Todd Gurley has gone through a major offseason of change. After years of dominating the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams, Gurley was released from his contract this offseason and ended up signing with the Atlanta Falcons. It was a move that shocked quite a few fans, but made a lot of sense to others.
Due to concerns surrounding his knee injury and how much longer Gurley has playing at a high level, the Rams simply could not envision keeping him around much longer. They bit the bullet and released the face of their franchise after inking him to a big deal back in 2018. Landing with the Falcons is a perfect situation for Gurley to move forward with his career.
Over the last few years, the Falcons had been happy with the production they were receiving from Devonta Freeman. Unfortunately, he didn't look very good last season in 14 games and the two sides decided to part ways. That led to the move to sign Gurley.
This is a bit of a homecoming for Gurley, who played his college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. He did not waste much time making his decision to land with the Falcons following his release from the Rams. It is obvious exactly the situation that he was wanting to find as he looks to prove that he is still a quality starting running back.
Looking past the real life aspect of the game, fantasy football players have no clue what to expect from Gurley. Some believe that he will end up getting back on track with a more consistent role in Atlanta, while others don't think he will ever regain his form.
The Falcons will get their first real look at Todd Gurley in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. It will be a tough test, as the Seahawks always seem to be one of the more difficult teams to run the football against.
With all of that being said, what should fantasy football players be expecting from Gurley this week? Can he perform like a true RB1?
Seattle has a brutal front, including Jarran Reed in the middle of the line. Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are star linebackers who are top-notch run stuffers. Gurley won't have an easy go of it in Week 1, but he knows that from facing the Seahawks twice every year during his time with the Rams.
It would be reasonable to expect 70 yards on the ground and a touchdown from Gurley this week against the Seahawks. He should also be able to chip in five receptions for 30 yards. Obviously, those numbers are not enough to play him as an RB1 in any fantasy football league.
Gurley still hasn't looked like his former self during training camp with the Falcons. Reports have come out that he still can't cut dynamically, which is a major concern as well. While drafting Gurley and hoping for a resurgent season makes a ton of sense, no one should be expecting anything more than a good season from him.
There are quite a few reasons that fantasy football players should not play Gurley this week. However, if you're a risk taker, playing him as an RB2 may pay off. It all depends on how many times the Falcons are able to put him close to the goal line and how many times they actually hand him the ball in those situations.
In Week 1, Todd Gurley is truly a “boom or bust” type of play. No one should be expecting an RB1 performance from him.
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