. We select a certain number of keepers and I'm down to 6.  I don't see anyone else keeping less than 7 and most will keep 8 or 9.  Which means I'll almost certainly have the top pick and possibly the top 2. If I get the top 2, I'll definitely take CEH. If not, I may take one of the top 3, Lamb, Jeudy, or Ruggs. So out of about the first 10 picks or so, I should have at least 3 or 4 picks. I'm looking at it for several seasons, not just this one. It's such a deep WR class, there are several WRs that could be top 10 guys in the future. I was aiming to get at least two of them. I'm kind of iffy too about Ingram but I think he'll be a decent play this season. I don't quite expect him to do like last season but I think he''ll be a decent 3rd RB.

It's a PPR league, but TDs over 40 yds are 9 pts, and over 50 is 12 pts, so big play guys are at a premium. I just traded for AJ Brown, mainly because of his 9 TDs last season 5 of them were long range. All of the top 3 rookie WRs have some big play ability, so I would like to get my hands on at least one of them and would love to get 2.

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I like Reagor,  but of course only if CEH isn’t available 

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On 4/24/2020 at 11:50 AM, cmh6476 said:

 

Reid: Where are you? You in some kind of warehouse or something? Yeah, that doesn't look like a small space......." 🤔

 

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https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/08/24/patrick-mahomes-chiefs-training-camp-nfl-fmia-peter-king/

 

Quote
  • Draft Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round of your fantasy draft. Believe me, you’ll thank me for that tip on the LSU rookie.
  • Two newsy things I saw at the two practices: a very heavy dose of Edwards-Helaire, who played with the sensational Joe Burrow at LSU last year and now fortunately upgrades to Mahomes. Edwards-Helaire will start and should be an impact player from day one. Also, the dangerous Tyreek Hill looked like he tweaked a groin muscle Thursday on a go route, sprinting for a deep pass. He went inside after that, and still wasn’t practicing Saturday. I hear he’ll be back this week and it’s not serious. But groin and hamstring tweaks are worries with a finely tuned athlete like Hill, so we’ll see how he responds. The Thursday night opener against Houston is 17 days away. This is why depth at receiver is so vital and why, honestly, the Chiefs were seriously considering drafting Alabama speedster Henry Ruggs in April if he plummeted in round one; instead, he went 12th overall to the Raiders. Gluttonous? Maybe. But for Reid and Veach, the idea that you can’t have enough speed is not a cliché.

    Regarding Edwards-Helaire, check out the first four plays of 11-on-11 practice Wednesday:

    • Mahomes handed to Edwards-Helaire, through the right guard-tackle hole.
    • Mahomes handed to Edwards-Helaire, around left end.
    • Mahomes handed to Edwards-Helaire, over right guard.
    • Mahomes handed to Edwards-Helaire, over right tackle.

    On Thursday, Edwards-Helaire was back in the same spotlight. First three snaps of an 11-on-11 period, all handoffs to him. He ran a wheel route out of the backfield, Mahomes threw it slightly behind him, and the kid caught it in stride, one-handed, and headed upfield like he’d done this a thousand times before. Built low to the ground, with powerful-looking legs, sort of like Kareem Hunt, Edwards-Helaire could not have been much more impressive in the two practices I saw.

    Now, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that Reid’s going to use Edwards-Helaire as a rookie the same way Reid used Hunt as a rookie in 2017. Hunt touched it 325 times (remember his 246-yards-from-scrimmage demolition of the Patriots on opening night in Foxboro?) in that rookie season, winning the rushing title and becoming an instant threat in the passing game too. But this is practice, scripted from start to finish; maybe this is two days of getting timing down with Edwards-Helaire. But I doubt it’s just that. I say he’ll be a stud, a prime candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He appears a confident and sure runner who can make people miss, a better runner between the tackles than a 5-foot-8, 209-pound guy should be, and a smooth and assured receiver. Veach told me: “He’s on pace to have a big year, to be our primary ballcarrier.”

 

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1 hour ago, Skinny_Bastard said:

Does the kid play fast? He ran a 4.6 at the combines.  That's not a burner.

I hear that he is very swift...

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Had the #10 pick in a 10-team league over the weekend.  Of the first 9 picks, 8 were RB's.  I took Edwards-Helaire and D. Adams at the turn.

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Would have taken T Hill over Adams.  

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1 hour ago, TBayXXXVII said:

Didn't want to take two KC players.

Thank you. 

One more question, if you didn’t take CEH , would you have drafted Hill over Adams ? 

