Darrell Henderson working as No. 2 RB in Rams camp

Los Angeles Rams rookie RB Darrell Henderson is getting more work with the first team while Todd Gurley receives his planned rest days in training camp.

Fantasy football players are keeping a close eye on Los Angeles Rams training camp, especially at the running back position. Last year’s consensus RB1, Todd Gurley, is a great unknown entering the 2019 season because of a knee injury that forced him into a reduced if not altogether evaporated role late in the year.

Now that Rams camp has arrived, Gurley is receiving the planned rest days in an effort to keep the stud runner healthy for a 16-game workload. And while that’s great for the games that matter in reality, fantasy owners are dying to know which running back — rookie Darrell Henderson or Malcolm Brown — will be the next man up.

It’s still too early to say which talented runner will be the No. 2 option once the regular season rolls around, but early indications are that Henderson could be that guy.

“The Rams have been rotating their running backs in the first two practices, giving multiple players the chance to work with the starters,” wrote Cameron DaSilva of the Rams Wire. “Henderson, however, has the greatest potential of anyone not named Gurley, and given how highly coaches have talked of him, he should have a significant impact right out of the gates as a rookie.”

DaSilva noted that Henderson ran as the lead back in Sunday’s practice.

Henderson was one of the most productive running backs in college football over the last two seasons, averaging a mind-boggling 8.9 yards per carry in both 2017 and 2018. He finished last year with 1,909 yards and 22 touchdowns, bringing his career total to 36 scores on the ground in three seasons.

Henderson is easily the most explosive option not named Gurley on the Rams roster. This isn’t to suggest Brown can’t be a full-time starter in the NFL; in fact, he’s probably better than at least one-third of the league’s first-teamers right now.

But it’s Henderson who has some special qualities as a big-play threat who coach Sean McVay will be dying to use once the games get underway in September.