What do we do about Melvin Gordon and Ezekiel Elliott?

Two of the biggest storylines of the fantasy football season are the potential holdouts of star running backs, Ezekiel Elliott and Melvin Gordon. Gordon, in particular, has stressed his demands for a new contract, even going so far as threatening — and living up to those threats — of asking to be traded from the Chargers.

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The Cowboys picked up Elliott’s fifth-year option, but the runner has expressed his desire for a new contract and his camp has threatened to hold out this season if terms aren’t agreed upon.

Liz Loza, Matt Harmon, and special guest Brad Evans discussed both holdouts on the Yahoo Fantasy Football Podcast, and looked to answer the question: When should fantasy gamers feel comfortable drafting either of the running backs this season?

Many gamers and pundits alike have Ezekiel Elliott as the first pick off the board, so the news of his holdout has terrified some people (and rightly so). With that said, our experts all agree that they believe Zeke will not only play this season but will be on the field in Week 1. Fantasy gamers should not hesitate to snag Zeke in the first round.

While Melvin Gordon’s situation is different from Zeke, he is more likely to enter a prolonged holdout — but don’t compare it to Le’Veon Bell’s. Our experts agree that if Gordon falls in fantasy drafts, the third round seems like the right spot for a gamer to roll the dice on him. They also discuss how any Gordon holdout means an upgrade for the Chargers’ passing weapons, but what does it mean for Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson? While Ekeler has been going much earlier in drafts, our experts wonder if waiting on Jackson is the smarter move for drafters.