Week 3 – Darren McFadden at New England Patriots
With Maurice Jones-Drew sidelined last Sunday, Darren McFadden was Oakland’s lead back. He was not able to get much going, rushing for 37 yards on 12 carries. All was not lost, though, as McFadden scored on a short run and caught two passes for 31 yards.
Since Jones-Drew is not expected to return against the Patriots, McFadden is in line for another decent workload. And while New England’s defense is strong overall, they are weaker against the run than the pass. McFadden always carries an air of unpredictability, but would not be a horrible flex option.
Week 2 – Darren McFadden vs. Houston Texans
In a way, any week where Darren McFadden stays healthy is a good one. That is about the only positive that can be taken out of McFadden’s performance in week one, as he rushed for 15 yards on four carries and caught one pass for six yards.
But despite his silent start, the arrow may be pointing up for McFadden. Maurice Jones-Drew, who usurped Darren as Oakland’s starter, played poorly as well and had hand surgery earlier this week, leaving his availability for Sunday’s tilt with the Texans in doubt. If Jones-Drew is unable to play, McFadden moves into RB3/flex territory. As always, he would be a high-risk, high-reward player.
Week 1 – Darren McFadden at New York Jets
With Maurice Jones-Drew entering the season as Oakland’s starter, brittle Darren McFadden will enter the season in a change-of-pace role. Less work may end up being beneficial for D-Mac, as it might keep him healthy for longer stretches.
It is not the best thing for McFadden’s fantasy cause, though, as this one-time top pick was relegated to the late rounds in many drafts. New York had an outstanding run defense last year, yielding 88.3 yards a game. McFadden will not be forgotten in the game plan, especially with Derek Carr entering the lineup for the first time, but Darren will be a dangerous flex on Sunday who could be hazardous to your team’s health.
In a development as shocking as someone discovering Pizza Hut sells pizza, Darren McFadden missed time because of an injury last year. It has been a pattern throughout his career. McFadden has never appeared in more than 13 games in any given season. And unfortunately, another pattern has emerged with McFadden the past two years – declining play. He averaged just 3.3 yards a carry during that span. The Raiders, usually not the smartest organization in the NFL, somehow managed to pick up on McFadden’s fade and added Maurice Jones-Drew, who now projects as Oakland’s lead runner. Is there any hope left for McFadden?
Fantasy Upside
Maybe a change-of-pace role is best for McFadden. In the league since 2008, he has only had two really productive seasons (in 2010 and 2011 where he averaged over five yards a carry). Darren does not appear capable of carrying the load in the backfield, but might get another chance as Jones-Drew struggled last year in Jacksonville and has also had injury issues the past two seasons. And in a nice change, owners don’t have to worry about blowing an early draft pick on McFadden. His stock is low enough to where you can get him after the tenth round. That makes him a worthy gamble, especially with Oakland looking to run a lot to take pressure off a dicey passing game.
Fantasy Downside
Remember on Seinfeld where Kramer had an intern named Darren, who got involved in an ill-fated business venture that led to an oil spill? At the end of the episode, Kramer said “Darren is going away for a long time.” He could have easily been talking about McFadden’s injury history. So many owners have been bitten by McFadden in the past. Many don’t want to go through that trouble again, especially since Jones-Drew is the lead back. The Raiders will be playing teams such as Seattle, New England, and St. Louis in addition to a tough AFC West slate. All of their backs will be playing against a stacked deck thanks to Oakland’s questionable air attack. Also, the Raiders may end up abandoning the run quite a bit due to almost certain deficits during many weeks of the season.
Bottom Line
Open-minded fantasy owners need to realize McFadden isn’t a terrible player to stash at the back end of your bench. At least in that spot, he won’t haunt you because you don’t have to count on him for anything major. If he suffers more aches and pains, it won’t hurt nearly as much. As a role player, McFadden could offer occasional flex value and might surprise if Jones-Drew underwhelms.
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