Fantasy Football Preview Melvin Gordon Chargers RB

Badger of Honor is previewing the fantasy football season focusing only on former Wisconsin Badger players

Our second installment of a Wisconsin Badger themed fantasy football preview looks at Melvin Gordon. Since the now Los Angeles Chargers will depend on its 2015 1st round pick to power the offense.

Standard disclaimer applies, namely when I write about Melvin Gordon I’m not impartial. I’m too big a fan of the 2014 Heisman runner-up.

In 2015 I played in a 10-team fantasy football auction draft league. For the uninitiated, the auction style means you have a fixed fictional budget to bid on players. Everyone has a shot at every player in the league which is more intense and more work.

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Unfortunately my prep was pretty much watching YouTube highlights of Melvin Gordon roasting Nebraska. As a result, I got into an expensive bidding war and screwed up my budget. But I did get Melvin Gordon. Unfortunately that was his rookie year.

He had a rough rookie season managing just 641 yards rushing, no rushing TDs, and 192 receiving yards on 33 receptions. Gordon had a solid second year for the Chargers before injuries rushing for 997 yards and 10 TDs. He also added 419 receiving yards on 41 catches and two TDs.

Gordon enters 2017 as a valuable fantasy football commodity as a young RB1. His value is boosted due to the news Ezekiel Elliott of the Cowboys is facing a lengthy suspension.

Here is where various expert sites rank Gordon for the 2017 season based on standard scoring leagues:

SI: RB #6
ESPN: RB #5
Yahoo: RB #6
CBS: RB #10
FOX Sports: RB #8
Bleacher Report: RB #4
Sporting News: RB #6
NFL.com RB #5

So that computes to an average of QB #6.25 across the fantasy lists I excerpted. Yet, not all the rankers accounted for the Elliott news which will move Gordon up a rank.

The Chargers selected three OL in the NFL Draft including OG prospects in rounds two and three. However, 2nd round pick Forrest Lamp tore his ACL and is lost for the season. The bolts also signed Russell Okung in free agency to play LT.

If you’re in a standard snake draft format Gordon will likely be picked at the top of the 2nd round. Therefore, if you have a high 1st round pick you can’t be sure Gordon will still be on the board at the bottom of the 2nd. So be prepared to move early on Melvin Gordon if you want the former Badger on your squad.