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3 minutes ago, weepaws said:

Thank you. 

One more question, if you didn’t take CEH , would you have drafted Hill over Adams ? 

My decision was pretty much Hill and A. Jones or CEH and Adams.  I felt A. Jones was the least dependable, so that's why I went the way I did.

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Thanks. 

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12 minutes ago, Skinny_Bastard said:

Well, thanks to the hype machine he went 6th in my league.

Was looking to draft him at 11th.

I'm out of touch or he is over valued.

 

He went before Sanders and Drake? oh boy.... I doubt I'll get him at 8th then :P

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I’m not convinced.  

Sounds like he’s the size of a Maurice Jones Drew.

5’7” 210lbs 4.61 40 CEH.

5’7” 207 4.39 40 for MJD.

No preseason games, barely any practices and a half billion dollar quarterback to protect.

Talking Some serious hype here. He is not that fast in comparison to MJD.

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26 minutes ago, RabidSeaCows said:

He went before Sanders and Drake? oh boy.... I doubt I'll get him at 8th then :P

It’s a case of immediate value with little to no risk. Similar to Saquon, Zeke, Gurley rookie seasons. 
 

You know he’s talented, you know he’s gonna get the ball a bunch, and you also know he’s in an extremely high powered offense, if not the best offense. 
 

I have CEH ranked right there with Kamara. I’d probably take him over Dalvin Cook and the other RBs at that tier.

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The difference with CEH is he wasn't a top 5 or top 10 pick, because he isn't an athletic freak like those other guys. His value is that he landed in KC. I think he will be good but is probably overvalued as a top 7 pick...

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11 minutes ago, justforbeer said:

I’m not convinced.  

Sounds like he’s the size of a Maurice Jones Drew.

5’7” 210lbs 4.61 40 CEH.

5’7” 207 4.39 40 for MJD.

No preseason games, barely any practices and a half billion dollar quarterback to protect.

Talking Some serious hype here. He is not that fast in comparison to MJD.

Can’t compare size and 40 time and assume they’re the same type of player, on top of that I’d say MJD was an excellent RB.

 

CEH has excellent lateral movements and balance and vision. That’s what made him a star at LSU. 
 

MJD as small as he was, was a bruiser who worked mostly between the tackles and welcomed contact. 
 

I think a better comparison to CEH is someone like Mark Ingram. Similarly undersized and not impressive 40 time with EXCELLENT college production. 
 

Now imagine Mark Ingram (or I guess to your point MJD) as the top dawg RB in the KC offense. That RB is gonna score a bunch of fantasy points.

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2 minutes ago, jrokh said:

The difference with CEH is he wasn't a top 5 or top 10 pick, because he isn't an athletic freak like those other guys. His value is that he landed in KC. I think he will be good but is probably overvalued as a top 7 pick...

Kareem Hunt wasn’t a top 10 pick like those guys either. Production is production regardless how it manifests. You’re absolutely right his value is the fact he landed in KC, that point cannot be stressed enough.

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I think he’s a first round pick, and I think 6-14.  

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1 minute ago, LoOnAtIk said:

Kareem Hunt wasn’t a top 10 pick like those guys either. Production is production regardless how it manifests. You’re absolutely right his value is the fact he landed in KC, that point cannot be stressed enough.

Agreed, just wasn't down comparing to Barkley/Zeke/Gurley. Athletically and Size not similar. I watched most LSU games last year, his balance is superb, really smart, crafty player. Perfect for what KC runs, but don't expect many games of 20+ touches. I wouldn't draft him over the first 8 players or so, but after that, sure.

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2 minutes ago, jrokh said:

Agreed, just wasn't down comparing to Barkley/Zeke/Gurley. Athletically and Size not similar. I watched most LSU games last year, his balance is superb, really smart, crafty player. Perfect for what KC runs, but don't expect many games of 20+ touches. I wouldn't draft him over the first 8 players or so, but after that, sure.

The 20-touches thing is interesting because even without being the focal point of the offense he could still manage 20 just because of the sheer speed and volume of plays that KC runs. 
 

Kamara is viewed as a top 4 RB and he never gets 20. 

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25 minutes ago, jrokh said:

Agreed, just wasn't down comparing to Barkley/Zeke/Gurley. Athletically and Size not similar. I watched most LSU games last year, his balance is superb, really smart, crafty player. Perfect for what KC runs, but don't expect many games of 20+ touches. I wouldn't draft him over the first 8 players or so, but after that, sure.

Who would be your first 8 players ? 

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