Melvin Gordon or Najee Harris: Who is the better fantasy pick?

The decision between Melvin Gordon and Najee Harris is a tough one. The two running backs carry the offensive bulk of their run-heavy teams. In one corner is a seasoned veteran with two Pro Bowl selections that attest to his previous dominance. In the other corner is a solid running back who has been terrorizing defenses since high school. In his debut NFL season, he impressed in a struggling Pittsburgh Steelers offense.

As neither has set fantasy leagues alight this season, you are unlikely to be playing them both. You might be wondering who to start, who to bench and maybe who to trade.

We think that Najee Harris is a better pick for the season, as his upside is just too awesome to ignore.

Here's why:

Najee Harris has a better upside than Melvin Gordon

Pittsburgh Steelers v Cleveland Browns

Melvin Gordon and Najee Harris are both great fantasy picks, as both prospects can score in various ways. Ultimately, Harris is a potential All-Pro running back; but the same can't be said about Melvin Gordon.

Gordon is the more experienced option of the two and this is his eighth year in the league. Gordon has appeared in 98 NFL games, with all but 10 of those appearances as a starter. He has amassed 31.1 fantasy points this season for the Denver Broncos. This total could improve exponentially with Javonte Williams out for the season. As it stands, Gordon has one rushing touchdown this season.

Harris is a different prospect and the second-year running back is a beast with the ball in his hands. He has developed a reputation for bulldozing his way through defenses with his 6 ft 1", 242-pound stature. He started every game in his rookie season and stacked up seven rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns. This season, he has stacked up 38.6 fantasy points at an average of 7.7. He has one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown this campaign.

Melvin Gordon's ball security issues outweigh Najee Harris' slow start

Indianapolis Colts v Denver Broncos

Melvin Gordon was not meant to be the starting RB for Denver. This was meant to be Javonte WIlliams' breakout season, which has been cut short due to an ACL injury. The Broncos aren't exactly sold on Gordon, as they have picked up Latavius Murray, who may split the carries with him. They also have an interesting prospect in Mike Boone, who some think could be the man to replace Williams.

The real issue with Gordon is his ball security. He has been fumble happy this season and has lost the ball four times, one of which was returned for a touchdown. He has now fumbled the ball 25 times in his career, which doesn't look great, but he seems to be low on confidence. He left the Week 4 press conference distraught (post-fumble return TD), which isn't what you want to see. He also fumbled the ball in Week 5, but was saved by a penalty flag.

Najee Harris has had a slow start to the season for a number of reasons. First, he is recovering slowly from a foot injury that has been limiting his explosiveness. This will improve with time. Second, the Pittsburgh offense has been anything but explosive. Their playcalling has been pretty consistent. You regularly see Harris run two short gains, then a third-down check-down/incompletion and then a punt. With Mitchell Trubisky out and Kenny Pickett in, the Pittsburgh offense might open up (ignoring the Buffalo debacle).

How did Melvin Gordon and Najee Harris perform last season?

San Francisco 49ers v Denver Broncos

Melvin Gordon and Najee Harris had decent showings at running back for their respective teams last season. Gordon had eight rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns for the Broncos, a stat line not far off his career highs.

Najee Harris also had a solid season, which was his debut in the league. The first-round pick balled out for the Pittsburgh Steelers, racking up 10 total touchdowns for the Ben Roethlisberger-led side.

Both running backs have their work cut out for them in Week 6. Gordon comes up against the Los Angeles Chargers, while Harris is up against the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers.