Any time an NFL player comes off a long layoff — be it for injury, suspension, holdout — there is an inherent worry about rust. Will he hit the ground running? Will he get normal workload? Or will it take time to work back into game shape or get worked back in to the offensive game plan?

That is the pickle Melvin Gordon fantasy owners find themselves in this week. The Madman, contrary to the moniker, always proceeds with a certain amount of caution. The baseline is to treat such absences as if injury related — in which we anticipate a week or two to get back to normal workload and efficiency. Then, for those who were not sidelined with health issues, we look for reasons to nullify those fears.

The first bit of good news regarding Gordon is that he was a holdout, not injured. Also, he is stepping into an offense he already knows and in which he has been an impact contributor.

This is unlike the approach we would take with, say, Golden Tate. Coming off a suspension and stepping into an offense with what looks to be a quarterback on the rise in Daniel Jones, we have high hopes for Tate in the weeks ahead, just not so much this week.

Tate, an offseason acquisition, has yet to play for the Giants. He hasn’t played in coach Pat Shurmur’s system. We want to see him on the field and see how he will be used before we get a better handle on how to gauge his value the rest of the way. We don’t have similar concerns regarding Gordon.

What concern we do have regard his workload. Austin Ekeler was stellar in his sub duties — fifth in the league in all-purpose yards with a league-leading six combined rushing and receiving touchdowns. So, in an upside-down sort of situation, Gordon has big shoes to fill. But make no mistake, Gordon will be the lead back while healthy. But … the Chargers might not thrust a full load at him in his first game back.

Last season, Gordon missed one game with a hamstring injury in the middle of the season, having averaged 20 touches a game at that point. He returned and got 16 carries and one catch on four targets in his first game back. Only a slight decrease after missing one game.

Later in the season, he missed three games with a strained MCL, averaging 20-plus touches a game at that point. Upon his return, he got just 12 carries and three receptions, and his production was down. But the Chargers were playing from behind much of that game versus the Ravens, so backup Justin Jackson got much of the receiving work (seven catches on 10 targets).

We expect something closer to that split this week, with Ekeler remaining involved, getting the bulk of the passing work with Gordon getting more carries — including any goal-line carries.

Approach both as RB2s this week, with Gordon becoming an RB1 as of next week and Ekeler settling in as a weekly flex option the rest of the way.