Dobbins trending up

Ravens beat writer Jeff Zrebiec believes RB J.K. Dobbins “took another step closer to his pre-injury form” in Week 5. Still on a snap count, Dobbins didn’t light up the box score, rushing 8 times for 44 yards. But he gained approval from HC John Harbaugh. “Nothing we didn’t like,” Harbaugh said regarding Dobbins’ limited late-game usage. “I thought he had his best game. He’s getting better every week. I thought he took a jump last week in practice and this week in the game. The (run) for the first down to the left side was spectacular. He was hit in the backfield and ended up getting the first down, broke about five tackles.” Dobbins will face the Giants in Week 6.

Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins said Monday that he's 100% recovered from the torn Achilles he suffered last September. "It was like a walk in the park, it was like a sprained ankle," Dobbins said. "It was very easy, because I had the knee [injury] -- the knee was pretty hard. The Achilles was, I would say, easy, just because that's my mentality. It was pretty easy to me." We'll file this under "believe-it-when-we-see-it." Full health is not the same as full effectiveness. RB Cam Akers quickly made it back from an Achilles injury but hasn't been the same runner since. Dobbins still isn't a player to invest heavily in at this point. But we'll be keeping a close eye on him this spring and summer. The Chargers' backfield will be a key situation for fantasy owners to monitor, with Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and rookie Kimani Vidal duking it out for touches.

Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins plans to sign a one-year contract with the Chargers, according to multiple reports. This comes after Dobbins visited several teams. He lands with the franchise that already signed his former teammate Gus Edwards. We'll see about the specific terms of Dobbins' deal, but Edwards landed a two-year pact worth $6.5 million total, with $3.375 million in guarantees. We'll bet that Dobbins gets significantly less coming off his September Achilles' tear (and checkered injury history). The former second-round pick will be interesting to watch this summer, especially in a backfield that could present open competition for touches. But Edwards stands as the better bet for work right now. And we'd bet on the Chargers adding a RB in the draft. For now, don't let Chargers RBs factor heavily into your draft plans -- despite their modest best ball ADP numbers.

RB J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) has been cleared for football activities, his surgeon wrote in a letter to teams on Tuesday. Dobbins looks “outstanding” after his rehab from September Achilles surgery, Dr. Neal ElAttrache said. Dobbins is expected to begin taking free-agent visits soon, according to NFL Network's Pelissero. A torn ACL and torn Achilles have limited Dobbins to just nine games over the past three seasons, and it's fair to wonder if the 25-year-old can regain pre-injury form. He's no more than a late-round flier in early fantasy drafts. We'll see where he lands in free agency.

Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins is running short sprints and jogging on a treadmill in a recent video posted to social media. He's 5.5 months removed from surgery to repair his torn Achilles. It was the latest setback for a guy who's been snakebitten by injuries, most notably the Achilles and a multi-ligament knee injury in 2021. Dobbins has averaged a big 5.8 yards per carry across 234 NFL attempts, but there's no guarantee that he makes it back to pre-injury form. We'll continue to track his rehab from this latest injury but consider him just a late-round flier in early fantasy drafts.

Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins will undergo surgery on September 15 to repair his torn Achilles, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. Dobbins is "aiming" for a return in six months, per Pelissero, which would put him back on the field in March. That'd be a big win for Dobbins, who will turn 25 in December and hit free agency in March. We'll track his rehab, but Dobbins' dynasty value has taken a major hit. There's no guarantee that he returns to pre-injury form.