The Athletic projects that Chiefs rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire will split carries with teammate Darrel Williams early in the season.

The fantasy community has bought into the idea of Edwards-Helaire as an every-down back in Kansas City but this latest roster projection from The Athletic throws a bit of cold water on that idea, at least to start the year. It includes comments suggesting Darrel Williams is the team's best running back in pass protection, a crucial role in Andy Reid's offense. Edwards-Helaire is a dynamic talent and should command the majority of touches in the Kansas City backfield, but a substantial role for Williams would make it very difficult for the rookie to live up to his first-round ADP.

Chiefs running back Darrel Williams is the back-up to Clyde Edwards-Helaire, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic. "In splitting most of the first-team repetitions with Edwards-Helaire, Williams has been exceptional at every task in the offense," wrote Taylor. "He has been the Chiefs’ best blocker during the running backs’ one-on-one pass-protection drills."

We've seen Williams excel in short work across his three seasons in the NFL, but now he appears to be in a role that will provide consistent fantasy production. The Chiefs are a loaded offense, making any role in that offense one to pay attention to. Williams is a later-round target in fantasy drafts with this news and is an unfortunate injury away from a prominent role in KC and fantasy.

Now, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that HC Andy Reid’s going to use Clyde Edwards-Helaire as a rookie the same way Reid used Kareem Hunt as a rookie in 2017. Hunt touched it 325 times (remember his 246-yards-from-scrimmage demolition of the Patriots on opening night in Foxboro?) in that rookie season, winning the rushing title and becoming an instant threat in the passing game too. But this is practice, scripted from start to finish; maybe this is two days of getting timing down with Edwards-Helaire. But I doubt it’s just that. I say he’ll be a stud, a prime candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He appears a confident and sure runner who can make people miss, a better runner between the tackles than a 5-foot-8, 209-pound guy should be, and a smooth and assured receiver. GM Brett Veach told me: “He’s on pace to have a big year, to be our primary ballcarrier.”

Peter King even said to draft Edwards-Helaire in the first round of your fantasy draft. He went on to rave about CEH in the story, highlighting the first three plays in 11-on-11 were handoffs to him, and he also ran a wheel route out of the background and made an impressive catch. With Damian Williams out of the way, CEH is certainly poised for a big season and the news keeps getting more positive about those chances. He's currently going in the mid-to-late second according to our ADPs, but chances are you'll have to take him before that in your draft.

The first series of offensive drills was centered around the run game and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN NFL Nation.

This is not a surprising development, but it is visual confirmation that CEH will have a significant role in the Chiefs offense in 2020. Expect to see CEH drafted early in drafts.

Damien Williams has been training for the upcoming season in Miami, as he has done in the past. For the second consecutive year, Williams is projected to be the Chiefs’ starter. That said, the Chiefs selected a running back, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a few months ago with their first pick to close out the first round of the NFL Draft. Williams hasn’t made public comments since then, but the Chiefs understand this season will be a pivotal one for him, as he enters the final year of his contract.

The story said Williams has battled injuries over his career and both he and the Chiefs are looking for consistency. It's hard to believe Edwards-Helaire won't cut into Williams' workload, but with a potential shutdown of preseason games, Williams could start off with a lot of reps before Edwards-Helaire begins to make a dent later in the season. Either way, Williams drops in our rankings compared to last year, but we don't think the keys get handed over solely to Edwards-Helaire.