It's Year 2 of the Melvin Gordon era in San Diego, and it doesn't look like anyone should be rushing out to select him as a fantasy starter. He made some headlines by catching a pass and going 44 yards for a touchdown in the exhibition opener, but that's about it for highlights.
As a runner, Gordon looks like a pretty ordinary guy. He carried 4 times for 14 yards in the first exhibition, and 6 for 18 in the second. Backup Branden Oliver looks better; he's carried 8 times for 36 yards (4.5) compared to 10 for 32 for Gordon (3.2).
Gordon is out there running hard, but isn't doing anything noteworthy with his chances. And when the team gets in the red zone, they favor passing formations with Danny Woodhead in the lineup. Will make it tough for Gordon to score many touchdowns, plus he won't catch a lot of passes.
So you've got a second-year back who doesn't look like the best runner on his own team, won't be particularly involved as a receiver, and will have a hard time getting in the end zone. Other than that, you can say he's a starting running back who was drafted in the first round. And that's about it.
--Andy Richardson