Dobbins may finally reach his potential in 2023, but the payoff might be better in leagues where catches don't count. Through 23 games, Dobbins is the among the NFL's most efficient runners, complete with the highest explosive run rate (15.2%) among all RBs in 2022. Unfortunately, Dobbins also has rarely been featured through his career (four games with 15-plus carries), has scored once every 20.5 carries and has played 50% or more of the snaps in only eight games. He's also a non-factor as a receiver, averaging 1.1 receptions per game over his career. Maybe Dobbins runs a little more now that Lamar Jackson isn't expected to swipe as many carries away from him as before. Even in a crowded backfield, Dobbins is a high-upside rusher who can be safely drafted as a No. 2 RB with a Round 5 pick in PPR and a mid-Round 4 pick in half or non-PPR.
The Ravens officially placed Dobbins (Achilles) on injured reserve Tuesday, Clifton Brown of the team's official site reports.
This move is merely procedural after Dobbins tore his Achilles during the Ravens' Week 1 win against the Texans, thereby ending his campaign. Baltimore will move forward with some combination of Gus Edwards and Justice Hill out of the backfield, while Melvin Gordon is a candidate to be elevated from the practice squad.
Coach John Harbaugh confirmed Sunday that Dobbins has a torn Achilles and will miss the rest of the season.
With Dobbins out for the rest of the campaign, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill are next up for the team's carries going forward, while Melvin Gordon and Owen Wright are candidates to be elevated from Baltimore's practice squad ahead of Week 2 action..
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Exits Sunday's game
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Dobbins was forced out of Sunday's game against the Texans with an ankle injury, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
Per Hensley, Dobbins wasn't able to put any pressure on the affected leg as he headed into the Ravens' locker room. In his absence, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill are next up for the team's carries.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: No limitations for Week 1
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Coach John Harbaugh said Friday that Dobbins has no snap count limitations for Sunday's game against the Texans, Ryan Mink of the team's official site reports.
Dobbins spent a large chunk of training camp "holding in" due to his desire for a new contract. He never received one and got a late start to practice. Now more than a full year removed from ACL surgery and healthy off of last year's scope, Dobbins looks positioned for a particularly big workload against Houston with the Ravens installed as heavy home favorites. This is a great matchup for the 24-year-old back.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Set to miss preseason finale
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Dobbins isn't in line to play in Saturday's preseason finale against the Buccaneers, Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site reports.
Dobbins, who is entering his contract year, missed the Ravens' mandatory minicamp in June and then didn't participate in the team's first 14 practices of training camp, said Wednesday that he's had "good conversations" with general manager Eric DeCosta about his future. While Dobbins acknowledges that he wasn't 100 percent healthy at the end of the 2022 season, he believes that his speed is different in 2023 compared to last season and feels "amazing" as the coming season approaches. Come Week 1, look for Dobbins to lead Baltimore's backfield, with Gus Edwards and Justice Hill in the mix for complementary touches and either Melvin Gordon or Keaton Mitchell on hand in reserve.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Not slated to play Monday
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Dobbins isn't in line to play in Monday's preseason contest against the Commanders, Brian Wacker of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Dobbins returned to team drills during this past Friday's practice, but it appears as though the Ravens plan to play it safe with their top back versus Washington. In that event, Dobbins' final opportunity to see preseason snaps will arrive Saturday against the Buccaneers.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Progresses to team drills Friday
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Dobbins participated in team drills at Friday's practice, his first time doing so in training camp, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
Dobbins ended his "hold-in" earlier this week and started practicing Monday following his activation from the PUP list. He'd been limited to individual work up until Friday. With 23 days until the Ravens' Week 1 opener, Dobbins will have plenty of time to get his legs underneath him in preparation to serve as the team's lead back.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Makes practice debut
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Dobbins (undisclosed) is participating in practice Monday, Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site reports.
Dobbins has been activated from the active/PUP list and is participating in his first practice session of training camp, meaning he could be available for next Monday's preseason game against the Commanders. The 24-year-old missed Baltimore's preseason opener, in addition to the first 14 practices of training camp, but he still has just under a month to get up to full speed before Sept. 10's regular-season opener against the Texans. Dobbins has been in attendance at team meetings, but on-field reps will be extremely valuable for the expected leader of a backfield that also houses Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon and Keaton Mitchell.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: No update on injury
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Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was non-committal Wednesday when asked about the injury that resulted in Dobbins (undisclosed) opening training camp on the active/PUP list, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.
The active/PUP list is allowed only for players that are recovering from an injury or illness, but there's also been speculation that the running back's continued absence is related to frustration with contract negotiations. Dobbins even hinted that he was displeased with his contract in June when he missed minicamp, one day after Harbaugh had attributed the absence to a soft-tissue injury. Some combination of both is possible, of course, as Dobbins could have a minor injury that he would normally practice through but doesn't want to take that risk without a new contract. Whatever the case, Dobbins finished the 2022 season strong and enters the final year of his rookie contract essentially unchallenged as Baltimore's lead back. The options behind him are Gus Edwards, Melvin Gordon, Justice Hill and two undrafted rookies (Keaton Mitchell and Owen Wright).
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Frustrated with contract
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Dobbins (undisclosed) declined to comment on reports he missed June minicamp due to a soft tissue injury and suggested Thursday that he's frustrated with his contract situation, ESPN's Jamison Hensley reports. "The business side is very hard. It's very different," Dobbins told WJZ-TV on Thursday. "You saw with Lamar [Jackson]. It's never just roses and daisies."
