Darren McFadden: Should you draft him this year?
That is the question fantasy G.M’s are asking themselves this draft season as they have been disappointed, like the rest of the fantasy community, in Darren McFadden’s fantasy performance in his two years in the NFL.
Justin Fargas is out of the league and is no longer in the mix to start or get major carries and D-Mac and Bush will be given the green light in the backfield. There is an obvious timeshare looming between these two players but the Raiders will run a ton and D-Mac has Al Davis behind him and thus has a permanent leg up in the competition even if Bush has proven to the better back so far.
D-Mac is much more explosive and talented than Michael Bush but just hasn’t been able to stay healthy but has already had some breakout performances that highlight his fantasy upside.
With JaMarcus Russell finally jettisoned from the Raiders starting QB job the Oakland run game now has new life. Boxes were stacked against the Oakland run, but now with a competent QB to provide a credible aerial attack expect both D-Mac and Bush to showcase their exceptional skills.
D-Mac aka ‘The Perfect Weapon’ has amazing hands, is a veteran wildcat quarterback and has exceptional play-making ability. Rumour has it that we will see D-Mac lining up out wide in a few plays for the Raiders and this is big news for his fantasy potential.
D-Mac will be more valuable in PPR leagues but has a chance to provide excellent value in standard leagues as well. D-Mac has RB2 upside but you can, depending on your draft strategy, land him as a flex option. He is currently going in flex territory and can be considered a legitimate sleeper based on his average draft position.
Expect Darren McFadden to have 800 yards rushing, 5-7 TD’s and 40+ catches, good for RB3 territory. His upside is 1300 yards from scrimmage and 8-10 all purpose TD’s so adjust your cheat sheets accordingly.
