Gus Edwards (RB, BAL) - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Mark Ingram left last weekend’s game injured and Gus Edwards took on the majority of the Ravens’ backfield workload. In his 12 carries on the game, he was able to rack up 66 yards on the ground and added an extra 7 more through the air in his lone reception. Even if he only featured as the leading back in the second half of the game, this marked the third-highest amount of rushing attempts Edwards’ have logged all year long, which bodes well for him going into Week 17 finale with Ingram out of commission.

Edwards has produced nice numbers all year long, even while on a secondary role. He’s averaged a low 7.5 rushing attempts per game through 16 weeks but he’s been able to get 38.7 yards per game on average. Edwards has topped 50 rushing yards in five of his 15 games, and his season-best mark came in Week 11 when he rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown against Houston. That is his potential, and he did so in just 8 rushing attempts. Considering he will lead the backfield next Sunday it is reasonable to expect Edwards to beat his season averages on a much heavier workload than he’s seen earlier in the season.

Baltimore is already a playoff team with a guaranteed bye week once the postseason starts. The Ravens face Pittsburgh in Week 17 and although the Steelers rank fourth against RBs in fantasy points allowed to the position, Edwards will see more touches than ever in that game. That alone makes him a must-play rusher at least at the flex position and a good RB2 option too if you don’t have better options, no matter the depth of the league you play in.