NFL Network analytics expert expects big things from Chiefs’ Edwards-Helaire this fall
Projecting statistics for any rookie player before a season begins comes with a disclaimer.
Injuries, off-field issues and a team’s performance can ruin any forecast.
But Cynthia Frelund, the NFL Network’s Analytics Expert, took a stab at predicting how rookie running backs might perform this fall.
Frelund explained that she used “contextualized play-calling data from each team” and factored in every rookie running back’s skill set for her model. The numbers she came up for seven rookies in a story this week at NFL.com were a median projection for the players and not a best-case scenario.
The Chiefs’ Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who was taken with the 32nd overall pick in the draft, is Frelund’s pick to perform the best of any rookie running back. And fantasy football players may want to keep Edwards-Helaire’s name in mind come draft day.
This is part of what Frelund wrote: “Based on his past play-calling tendencies, Andy Reid’s game plan likely includes plenty of touches for both Damien Williams and Edwards-Helaire, who has a lot of upside as a pass catcher. The Chiefs’ personnel continuity from last season could also help pave a shorter path to Edwards-Helaire being a very productive contributor — the more experience the other offensive pieces have, the more focus and time can be spent on the rookie back’s role. My PPR (Points Per Reception) model currently rates CEH as the No. 16 overall running back in fantasy football.”
You can read the whole story here.
This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 8:28 AM.