Coach John Harbaugh cited an unspecified soft tissue injury earlier in the week to explain Dobbins' absence from practice, while the running back seems to be saying his contract was a factor. They both said he'll be back on the field for training camp, with Dobbins making it clear he hopes to sign an extension in the interim as he enters the final season of his rookie contract. The 24-year-old has averaged 5.9 yards on 226 carries since the Ravens selected him 55th overall in the 2020 Draft, but he's missed more games (27) than he's played (23) and has caught only 25 passes. Dobbins should be at least somewhat more active as a pass catcher under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who told reporters Thursday that he's excited to see Dobbins on the field and knows the Ravens "certainly are better with him" out there. Dobbins was with the team during minicamp despite not practicing and said he'd ideally like to spend the rest of his career with the Ravens, but things could become more tenuous if he still doesn't have a new contract later this summer.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Tops 100 scrimmage yards in loss
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Dobbins rushed 13 times for 62 yards while catching four of five targets for 43 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 24-17 wild-card round loss to the Bengals.
Dobbins managed to stretch the ball over the goal line on his two-yard touchdown catch to get the Ravens on the board in the second quarter. He was also Baltimore's most effective option on the ground, finishing with one more carry than Gus Edwards and eight more rushing yards than quarterback Tyler Huntley. After two surgeries on his knee, Dobbins finally looks to have regained pre-injury form, which will make the 2020 second-round pick out of Ohio State an enticing fantasy option in 2023 as the lead back in a run-first Ravens offense that's likely to be quarterbacked by Lamar Jackson (knee).
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Confirmed inactive
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Dobbins (rest) is inactive for Sunday's game in Cincinnati.
TE Mark Andrews and G Kevin Zeitler also are inactive after not having injury designations for the game. Other starters may be rested as well in preparation for the wild-card round, and QB Tyler Huntley (shoulder) joins QB Lamar Jackson (knee) on the inactive list. Dobbins, Andrews and Zeitler will be back for the playoffs; the real question is whether Jackson and/or Huntley will be.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Dobbins ran well in Week 17 against Pittsburgh, but he had an empty stat line with 17 carries for 93 yards and no touchdowns or targets for nine PPR points. That's the fear with Dobbins when he's not running for 125 yards that if he doesn't score a touchdown he's going to hurt your Fantasy team, especially with a limited role in the passing game. The Bengals are a tough matchup since Cincinnati has allowed just three running backs all season to eclipse 70 rushing yards. And the Bengals have held Derrick Henry, Nick Chubb, Leonard Fournette and Rhamondre Stevenson to 44 rushing yards or less over the past five games. I like Dobbins as just a flex this week, with his value higher in non-PPR leagues.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Leads backfield with 93 yards
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Dobbins rushed 17 times for 93 yards and was not targeted in the passing game in Sunday's 16-13 loss to Pittsburgh.
This Steelers-Ravens rivalry game lived up to the billing, producing a physical, low-scoring bout. Dobbins did his part by churning out big chunks on the ground despite facing six-man defensive fronts at times. Head coach John Harbaugh stuck with the hot hand after fellow back Gus Edwards (three carries for two yards) struggled early in the contest. It will be important to monitor the result of the Bengals' game on Monday, as the Ravens will still have a chance to play for the division crown next week if Cincinnati loses to the Bills. If Baltimore enters Week 18 with nothing meaningful to play for, it wouldn't be surprising to see the oft-injured Dobbins' playing time limited in preparation for postseason play.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: RBs to Start
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It was a welcomed sight to see Dobbins back in Week 14 at Pittsburgh after missing the past six games with a knee injury, and he looked good with 15 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown. He said he still doesn't feel right, but hopefully that happens in Week 15 at Cleveland. The Browns are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Gus Edwards had 16 carries for 66 yards and two touchdowns when these teams met in Week 7 while Dobbins was out. He'll share touches with Edwards and potentially Kenyan Drake this week, but Dobbins should be a standout No. 2 running back in all leagues. For the season, 10 running backs have scored at least 15 PPR points against the Browns.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Dobbins might not have been the most explosive version of himself last week, but he did get plenty of opportunities and he thrived with them. He has an even easier matchup this week and should punch in for at least 15 touches again. He's a must-start No. 2 Fantasy RB ahead of Travis Etienne, Zonovan Knight and David Montgomery.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Activated off IR
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Dobbins (knee) was activated off injured reserve Saturday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
Dobbins is now eligible to make his return this week against the Steelers after missing the team's past six games. However, even if the third-year back does make his return, he would likely see a limited role while splitting carries with Gus Edwards and Kenyan Drake. With Lamar Jackson (knee) potentially missing time, Dobbins and the ground game will be relied upon more in order to take pressure off of Tyler Huntley against a stout Pittsburgh defense.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Looking good in practice
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Offensive coordinator Greg Roman noted Thursday that Dobbins (knee) "is looking good" in his second week of practice since being designated to return from IR, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
"I really think that time off and what he was able to take care is going to make a big impact on his effectiveness," Roman said of Dobbins, who last suited up Week 6. "We're excited about having him back." It remains to be seen if Dobbins is officially activated ahead of Sunday's game against the Steelers, but if he is, the 2020 second-rounder could well be eased back into the mix Week 14, with Gus Edwards, Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill also in the Ravens' backfield corps.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Stashes (RB Preview)
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Dobbins returned to practice last week and is the top stash at running back right now. If he can get back to 100% before the Fantasy playoffs, he'd have league-winning upside against the Browns, Falcons, and Steelers down the stretch. Just don't expect any help getting you to the playoffs.
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Ravens' J.K. Dobbins: Not ready to play this week
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Dobbins (knee) won't be activated from IR in advance of Sunday's game against the Broncos, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
That said, coach John Harbaugh indicated that Dobbins could play as soon as Week 14 against the Steelers. In the meantime, Gus Edwards is slated to lead the Ravens' backfield this weekend, with Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill in line to continue to work in complementary roles.
