The St. Louis Rams were without Tre Mason and Todd Gurley for Week 1 and that left Benny Cunningham as the starter for fantasy football owners. The team is hoping to have those players back soon and it comes after Nick Foles, Tavon Austin and Aaron Donald had strong games as the Rams upset the Seahawks on Sunday.
The Rams started Cunningham at running back with Gurley and Mason not ready to go and moving forward he will be the starter until the other two are healthy. Mason has been dealing with a hamstring issue, while Gurley is coming back from knee surgery last year while he was at Georgia. According to Pro Football Talk, head coach Jeff fisher said that there is a "possibility" that Gurley could play in Week 2 and that he is not "ruling him out" yet for the game.
The Rams have been cautious with Gurley, as he suffered an ACL injury last year while at Georgia. The Rams still took him in the first round and the team is hoping that Gurley can contribute soon, as he could challenge to be the starter once he is fully healthy. Fisher said that the team will see how Gurley is this week and that it will be a "medical decision" about whether he plays this week. PFT reports that Gurley was with the first team offense on Tuesday and he could get more work as the week goes on.
The Rams used Tavon Austin a bit at running back with the depth chart a little depleted and he made good work of his chances, scoring a touchdown on four carries. Austin also had two catches in the game and added a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown. Austin should get more work in the receiving game once the running backs get healthy and he is a sleeper option with the versatility he has as a returner. The Rams could continue to use Austin in running sets to throw off defenses, as he has the speed to make players miss on tackles for explosive plays.
Tre Mason has been dealing with a hamstring injury and he is on his way back and could be ready to play over the next few weeks. According to Nick Wagoner at ESPN.com, Fisher said that Mason is "feeling better" and it comes after Mason missed practice ahead of the Week 1 game against the Seahawks. Mason had a solid rookie season with 765 yards in 12 games, scoring four touchdowns in that time. Mason likely will start if Gurley isn't fully healthy, as he is a better back overall than Cunningham.
Cunningham stepped in and was solid for the Rams, rushing for 45 yards on 16 carries and adding four catches for 77 yards. Cunningham is a handcuff option for owners of Mason and Gurley until they can return. Nick Foles got a win in his debut game for the Rams and had a solid game, passing for 297 yards with one touchdown and he did not have an interception in the game.
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