Is Todd Gurley the best RB to come out of college since Adrian Peterson? Time will tell, but he is definitely a top 5 talent (if not THE top talent) in this draft class. At 6′ 1″, 222 pounds, he has the size, speed, agility, and acceleration to become a top 10 fantasy RB in his rookie campaign. Gurley is a true every-down RB, and will be a great asset in the Rams passing attack. It was a bit of a surprise as Tre Mason played well for the Rams last year, but Gurley’s talent is hard to pass up.
Gurley is willing and able to pick up blitzes which is great for the Rams as their offensive line is thin, and Nick Foles isn’t Cam Newton. Gurley reached 200 rush attempts once in college (his freshman year), so there is plenty of tread left on the tires. He has been compared to Marshawn Lynch by NFL personnel, but I see an Adrian Peterson with better ball-catching ability. He is a great fit for the Rams.
The only obvious red flag is the ACL tear back in November of 2014, and he also missed 3 games in 2013 with an ankle injury. Adrian Peterson tore his ACL in MCL in December, and was back at it in 4 months. I see Gurley as a freakish physical specimen similar to Adrian Peterson, and I expect him to be ready to go by Week 1. If Gurley proves to be healthy when the regular season starts I can easily see a top 15 finish in Standard and PPR leagues. If your fantasy league awards bonus points for big plays, Gurley is your guy.