What if you could get many of those factors working in Bell's favor for just $7,800? That's where Todd Gurley's price sits after his huge Week 4 performance. It may feel a bit point-chasey to go right back to Gurley, but it's fully justified.
Let's start right there with a comparison between Bell and Gurley. So as to not overemphasize Bell's down Week 1, we'll exclude that and look just at the past three weeks. Here's how the two measure up from a usage perspective in that span.
Usage Last 3 Games | Carry Market Share | Target Market Share | Overall Market Share | Red-Zone Market Share |
---|---|---|---|---|
Le'Veon Bell | 84.62% | 16.35% | 48.21% | 54.55% |
Todd Gurley | 79.76% | 21.35% | 49.71% | 47.37% |
Bell has handled more of the team's carries, but Gurley's target market share is the highest of any player in the Los Angeles Rams' offense. That's pretty tasty, especially when you get a half-point per reception on FanDuel.
So, strip the name away. What you have right now is a player handling the workload of an every-down back who is also getting a fifth of the team's targets. If it sounds familiar, it should. Not only is that Bell this year and last year, but these are the same boxes that David Johnson checked in 2016. Would you plug in a healthy Johnson if he were $7,800? Your answer there needs to be yes.
This isn't to say you should use Gurley over Bell. It's to say that you should use him with Bell. Thanks to the value at other positions, you have that ability this week, and you absolutely want to take advantage when you can.
One thing that could give you a bit of pause is the matchup, which is, after all, the point of this article. But even that's not as scary as it may seem at first glance.
The Seattle Seahawks enter this game ranked 24th against the rush, according to numberFire' metrics. Their Success Rate (the percentage of runs against them that increase the team's expected points for the drive) isn't that bad, sitting in 13th place, but it's also not great. On top of that, they are giving up some serious chunk plays.
The Seahawks have already allowed five rushes of at least 20 yards, tied for the second-highest total in the league. Across the entire NFL, there have been just eight rushes that have gone for 60 yards this year, and the Seahawks allowed two of those. That's big for Gurley's upside.
This also is not a fully healthy defense. Defensive end Cliff Avril is out for Week 5, and defensive back Jeremy Lane could miss the game, as well. Those injuries would affect the passing game more than the ground, but if Jared Goff is more efficient, the team will generate more scoring drives. This is all obviously positive for Gurley, too.
Gurley's workload is much bigger than his price would indicate. The offense as a whole has been clicking along. He's at home as a slight favorite in a game with one of the higher over/unders of the main slate. What more could you want? Even if it feels a bit dirty after last week's outburst, it's wise to go back to Gurley here.