The best fantasy football running backs, No. 2: Todd Gurley
Let’s quickly recount the first four games of Gurley’s career: 19 carries for 146 yards in a win over the Cardinals; 30 carries for 159 yards in a loss to the Packers; 19 carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Browns; 20 carries for 133 yards and a score in a win over the 49ers. Let’s also remember that he did all of this with one of the worst passing teams in the league, placing an opposing defense’s entire attention on the backfield. Oh, and let’s also not forget that he started that stretch less than 11 months removed from a torn ACL in his final season at Georgia. Defenses keyed on Gurley over the back half of the season and were able to slow him down a bit, but he ended the year on a 271-yard, four-touchdown binge in the Rams last four games. Concerns about the passing game are still present, but no back has the success Gurley did in his rookie year by accident. Even with today’s fantasy game driven by wide receivers, Gurley is worthy of being a top-five pick in standard formats.
