Clyde Edwards-Helaire - Fantasy Points Outlook

What You Need to Know:

• Edwards-Helaire has opened his NFL career with RB25 and RB28 finishes in PPR points per game; RB26 and RB27 in non-PPR points per game.
• He missed 3 games as a rookie with ankle and hip injuries. Last year, CEH missed 5 games with a sprained MCL and 2 with a shoulder injury.
• Edwards-Helaire averaged 13.9 carries and 4.2 targets per game on a 59.0% snap rate as a rookie.
• In his 8 healthy games last year, CEH averaged 12.9 carries and 2.5 targets on a 57.2% snap rate.
• He sunk from 13th among 48 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus’ 2020 rushing grades to 39th out of 50 last year. He dropped from 12th to 37th in Elusive Rating.
• Edwards-Helaire also regressed in PFF receiving grade and yards per route run from 2020 to 2021.
• CEH revealed in May that he missed a bunch of time last offseason after undergoing gallbladder surgery in early March.
  • “My gall bladder completely stopped working," he said on the Arrowhead Addict podcast. "I was down to about 160 pounds... I didn’t run, didn’t do anything all the way up until [OTAs] and was still dealing with stitches and recovery over the course of the summer.”
• Edwards-Helaire said he’s “completely healthy” now. This is his 1st full offseason with the Chiefs after being drafted in April 2020.
• The Chiefs did not re-sign RBs Darrel Williams, who tallied 144 carries and 57 targets last season. They eventually re-signed Jerk McKinnon, who contributed minimally before playing a big role in the playoffs.
• The team added RB Ronald Jones in free agency. But he got just a 1-year, $1.5 million deal after an inconsistent and mostly underwhelming 4 seasons in Tampa Bay.
  • Jones beat Edwards-Helaire in PFF rushing grade each of the last 2 seasons, but CEH fared better in Elusive Rating.
  • Edwards-Helaire beat Jones in PFF receiving grade and yards per route run both years.
• Kansas City also lost WR Tyreek Hill, who averaged 9.2 targets per game over the last 2 seasons.
• The Chiefs added WRs JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and rookie Skyy Moore. They return TE Travis Kelce and WR Mecole Hardman.
• The 2021 Chiefs ranked 3rd in Pro Football Focus’ run-blocking grades and 8th in Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Line Yards. They return all 5 starters for 2022.
• Arrowhead Pride's Pete Sweeney gave this update on the Chiefs backfield through the 1st week of camp: "When it comes to running backs with the Chiefs’ first team, it’s been Clyde Edwards-Helaire taking the first rep almost every series.

Draft Sharks Bottom Line:

Edwards-Helaire has certainly fallen short of the expectations we had for him when the Chiefs made him the 32nd overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. But he’s scored as a high-end RB3 in fantasy points per game the last 2 years, so it’s not like he’s killed you.

He has another chance to deliver in 2022 after the Chiefs let RBs Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon go and only added RB Ronald Jones.

We don’t believe CEH is a difference-making talent. But to pay off in fantasy he just needs to be good enough to command lead-back work in this Patrick Mahomes-led offense. He’s worth a shot if you can get him for a RB3 or even low-end RB2 price.