The Facts: As ESPN.com's Alden Gonzalez explained, the Rams have replaced Benny Cunningham with Lance Dunbar, who, when healthy, can be a major pass-catching threat out of the backfield. The Rams want Dunbar to establish himself in a role similar to that of Chris Thompson, who totaled 84 receptions for McVay's offenses in Washington the past two seasons. That should mean less catches for Gurley, who saw his targets rise from 26 in 2015 to 58 in 2016.
Diehards Line:
Fantasy players might not be able to count on that in 2017. The Rams just want Gurley to be a force on the ground again. And with Andrew Whitworth now at left tackle and quarterback Jared Goff taking the proverbial step forward in his second season, the Rams expect Gurley to have more room to run in 2017. Last season, with defenses stacking the box on nearly every play, Gurley averaged only 1.59 yards before first contact, ranking 41st among 42 qualified running backs. He was on the field for 90 third-down snaps, 12 fewer than Cunningham and ranked 26th at his position. And he received 10 carries within five yards of the end zone, a workload topped by 15 players. All those numbers should improve, even if the receiving numbers decline.