Top fantasy RB — Le’Veon Bell versus Todd Gurley

Running back is the most frustrating position in fantasy football.

Whether you’re in a draft or auction league, it doesn’t matter. Running back has become the thinnest position and the hardest to predict, partly due to so many injuries in the sport.

The hands-down list of preseason top five running backs last season included Le’Veon Bell, Eddie Lacy, Jamaal Charles and Marshawn Lynch. Mostly because of injury, none of those guys finished near the top five in points and became almost useless picks outside of the first half of the season when they were healthy.

Combine that unpredictability with the lack of depth at the position, and it’s a pain dealing with running backs throughout the year.

Last year’s middle tier included Justin Forsett, Alfred Morris and Melvin Gordon. Sure, there was a gem here and there like Todd Gurley or Jonathan Stewart, or later on like David Johnson and Devonta Freeman, but those guys were the outliers, not representative of the trend.

For an example, only nine running backs finished with more than 150 points in standard leagues last year, while 16 receivers did. Of course, there were plenty of backs just below that qualifier, but one of those was Frank Gore, the No. 12 fantasy running back in 2015, who had more than 10 fantasy points just five times. Real enticing.

That’s why the first running back you should get is the most important. Obviously, that didn’t work out last year with so many top guys getting hurt, and that could easily be the case again this season given the options.

October 25, 2015: Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell (26) during the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire)

Either way, Le’Veon Bell and Todd Gurley are the consensus top-two running backs. Both come with an injury history. Bell could’ve easily been the top running back last year, but played only six games. Gurley was one of the top guys, but he also comes with injury risks as does anyone coming off an ACL tear.

Behind those two are David Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Ezekiel Elliott. You could find a number of things wrong with any one of them, and Johnson could be in this conversation as well, but for now, we’re just talking the top two.

Bell is the consensus No. 1 in the FantasyPros rankings, more so than he was last year, which is somewhat surprising. Yet, my position on him isn’t swaying much. I labeled him my No. 1 guy last year, and he will remain so this year, despite last season’s injury.

Obviously, the injury risks are prevalent, but all signs point to him being a full go for Week 1 of the season. He even came out and said he would be 100 percent when training camp began, although players are usually a little more optimistic than most.

Bell’s numbers speak for themselves over the course of an entire season. He was unstoppable in 2014 and was set for another great 2015 when he injured his knee. Bell’s receiving numbers were a tad lower last year, but that’s what happens when his quarterbacks were Mike Vick and Landry Jones when he was healthy. Take away his receiving numbers, and he’s still a top-10 running back at worst.

The absence of Martavis Bryant may help his receiving numbers as well, but no matter, Bell is one of the best receiving backs in the game. Yes, he has injury questions, but what running back doesn’t?

Gurley was great in 2015 — his Offensive Rookie of the Year Award affirmed that notion. However, the offense he’s in is nowhere near as dynamic as Pittsburgh’s. Jared Goff comes to Los Angeles, and he should be better than last year’s quarterbacks, but the lack of receivers on the Rams is an issue.

Gurley wasn’t used as much of a receiving threat in his first year, and it’s hard to see him being used more because the Rams probably don’t want to give him that many touches. Sure, he’s a decent receiver, but getting 25 carries and five receptions a game will be too much.

Gurley was fantastic once he got started in 2015, but he closed the season having one 90-plus-yard rushing outing in his final eight games. Defenses started crowding the box against a mediocre offensive line and that hurt Gurley.

Will Goff be able to change that? If Goff can come in and open the field with Brian Quick and Kenny Britt, then maybe Gurley will have one of the best seasons ever… but I’m not putting my money on that.

I’m putting my money on Bell in the Pittsburgh offense, led by one of the best and most consistent quarterbacks in the league in Ben Roethlisberger. Gurley is skilled, but his offense leaves a few more questions than I’m willing to gamble on for my top running back.

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