Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley emerged as one of the NFL's best ball carries in 2015, despite minimal preparation time for his rookie season. Now he will be the clear focal point of the Rams' offense. Below is a look at what to expect from Gurley and the team's other running backs in 2016.
Todd Gurley
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 1,680 yards, 12 TDs (rushing and receiving combined)
Over or under: That is a healthy projection, but I’ll go slightly over on the yards and the TDs because Gurley’s ability is boundless. Last season he was a rookie coming off a torn ACL, and he still managed to finish third in the NFL rushing yards -- despite not playing a significant role until Week 4 and then sitting out Week 17. Gurley amassed 1,294 total yards in 2015, with 1,106 coming on the ground, and reached the end zone 10 times. He should be even better in his second season and will be relied upon heavily, especially with rookie quarterback Jared Goff trying to figure things out. The only question -- an important one -- is whether the Rams’ passing attack can improve enough to keep defenses honest.
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 358 yards, 2 TDs (rushing and receiving combined)
Over or under: I’ll go under on the yards but over on the TDs. Cunningham is, of course, severely restricted by Gurley’s presence, but he was nonetheless a valuable weapon for the Rams on passing-down situations last season and should continue to be. Gurley will absorb almost all of the rushing attempts, but Cunningham will give him a breather on occasion and could become a comforting target for Goff in red-zone situations.
Who else should see time: Malcolm Brown saw limited time as an undrafted free agent out of Texas last season, but he moves up to No. 3 on the depth chart because of Tre Mason’s bizarre absence and should get more opportunities in 2016. Mason, who received the second-most rushing attempts on the team last season, had several run-ins with police over the offseason and has not reported to camp.
