Todd Gurley has received the most carries of any RB over the last two weeks
Each week, we will be breaking down one player’s performance and the implications it may have for owners in dynasty leagues. This week, we will be discussing St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley.
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After combining for 913 yards and five touchdowns in only 12 games as a rookie in 2014, it seemed readily apparent that the St. Louis Rams had found their featured running back of the future in Tre Mason. Dynasty owners who had used a rookie draft pick on the young man out of Auburn were feeling awfully good about themselves, and surely many St. Louis natives spent their weekly paychecks on a #27 jersey.
Then the Rams, in a move clearly meant to infuriate those previously-mentioned dynasty and jersey owners, saw it fit to spend the 10th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft on Georgia running back Todd Gurley. The selection certainly raised eyebrows, as the team had forgone bolstering bigger positions of need (WR, OL, LB) in favor of a running back still trying to rehab a torn ACL.
But with five weeks of the season now in the books, it has become clear the team made the right choice.
Since his Week 3 debut, all Gurley has done is rush for 314 yards on 55 carries – good for 5.7 YPC. If you take away his Week 3 performance (his first live game in nearly a year), that already impressive average bumps up to 6.2 YPC.
The further we delve into his numbers, the more impressive they become. Behind an offensive line that has only graded out as 15th best in run blocking according to Pro Football Focus, Gurley has managed the ninth best Elusive Rating over the last two weeks – a statistic used by PFF to determine a runner’s success despite the performance of his blockers. Further distinguishing him as a tough inside runner is the fact that 47% of his rushing yards have come after contact.
Then there is his speed. Over the last two weeks, no running back has more carries of 15+ yards than Gurley’s five which have gone for 180 yards.
The real icing on the cake that makes Gurley a valuable dynasty asset, however, is his usage. The Rams, smartly identifying the young playmaking running back as their best offensive weapon, have wasted no time in establishing him as the focal point of their offense. No running back has more than Gurley’s 49 rushing attempts the last two weeks, and only nine have seen more snaps than his 85.
The biggest detriment to Gurley, as mentioned previously, is his offensive line. However, even that may not be an issue for him long term. It is easy to see that the line is the team’s biggest weakness, and you can bet the front office will look to do something about it in the offseason. Be it through the draft or free agency, the team should commit to investing heavily in the offensive line, which means more lanes for Gurley to run through in coming seasons.
Given his obvious talent, usage and the fact that he appears completely removed from the ACL injury that derailed his final year at Georgia, Gurley should be thought of as no less than a top 10 running back in dynasty leagues. Assuming health favors him (which isn’t a guarantee for anybody), he has a real shot at cracking the top 5 in all league formats as quickly as next year.
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Alex Onushco is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Alex, you can view his archive or follow him @DynastyAl_DFW.
