Fantasy Alert: Ravens to Use All 4 RBs Next Season After Drafting J.K. Dobbins

The Baltimore Ravens are spreading the wealth in the backfield for the 2020 NFL season. 

Baltimore selected Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins with the 55th overall pick in the 2020 draft, and he joins an offense that already included Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.

Speaking with team's official podcast, The Lounge, general manager Eric DeCosta indicated the Ravens offense could use all of their running backs:

"I would equate it to us last year having the tight ends that we had—the three tight ends.

"[Offensive coordinator] Greg [Roman] did an amazing job of taking those tight ends and really creating something special that made us very tough for defenses to play. And now we've got the four running backs, and they all do different things well. It just makes us, I think, a really, really well-rounded team that's tough to defend."

Fans shouldn't take DeCosta's comments as gospel just yet. At this point of the offseason, it's best to remain diplomatic and say everybody is going to get touches, lest any one of Ingram, Edwards or Hill feel threatened by Dobbins' arrival.

Having said that, selecting the Buckeyes star so early and then using him only sparingly in his first year wouldn't make much sense.

Ingram ran for 1,018 yards and 10 touchdowns yet wasn't even the team's leading rusher, an honor that fell to quarterback Lamar Jackson (1,206 yards). Edwards also ran for 711 yards and two scores on 133 carries.

The natural instinct is to think Dobbins will take carries away from Ingram and Edwards. While that's bound to happen, the effect might be more pronounced for Jackson.

The Ravens don't need to the ball out of his hands completely, but his 323 career carries are the most ever for a quarterback through his first two years, per Pro Football Reference. Cam Newton (253) and Robert Griffin III (206) are second and fourth on that list, respectively.

Griffin suffered a torn ACL and MCL in 2013, which derailed his career. Newton's last Pro Bowl appearance was in 2015, the same year he was MVP. The mileage he has already put on his body is beginning to add up considering he had shoulder surgery in January 2019 and foot surgery in December.

Although Jackson only turned 23 in January, the Ravens would be wise to keep the bigger picture in mind. Curbing his role in the running game slightly might help his long-term durability.

If that's what the Ravens have in mind for 2020, then both Ingram and Dobbins could be viable fantasy threats in standard leagues.