Javonte Williams' Denver Broncos and Guy Edwards' Los Angeles Chargers are set to clash in the first game of Week 16 on Thursday. There are some interesting matchups for fantasy managers to keenly observe.
One of them is between "thunder" running backs Gus Edwards and Javonte Williams. Who between them should be prioritized more? Let's find out.
Is Gus Edwards a good fantasy pick in Week 16?
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It wasn't long ago that Gus Edwards was being considered a potential RB1 for the Chargers. After all, he was big, burly and punishing - the type of player who would thrive in coach Jim Harbaugh's run-first offense.
However, he has been outshone and outperformed by fellow ex-Baltimore Raven JK Dobbins. Injury absence between Weeks 4 and 8 aside, not once has he scored double-digit points, keaving him at a lowly RB36.
Meanwhile, the Broncos are among the league's better anti-RB teams, sitting at 13th with 21.58 points allowed. They have a fast-rising man who can stop him - inside linebacker Cody Barton, who has created quite the resume for himself lately with two interceptions and a fumble recovery touchdown.
Is Javonte Williams a good fantasy pick in Week 16?
On the other side, Javonte WIlliams has been a fairly prolific fantasy scorer (132.8) despite not having even a hundred-yarder to his 2024 tally.
That's a very pleasantly surprising factoid from someone who has had to languish with subpar quarterback play, even from as legendary a name as Russell Wilson. But the RB39 may have a very tough task ahead of him.
If Harbaugh's offense is run-focused,his defense is also presumably run-focused as well - just as it was with the San Francisco 49ers. The Chargers are in the top 10 at containing running backs - one of just seven to allow fewer than 20 fantasy points per game from them.
Whom should I start between Javonte Williams and Gus Edwards?
Despite having lesser rushing potential, Wiliams wins the matchup on Sportskeeda's Start/Sit tool.
But how? It's because he is expected to be a more prolific receiver - a good skill to have when the opposing team is great against the run but "mid" against the long catch (the Chargers allow 3316. points against WRs). Williams has almost thrice as many projected yards/points than his peer, for instance, and the scoring potential that the Broncos lack.