His name is one that always draws a ton of interest leading up to fantasy drafts, but is Todd Gurley worth an early pick in standard redraft leagues?
The Rams will need to lean on Gurley to have any chance of stealing wins in a better than advertised NFC West but just how well that translates to Todd’s fantasy numbers will remain unclear until we see if Jared Goff is a real threat at quarterback in his second season. If Goff can work with his weapons to create yardage off of play-action in early down situations then the marginal rushing lanes that Gurley is used to seeing on Sundays will start to widen up.
Los Angeles decided to help Jared out as much as possible this off-season, starting in the draft by selecting wide receiver Cooper Kupp and tight end Gerald Everett. They also signed free agent wide receiver and perennial underachiever, Robert Woods. However, the biggest weapon was acquired via trade with the Buffalo Bills to acquire Robert’s teammate, wide receiver Sammy Watkins. The skill positions for the offense have definitely improved and the receiving options for Goff should lend towards his ability to create in the air in nearly any circumstance.
The biggest question mark will be the offensive line. The addition of left tackle Andrew Whitworth in free agency will undoubtedly help in quarterback Jared Goff’s development. This may actually be the key to Gurley’s success in 2017.
Right now, I view Todd Gurley as a mid to late second round pick in 10 team leagues and I have him pegged as the 10th best available overall RB option at the top of the third tier. It’s easy to envision a season where Gurley’s numbers get stronger as the season grinds on and Jared Goff becomes more of a legitimate NFL passing threat.
If you do spend an early round pick on Gurley, be sure to spend a late round pick on his primary back-up, Malcolm Brown. He won’t put up the same kind of numbers in the event that Todd suffers a catastrophic injury and is out for several weeks, but he can be a legitimate touchdown threat in the Rams offense.