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Fantasy football: 5 running backs you need to avoid in 2019

By Aaron Tan

SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 15: Rashaad Penny #20 of the Seattle Seahawks runs the ball passed Blake Martinez #50 of the Green Bay Packers in the first half at CenturyLink Field on November 15, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 15: Rashaad Penny #20 of the Seattle Seahawks runs the ball passed Blake Martinez #50 of the Green Bay Packers in the first half at CenturyLink Field on November 15, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 12: Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams scores a 35 yard touchdown in the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 12: Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams scores a 35 yard touchdown in the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

No. 1: Todd Gurley (ADP: 7)

Especially with their incredible resurgence into a top team, I despise the Los Angeles Rams as much as any other 49ers fan. However, I winced when I discovered Todd Gurley had arthritis in his knee. You don’t want that to happen to anybody, and especially not such a young and talented running back who had Hall of Fame potential.

Gurley was sparingly used by the Rams in the NFL playoffs in favor of C.J. Anderson. Even though Anderson was playing well, you just don’t put your first-team All-Pro star running back on the bench in must-win games.

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Anderson is now gone, which seems great for Gurley’s fantasy value. But the Rams traded up in the third round of this year’s draft to take Darrell Henderson, an uber-talented back who fits Rams head coach Sean McVay’s scheme like a glove.

Gurley probably won’t be held back as much as he was in the playoffs, where he averaged just 12 touches a game, but he will still receive limited snaps every contest. The Rams are also one of the best teams in the league, which means they will have big leads in many games. Usually positive game script spells more fantasy points for running backs, as they are called upon to run down the clock in second halves, earning extra fantasy points in the process.

But you better believe the Rams are going to be inclined to take their arthritis-plagued running back out of the game the second it is clear that they have a sizable-enough lead.

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Gurley has been a fantasy monster for the past two seasons, but his days of winning fantasy football championships for owners are over. His current ADP of 7 is laughable and will surely drop as we get closer to the fantasy season, but I would still avoid taking the Rams’ running back at all costs.