Remember Rich Gannon? If you were a football fan in the early 2000s, you probably do.
But do you remember him as anything other than the Raiders quarterback? Probably not, because he had five forgettable years in Minnesota, followed by four mediocre seasons in Kansas City before finally finding success with the Raiders.
He's a shining example of how one man's trash is another man's treasure, and he embodies Danny DeVito's Penguin mantra, “You shed it, I flaunt it.”
Others have done similar things: Jerome Bettis didn't get the nickname “The Bus” until he joined the Steelers after starting his career with the Rams, and Peyton Hillis was virtually unknown when he was with the Broncos, but was on the cover of Madden magazine while with the Browns.
James Stewart went from the Jaguars to the Lions, Charlie Garner went from the Eagles to the 49ers, Ricky Williams went from the Saints to the Dolphins and Garrison Hearst went from the Cardinals to the 49ers.
This has happened before, but this year may be the first time it's happened twice in the same season, on the same team, with both players coming from the same former team.
The Chargers' backfield is essentially “Ravens West,” as new coach Jim Harbaugh used players released from his brother John's Baltimore roster and added running backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins.
Edwards spent five seasons primarily as Baltimore's strong backup, while Dobbins spent three injury-plagued years in purple, appearing in just nine games over the past two seasons.
Now, we're not advocating for these players at all costs or planning on playing them every week. No, we're not. But we think they should be played. this week.
Pick one. Either is fine. Last week, they split the work pretty much down the middle. Edwards had just 26 yards on 11 carries, while Dobbins had 135 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, including a 61-yard rush. Neither was heavily involved in the passing game.
So why not pick Dobbins? Sure, do. He's more explosive and has the best chance of scoring. But Edwards is more likely to get the carry on the goal line, and therefore a higher TD percentage.
I don't really care who wins this week because either of them could have a big game. They're playing the Panthers. The Saints made Carolina's D look like a JV team last week. The Saints don't have an explosive offense.
Say what you want about the Chargers' weak receiver corps, but with Justin Herbert at quarterback, the Chargers are going to have a harder time defending than any Derek Carr-led offense that dominated the Panthers last week. So if Carolina has a hard time defending the Saints, it stands to reason the Chargers will be able to move the ball, too.
Additionally, have you seen Carolina's offense? Of course not. Carolina doesn't seem to have any real offensive power, so they won't hold the ball for long, giving the Chargers a lot of chances/plays. And once the Chargers get a lead, they can focus on the run and force the Panthers to their knees, just like the Saints did.
So there's a lot of hope for LA's backs. The more Dobbins plays, the more likely he is to get a big shot. The more the Chargers score, the more chances Edwards has to get in the end zone.
Both will be great flex plays this week, and we’d rank one or the other above guys like Tony Pollard, Zack Moss, Javonte Williams, Zamir White, D’Andre Swift and Najee Harris.
Trust me when I say how miserable the Panthers are, they are heading in the wrong direction, which means they should be heading towards the Ravens West.
Big Week
Baker Mayfield QB, Buccaneers vs Lions (FanDuel $7,400/DraftKings $5,900)
He has finished as a top-12 QB in nine of his last 15 games, and he had 349 passing yards and three touchdowns (and two interceptions) at Detroit in last year's playoffs.
Jalen Warren, RB, Steelers vs. Broncos (FD $5,600/DK $5,400)
Everyone is excited to see Najee Harris in action after last week's game, but Warren was bothered by a hamstring injury before the game, and it's no secret that coordinator Arthur Smith likes to shake things up.
Jordan Mason RB, 49ers vs. Vikings (FD $5,500/DK $5,200)
It's not hard. Assuming Christian McCaffrey sits out, start Mason. Unless you're in a four-team league, you don't have the depth to bench him.
Keenan Allen WR, Bears, Texans (FD $6,500/DK $6,400)
He's dealing with a heel issue but is worth considering if he plays — he had 11 targets last week and fellow wide receiver Rome Odunze (knee) is not expected to play.
Small weaknesses
Ratchad White, RB, Buccaneers vs. Lions (FD $7,600/DK $6,300)
In a game where you can expect a lot of points just by being involved in the passing game, it's tough to rely on such an inefficient running back.
Do you bet on the NFL?
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots, vs. Seahawks (FD $6,900/DK $6,200)
He was great last week, taking on a lot of the work while leading the charge, but I don't think they can do that on a regular basis, or more specifically this week.
Jayden Reed WR, Packers, vs. Colts (FD $7,900/DK $6,000)
If Malik Willis is the QB, I would abandon the entire Packers team this week. I would bench the WRs, Josh Jacobs, the tight ends, the chain gang, the entire field crew. If Jordan Love plays, he is unlikely to be one of the lucky foursomes for the second week in a row.
Isaiah will likely be the TE against the Ravens vs. the Raiders (FD $5,800/DK $4,800)
We believe the Week 1 breakout was due to Mark Andrews having very little preparation time before the season opener, and we expect the game plan to be heavily focused on him this week and going forward.
