Why Fantasy Owners Shouldn’t Sleep On Clyde Edwards-Helaire In 2021

Social media is one of my favorite places to discuss football and fantasy football. On top of getting to know many different people from inside the fantasy football community, you get to see different points of view on different players. One person, I haven’t seen too much discussion on Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. There might be some reasons why folks are leaving him for dead instead of looking for him to take a step forward in the coming season. Especially considering that CEH didn’t quite live up to the hype after he was drafted in the back of the first round.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire finished as the RB 22 in PPR last season and completed the season with 1,100 total yards. CEH also had five touchdowns and caught 36 passes on 55 targets for a 67% catch rate. He did miss three games due to injuries, but for the most part, he was able to hold up well all things considered. That’s pretty solid for a rookie season. Clyde was able to finish third in rushing yards among the rookie running backs from the 2020 draft class.

While some may be turned off by his poor production in the red zone last year, I believe that there are some nuggets to take away that may be positives for this coming fantasy season. While CEH did struggle at the goal line, gaining just one rushing touchdown on nine attempts inside the five-yard line, he was the only back to even get that many attempts that close. From inside the 20, CEH led the Chiefs running back group with 29 attempts. The only other running back that even had double-digit attempts was Le’Veon Bell, and he’s a free agent. The running back room belongs to Clyde Edwards-Helaire unless the Chiefs bring in another body which they haven’t shown signs of doing yet.

I expect CEH’s workload to increase this year from snaps, targets, and rushing attempts. The Chiefs coaches seem to have full trust in him with guys like Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson filling in should CEH miss time. Neither poses a threat to eat into CEH’s work this coming season. Per FFCalculator, CEH currently has a 3rd round average draft position. That feels like a good spot to grab a good pass-catching running back in one of the best receivers passing attacks in the league. Even during a pandemic, the Chiefs finished first in total yards and first in passing yards. CEH is bound to be more involved in the passing game with a solid offseason under his belt in an Andy Reid-led offense that loves to get the ball to its running backs.

Don’t get caught sleeping on Clyde Edwards-Helaire this season. He should be given much more to do this season as the Chiefs look to rebound and get the bad taste of that Superbowl loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of their mouth. Even as we speak, Patrick Mahomes is working his way back from offseason toe surgery and recently told reporters that he wants to go 20-0 on the season. That’s insane! But picturing the kind of competitor Mahomes is, he doesn’t like to lose and I’d bet bread that he didn’t like the way that Superbowl game went. He’s going to be a man on a mission this season and with one of the most dangerous offenses in the game right now, he might be one of the few Quarterbacks that could will his team to pull off something like that.

Get you a piece of that offense. CEH is going to be one of those pieces.