RADIO
There was a trio of running backs in the 2015 NFL Draft that had fans buzzing about their potential all offseason; Melvin Gordon of the San Diego Chargers, T.J. Yeldon of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Todd Gurley of the St. Louis Rams. While two of them had monster games, one of them didn’t even see the field until the third quarter.
Melvin Gordon has failed to live up to expectations in San Diego. After fumbling the ball twice last week against Green Bay, reports swirled prior to kickoff that Gordon would not be playing in Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders. While Gordon did end up playing, he didn’t get a snap until the third quarter. Branden Oliver took over the starting running back duties, rushing the ball nine times for 35 yards, and hauling in six receptions for 39 yards. Gordon rushed the ball seven times for just 29 yards, and appears to be in coach Mike McCoy’s dog house for the time being. That, paired with his fumbling issues should render Gordon essentially unplayable in any fantasy format from this point forward.
T.J. Yeldon had the best game of his young career in London on Sunday, rushing 20 times for 115 yards while adding a touchdown in Jacksonville’s 34-31 win against the Buffalo Bills. He took on the lion’s share of the carries in the Jaguars backfield, with Toby Gerhart getting just six carries on the day. Yeldon appears to have firmly established himself as the main man in Jacksonville's backfield, having rushed for over 100 yards in two of his last three games. Fire him up as a weekly RB2 option in your fantasy lineups.
Unlike Melvin Gordon, Todd Gurley has certainly lived up to the hype, and then some. Gurley rushed the ball 19 times for 128 yards, and scored two touchdowns in a win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon. He also added four receptions for 35 yards. The knee injury that many believed would hinder his performance during his first year in the NFL seems to be a non-issue for the 21-year-old dynamo, as he has rushed for over 100 yards in his last three contests. Gurley is a serious contender for offensive rookie of the year, and is a bona fide RB1.
