The Case Against Melvin Gordon

Melvin Gordon was one of the most hyped up players coming out of college when the Chargers selected the running back out of Wisconsin in the first round. Gordon significantly under-performed in his rookie campaign & fantasy owners everywhere are questioning where he should be selected. With Danny Woodhead sharing rushes and the Chargers defensive woes it appears Gordon may have to wait a bit longer for his breakout season. With a current ADP of 73.9 Gordon is not a bad selection early in the seventh round. However the real question becomes will he produce this season? 

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Danny Woodhead Effect

Last season Melvin Gordon saw significantly more carries than Danny Woodhead did. Although this may sound good for fantasy owners, Woodhead gained his value from catching the ball out of the backfield. Gordon struggled with pass catching and simply could not hold onto the ball. Woodhead is one of the best pass catching running backs and unless Gordon can prove he is superior in this regard, the Chargers have no reason to take passes away from Woodhead. Players in PPR leagues last season really noticed Woodhead’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and saw him cruise to the number three running back in full PPR leagues. Gordon has not been able to prove himself (yet) with regards to pass catching. 

Defensive Woes

The Chargers defense finished in the bottom half of the league in many categories. The team was often playing from behind and as a result, passing the ball seemed like a better option. No major changes have been made to the Chargers defense. With the exception of Joey Bosa who is still holding out, the Chargers will see many of the same starters returning. Bosa may be a great player but I do not see him changing the Chargers defense into a top five defense. If San Diego’s defense fails to hold again then Melvin Gordon’s value will fall even lower. Game flow will be dictated by the Chargers defense which I would avoid at all costs.

Verdict on Melvin Gordon

Although Melvin Gordon is a very talented running back, the Chargers offensive line and defense are certainly not some of the best in the NFL. San Diego’s defense needs to keep games close or Gordon will not see many touches. Currently I do not see Melvin Gordon improving much on his 2015 season with the exception of he may see more rushes.

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Gordon is a late round flier who could turn into a value in standard scoring leagues. Depending on league formats Gordon could be a late round value pick. However I personally would prefer Ryan Mathews, Jeremy Langford, or Frank Gore. All of these players are being selected around Gordon and in my opinion all provide better values.