There are some things you just can’t seem to get rid of no matter how hard you try. There’s that nagging winter cough. That old quarter in your pocket. That stalker ex who “coincidentally” seems to show up at the most inconvenient times.
And then there’s Todd Gurley on your fantasy roster. It’s not something that happened overnight, but it happened, and now here we are.
He began the season slowly, but you kept him in your starting lineup because, well, he’s Todd Gurley. Eventually, you relented and put him on your bench when you could, hoping for a breakout game that would restore your confidence. Meanwhile, you started shopping him around for a possible trade, knowing you would not accept a low-ball offer.
The breakout never came, an acceptable trade wasn’t forthcoming. Now you’re in this stretch of bye-week hell with a running back whose upside, as far away as it seems, is too high to cut, and his value too low to trade. You have trouble benching him because so many teams are off, and you can’t stand playing him because he has been a fantasy pothole.
“Well, that’s just great,” you say, “but what do I do about it?”
Well, that’s where it gets hard. Chances are, if you haven’t found a good trade offer yet, you probably won’t. But that doesn’t mean you stop trying. Obviously your expected return is lower than it was earlier, but you don’t want to give him away, don’t trade him just to trade him.
For example, what if you could deal Gurley for DeAndre Hopkins straight up? You’re getting rid of your underperforming dud for someone else’s dud. But if you can send Gurley to an RB-desperate owner for, say, Donte Moncrief? That would have been a veto-able deal early in the season but one you would jump at now.
The main factor you want to consider in a Gurley deal, or any deal for that matter, isn’t what each player has done, but what he will do while on your roster. And that’s where a sliver of light shines through the clouds hanging over Gurley. After what likely will be another rough week against the Jets’ run defense, it gets easier.
The Rams face, in order, the Dolphins, Saints, Patriots, Falcons, Seahawks and 49ers. Of those, the Dolphins and Patriots are slightly better than average and the Seahawks are strong. But the Saints are awful. And come fantasy playoff time, there’s a juicy clash with the Falcons, then in championship week, the woebegone 49ers.
Three out of six decent shots at good games down the stretch. That’s the best news we can give you. But at this point, a little good news is more than you’ve gotten from Gurley so far.
Real
Eli Manning
QB, Giants
Don’t expect four TDs every week, but the best pass defense the Giants will face between now and Week 16 are the same Eagles he just roasted. He also gets units that rank 28th, 29th and 32nd in fantasy points allowed to QBs.
Marcus Mariota
QB, Titans
He has averaged better than 23 fantasy points a week over the past five games in traditional scoring systems. Has run of beatable defenses upcoming — Packers, Colts, Bears — before a bye.
Michael Thomas
WR, Saints
Has just one single-digit day fantasy day since Week 3, and that’s in standard leagues. Even steadier in PPR. Four of last seven are at home, and two of three road games are at Panthers and Buccaneers.
Mirage
Colin Kaepernick
QB, 49ers
Nearly 400 yards in the air this week against the Saints. Before you starting dreaming of a resurgence of 2014 Kaep, remember: He played the Saints. That’s like playing “Madden” on Rookie Mode.
DuJuan Harris
RB, 49ers
Hello?!? (Hello?!?) Echo! (Echo!). Did you hear me a minute ago? Good. Then I shouldn’t have to repeat the fact, Harris played the Saints! (the Saints!).
Dez Bryant
WR, Cowboys
Everybody got in on the action in the Cowboys’ rout of Cleveland. Except Dez Bryant — one catch, 19 yards. He had just four grabs the week before (but turned them into 113 yards and a TD). He is not going to be a bastion of consistency, but most weeks will not be nearly this bad.