The Chargers wanted Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon, and they weren't going to take any chances on missing him. So instead of waiting to see if he would fall to them at No. 17 overall, San Diego instead traded up with San Francisco at No. 15.

The Chargers gave up a fourth-round pick this year and a sixth-round pick in 2016 to move up. Even though it was unlikely Houston at No. 16 or even the 49ers at No. 15 would take a running back, San Diego wasn't messing around in case another team was targeting Gordon in a trade.

Gordon will step in as the starter with Ryan Mathews now gone as a free agent to Philadelphia.

"We're really excited to get him," coach Mike McCoy said Thursday night. "He's an impact player we had very high on our board; a guy that we really wanted to get and improve our football team. Explosive player ... just a great fit for our team."

The conversation with Gordon is now where he ranks compared to Todd Gurley, the other high-profile rookie running back, who was drafted at No. 10 overall by the Rams. Since Gurley is coming off a torn ACL in November and plays in a tougher division in the NFC West, I'm giving the edge to Gordon this year in re-draft leagues.

Gordon will lose some touches to Branden Oliver and definitely Danny Woodhead in passing downs, which McCoy indicated, but he should still get plenty of work as the workhorse in San Diego.

"As you know, we're going to play multiple guys," McCoy said. "It's not going to just be one guy. I've been doing that since 2002 with John Fox in Carolina, then the Denver days, and now here. You need multiple players. Each player is going to have their role on our football team, but having a guy that can do it all, we're very fortunate to get him where we did."

Gordon was a stud for the Badgers last season with 343 carries for 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns and 19 catches for 153 yards and three touchdowns. He only had 22 career catches in college, which is the knock on his game, but he could play like Mathews did in 2013.

That season, the first in San Diego for McCoy, Mathews had 285 carries for 1,255 yards and six touchdowns and 26 catches for 189 yards and one touchdown, and he finished as the No. 12 running back in standard leagues. Woodhead had 106 carries for 429 yards and two touchdowns that season with 76 catches for 605 yards and six touchdowns as the No. 19 running back in standard leagues.

It's a good formular for the Chargers, and Gordon should be a solid No. 2 Fantasy running back with plenty of upside. He should be drafted ahead of Gurley in re-draft leagues, likely in Round 4, and he's an easy first-round pick in dynasty drafts.