Countdown to 2021 fantasy football drafts: Chase Edmonds No. 61

The Arizona Cardinals are going to be a useful team for fantasy football, as they play at a fast pace and have offensive weapons to move the ball. They will be looking for one of Chase Edmonds or James Conner to breakout at running back and my money is on Edmonds in 2021.

To commemorate the 2021 NFL season, we’ll be counting down the 75 best fantasy football players in the league. Picking a Top 75 is subjective, especially when you are projecting a whole season of accumulated fantasy points, but that’s part of the fun. We’ll assume what I see as an average league, which is 12 teams, .5 PPR scoring and a roster of 1QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, & 1RB/WR/TE. Kickers and defenses need not apply.

Change is the nature of the NFL beast, so trades and injuries will likely impact this list as we go along, but hey, this isn’t rocket science. We’re here to have a little fun and build up some much needed anticipation for a league cast in the shadow by baseball, soccer, hockey, etc. Sarcasm aside, the NFL is addictive and we’re here to give your daily fix as we close in on the season.

The official and often updated fantasy football drafting tiers can be found here.

No. 61, Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals, RB

Edmonds has shown ability in his short three-year career. In limited duty he’s rushed 217 times for 959 yards and seven touchdowns and caught 85-of-111 targets for 610 yards and four touchdowns. We can’t count on it, but a single season as the lead back could close in on those numbers.

Competition for touches

With Kenyan Drake gone, Edmonds comes in as the veteran back for the Cardinals, but ex-Steelers running back James Conner has the most experience. Conner will be the biggest competitor for touches in Arizona, but has shown little ability to stay healthy in the past. After Conner, Jonathan Ward and Eno Benjamin follow behind.

Team offensive expectations

The team’s offense didn’t live up to expectations last season despite plenty of weapons. Kliff Kingsbury’s offense hasn’t paid as many dividends as we expected, but there is no doubt he has playmakers in quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. They also added wide receivers A.J. Green and rookie Rondale Moore. They also upgraded at center when they traded for Rodney Hudson. They should take a step forward this season offensively.

What’s his upside?

Edmonds has plenty of upside due to his ability as a receiving back and if given enough work on the ground, his overall fantasy upside is quite high. He will need Conner to miss time as he usually does to truly reach the heights we hope for, but he has the ability to out-touch Conner even if he stays healthy.

What’s his downside?

Edmond’s downside is very much in the cards, as Conner could win the early down role while Edmonds works more as a receiver and backup early down back. His risk in fantasy is real, just as his upside is.

Projection

175 attempts, 850 yards, 6 touchdowns — 55 receptions, 400 yards, 3 touchdown