Fantasy Football: Todd Gurley's knee has 'arthritic component'

June 18 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley has an "arthritic component" in his knee, according to his trainer.

Travelle Gaines told CBS Sports he is "managing" the knee with Gurley. The three-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro led the NFL with 17 rushing scores and 21 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns in 2018, but faded late in the season.

Gurley, 24, received a record four-year, $57.5 million contract extension last off-season. He started the team's first 14 games of the season but did not play in Week 16 or Week 17. Gurley received just four carries in the NFC Championship and had 10 totes in the Super Bowl.

"Everybody knew when Todd came out of Georgia that there would be some kind of arthritic component to his knee, which is part of every surgery whether it's a shoulder, a knee, an ankle," Gaines told CBS Sports.

"He's now at the year-five mark, all we're doing is managing that. If we can pound him less in the offseason while keeping his weight down, working on his strength, working on his agility in short areas, that's going to give him a better chance to be healthy Weeks 14 through 17 when they really count."

Gurley was the No. 18 running back in football last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He sustained a torn ACL while in college at Georgia, before joining the Rams as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Gurley has missed just three games in the last two seasons.

He is set to play at a lower weight in 2019, in hopes of staying healthy. While there have been whispers of Gurley's workhorse days coming to an end, Gaines said he has not been told about a plan to decrease his client's workload.

Gaines' revelation of Gurley's arthritis confirms what a source told The Athletic in March, saying the running back had arthritis in his knee.

Gurley led the NFL with 2,093 yards from scrimmage on a career-high 343 touches in 2017. He had 28 fewer carries and 23 fewer rushing attempts in 2018.

For fantasy football purposes, Gurley should still be regarded as a first-round pick. News of his knee issues drops him out of top-three pick consideration in your draft. Gurley's role on one of the best offenses in football keeps him in elite RB1 territory.